Old/Retired belts

[Shodan]

Hi all!!

Just curious as to what others have done with their old belts- by old belts, I mean the belts you have moved on from to a higher rank. I have seen folks use them as motorcycle tie-downs (yep, not joking here) and as ties to hold rafter boards together, just thown in a box somewhere or handed down to someone of a lower rank who needs it.......all sorts of things. Personally, I have all my old belts displayed on a plaque that my parents bought me one Christmas. It hangs vertically with plexi-glass slats to affix each belt to. The top slat has my name in the middle of two karate figures.

So what about you? Do you have your old belts on display somewhere or are they holding something together or collecting dust somewhere? Have at it!!

:asian: :karate:

 

[kenpo tiger]

I have only my kenpo belts. Threw away the others because they meant nothing. KT

 

[terryl965]

I have them all in a cedar chest, was tought to keep them out of respect....GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

[Mark Weiser]

My Belts are on display in my Business office aka Computer Room. You got the correct Idea. They should be given a place of honor.

 

[Kenpo Mama]

Well, we have so many belts in our home (all four of us practice/ed kenpo) For my children - we diplayed them on a belt rack. When i first started teaching yoga, i used mine and my husband's as props (straps) in my yoga classes.

My brown belt, my son now wears (as you are brown belt through three levels and he outgrew his own) so that is kinda' cool.

Kenpo Mama :ultracool

 

[Storm]

I have all my old belts (even my white one) hang up in my study. Could never part with them.

 

[tshadowchaser]

Mine where given to the next person to reach that rank after I got promoted.

My first black belt I donated to the school and it was given to a student whom the instructor decided to test and promote on a moments notice. I gladly took mine off and offered it to the young man upon seeing the way he came through the test.

 

[bignick]

Not really what i do with my belts...but in judo 6th - 8th dans wear a red and white belt...and my judo sensei was telling me about a lady she trains with who is a 5th dan...and there were people from the kodokan there for a seminar and this lady demonstrated a kata for them...and one was so impressed by her kata that he gave his belt to her...so she could have it when she is promoted to 6th dan...

as for me...i have so many lying around...i took a six year break from tkd because the school in my hometown closed down....when i started training again i started over as a white belt...so i've got duplicates of quite a few colors...i just keep them in my closet...i used to have that plexiglass display thing...but it broke...

 

[shesulsa]

I handed my old kenpo white belt to my hwarangdo teacher. He always gave me belts from other students and told me about what an honor it was to wear someone else's belt. I then turned in all the color belts I received back to my instructor to be passed on - except my blue belt (which was new when I received it), which was signed by SGM Serriff and GM Serriff at a dan testing and seminar, my red belts, one was given to my by my teacher, one by his teacher and both previously unworn. I keep my red belts because I actually flew to Arizona for that test and two women in my class tested for black around that time and we celebrated with them. And then, my current rank, of course, I have. the belts I have kept I keep in a drawer for now. Haven't decided what I'm going to do long-term yet with them.

 

[Pacificshore]

I still have my original bb i received from my Chinese Kenpo days. As for the kyu ranks, the only one I have left was my green belt. I can't recall what happened to my others, but my gut feeling tells me that when I was promoted to bb, I returned by brown belt in exchange.

 

[Gary Crawford]

My instructors took my old belt every time I was promoted.I never recieved a used belt so I have no idea what they did with the old ones.My kids and my wife are Teakwondo students,so they get to keep all of their belts.We have them all displayed in the trophy room.

 

[Sarah]

I am going to hang mine on the wall with my framed certificates, I havent done it yet becuase I am only on my second colour so at the end of this year when I go on to Green I will hang up my white and yellow belts.


I am proud of my belts and certificates becuase they embodie everything I went through to achieve them.

 

[kenpo tiger]

Sarah, You said: they embodie everything I went through to achieve them.

And that's exactly why I threw out the ones from my two previous schools. I did not want them, as they meant nothing. My tkd belts were cheapened by the very fact that they had to be paid for at each test as well as those people who were given them even though they did not know what they were doing and had not earned them. The original karate school I attended -- better that I try to remember the very very few positive things that came from there and try to erase the horrible things done to me there. Why keep things like that? KT

 

[Sarah]

Sarah, You said: they embodie everything I went through to achieve them.

And that's exactly why I threw out the ones from my two previous schools. I did not want them, as they meant nothing. My tkd belts were cheapened by the very fact that they had to be paid for at each test as well as those people who were given them even though they did not know what they were doing and had not earned them. The original karate school I attended -- better that I try to remember the very very few positive things that came from there and try to erase the horrible things done to me there. Why keep things like that? KT

Ouch... I guess you had some bad experience's at your old schools.

But what do your new belts mean to you, do you keep them??

 

[kenpo tiger]

Sarah,

I have every belt and every certificate I've earned in kenpo - in fact, all are proudly displayed in our home office. I hope that my Tiny Tigers will all continue, and I'd love to have each of them wear my belts as they progress in rank.

KT

 

[Sarah]

Sarah,

I have every belt and every certificate I've earned in kenpo - in fact, all are proudly displayed in our home office. I hope that my Tiny Tigers will all continue, and I'd love to have each of them wear my belts as they progress in rank.

KT

That would be special!! Good thing you found a style/school were you are happy and proud of your accomplishments

 

[karatekid1975]

I have my belts from both TSD and TKD on belt racks. I don't do TSD anymore because I moved, but the belt rack is a way to remember/honor my first school, and what I learned there. I have a picture of my old instructor above it.

 

[Rob Broad]

I gave my old belts to students. When we would have larger gradings I had a groups of about 12 people that stayed together all through the ranks. So the person who out-did the rest during the test got my old belt. Now 2 of them are doing the same thing since they are running their own schools. And one gave my purple belt to a student to pass it on it the next generation.

 

[OC Kid]

My old belts were given back to my instructor up to brown. Then I gave it to my best freind so he can have the Ki thats in it then when he reached shodan He gave it to his wife when she reached shodan its in his school. I told him I want it back to give it to my son when he reaches that rank. About the time he does it should fit him :>)

 

[TigerWoman]

I have my belts on a rack that my kids bought me for Christmas with the words "MOM" engraved in the wood. Kind of special, I thought, and a good way to keep them in my office. TW