yargk

Update: So I remembered that I had a white belt laying around that came with a gi I bought from Ki international. Never washed it, so I decided to measure before and after. Shrank 20-21 cm. I'm wondering if this is typical for other belts.

I agree, to each his/her own. Personally, a belt means much more to me than a colored piece of fabric and so I wouldn't treat it disrespectfully. I just prefer to wash every so often. I think one should treat their belts with as much respect as their diplomas, whatever that means to the individual.

Tokaido Japan claims this is a western invention. I think I've read the same thing elsewhere too. " I heard that one should never wash a belt. Is this true? No. If your belt is dirty then you should put it into a "sweater bag" and wash it in cold water. As with the uniform, hang it out to line dry immediately after washing. I heard that one should never let a belt touch the ground. Is this true? This rumor seems to have been created outside of Japan, probably in the USA, where many people claim that their nation's flag should never touch the ground or then must be discarded. Although one should try to keep the belt clean and all articles neat, if a belt touches the ground, it is not considered such a bad thing, per se. Throwing a belt around disrespectfully, however, is definitely looked down upon by