Rank Stripes or just plan Black Belt

[still learning]

Hello, Because we belong to a large organizations...our Professor set the rules of the belts worn.

For all black belt 1st degree and up..the belts have chinese lettering, with a one stripe. Ever time you advance you get a new belt and another stripe added. Fouth degrees also get a thin red band on the top and bottom of the whole belts,chinese lettering,and 4 stripes or more.

Our 8th degrees and up the belts are red and white blocks on the whole belts(like in Judo style).

Every school will have there own rules. Indepentents can do what ever they want too.

So it is rare to see worm out belts in our schools...new belts everytime. There is a time periods for testing (3-5 years or more before testing). Your Instructors makes the recommendations and the Professor has to agree for testing. All persons testing for there Black Belts must be done with the Professor present. BB test are giving twice a year. .......Aloha

 

[stone_dragone]

Partial exerpt from my handbook...

Yudansha may wear rank stripes or not, at their discretion

Shodan Black with 1 blood stripe
Nidan Black with 2 blood stripes
Sandan Black with 3 blood stripes
Yodan Black/Red/White, white on top or all black w/ 4 blood stripes 4 years
Godan Black/Red/White, red on top or all black w/5 blood stripes
Rokudan Red and White banded
Nanadan Red and White banded

Hachidan Red and Black banded
Kudan Red and Black banded
Judan All Red with Black trim

my 2 cents

 

[Paul B]

All black. I know my name and my rank and what Art I study..that's all that need to know.

If I received one as a gift it would probably go in the closet to reside in neglect along with all of my certs.

 

[stone_dragone]

Partial exerpt from my handbook..


Yudansha may wear rank stripes or not, at their discretion

I wrote this over half a year ago, but I thought I'd share something that I have noticed recently.

I used to wear stripes on my belt, but decided shortly before writing the above post and ammending my handbook to forego wearing stripes personally. This decision came after numerous conversations on this forum.

I have noticed that when I did wear stripes, my focus shifted frequently to my next promotion and not on what I was training at the time (even when I was teaching, sadly). Now, however, since I have stopped wearing stripes, my attention never goes to the thing tied around my waist and entirely to my training.

This subject came up when someone inquired about my rank and I had to think about it for a few seconds (as opposed to "well I'm this and I'll test for this in X-years/months").

Subsequently, I have noticed much improvement since becoming aware of the previous negative focus.

Has anyone else experienced a shift of this nature?

 

[Brandon Fisher]

I have never worn rank on my black belts only my style and name in kanji and katakana. I think that has a lot to do with my feeling about rank.

 

[IWishToLearn]

I have several black belts, the one I usually wear is the one from my instructors I received with my last promotion.

I'm known for not wearing any rank while I'm teaching, wearing my black belt, sometimes I'll even wear a white belt to teach. It really makes me no difference what the color of the belt is. I've "borrowed" Doc Chap'el's idea of making all belt ranks viewed as honorary. I liken it to a philosophy somebody on this forum has in their sig that states: A belt covers 2" of your *** - it's up to you to cover the rest.

 

[DavidCC]

My teacher's belt has his name in English on one side, and Kanji for the name of the style on the other end. on sortof the side of his hip are 5 black-on-black stripes that represent 5th degree.

So, the stripes are there but they are not there...

It's not the typical belt for our style. hard to say what it is since we only have a few above 1st. Currently active we have 2 1sts, a 2nd, a 5th and of course Prof. Geary at tenth.

Shodan has name, style.

Nidan has name, style, and 2 red stripes at the tip. Too busy IMHO.

I'm not sure what Prof. Geary wears. Probaly something dipped in gold ROFL

 

[chrismay101]

At my dojang the black belts have there name, rank and organisation (ITF) for us maybe even style can't be certain don't korean all in gold.

I think that all this may sound alot but it does show they are proud of there rank style and organisation. all this is optional. but in the end each to there own.

 

[RBaddorf]

In our organization the style is on one end in kanji, and the organization on the other in katakana. Other than that, 1-3 dan are black, 4-6 are black side out, red side in, and 7-9 is red side out, black side in. No stripes. So looking at someone on the floor at a camp or seminar, you know only if they are a black belt, master or grand master from their belt.

 

[Brandon Fisher]

In our organization the style is on one end in kanji, and the organization on the other in katakana. Other than that, 1-3 dan are black, 4-6 are black side out, red side in, and 7-9 is red side out, black side in. No stripes. So looking at someone on the floor at a camp or seminar, you know only if they are a black belt, master or grand master from their belt.

Are you with Dillman Karate International. If so I also wondered about the black belt rankings with those belts.

 

[RBaddorf]

Are you with Dillman Karate International. If so I also wondered about the black belt rankings with those belts.

Yes I am. The 4-6 have the kanji and katakana in black on the red side, and the 7-9 have it in red on the black side.

 

[Brandon Fisher]

Yes I am. The 4-6 have the kanji and katakana in black on the red side, and the 7-9 have it in red on the black side.

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

 

[tom fox]

I wear one given to me by a student several years ago. I has my name on one side and stripes on both.
Tom Fox

 

[Miles]

We have belts with name embroidered on one side and "Miles Taekwondo" on other side in Hangul-no stripes. But, for 2nd dan and above, we just wear plain black.

Miles

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

I'm a TKD practitioner, and at my dojang our belts have our name in Hangul script on one end, and the name of our dojang and our rank (gold bars) embroided on the other end. I believe the practice of embroiding your particulars is fairly common in the Taekwondo world of martial arts.

To me a black belt with or without the extras such as rank isn't that important to me as much now as when I started training. I really don't need to wear my BB, all of my training partners and fellow students know my accomplishments and experience. I'm no master that's for sure, but to me my black belt is just an accessory to my dobok. The real black belt is inside of you, in your heart. JMHO

 

[Kyoshi71]

I actually do not like what my system does. We use red stripes for every rank up to Yondan, at which point the person wears a Renshi belt white side up.

I kind of like what the Okinawans do. Name on one side, system on the other side, same belt for all ranks (most people). Renshi certification, one rank bar. Kyoshi certification, two rank bars. Hanshi certification, three rank bars.

 

[Brandon Fisher]

I like the single stripe denoting the teaching certification also but not all okinawan systems do that. It is very common in Matsubashi Shorin Ryu, Okinawan Kempo and Goju Ryu (not even really goju ryu as much) but many Kobayashi and Matsumura Shorin Ryu organizations use the panel belt and the red belt. However I have not seen the renshi belt used that much as of yet in my research except in the western world.

 

[Kyoshi71]

I like the single stripe denoting the teaching certification also but not all okinawan systems do that. It is very common in Matsubashi Shorin Ryu, Okinawan Kempo and Goju Ryu (not even really goju ryu as much) but many Kobayashi and Matsumura Shorin Ryu organizations use the panel belt and the red belt. However I have not seen the renshi belt used that much as of yet in my research except in the western world.

You havent seen the Renshi belt outside the western world because we are the only dopes who use it!! Possibly, according to Gojuryu Network, Japanese Goju use it with the black side out? Not too sure. As for the red & white paneled belt, I also think its primary purpose is for special events rather than an every day obi.

 

[Brandon Fisher]

You havent seen the Renshi belt outside the western world because we are the only dopes who use it!! Possibly, according to Gojuryu Network, Japanese Goju use it with the black side out? Not too sure. As for the red & white paneled belt, I also think its primary purpose is for special events rather than an every day obi.

The special events is true in some cases some organizations do use it in everyday training. However it did start out being used only for special events.

 

[kuntawguro]

I personally do not like writing on belts or excessive advertisments on uniforms- TO ME it looks tacky. I have seen so many uniforms decked out like military dress uniforms that it just looks tacky.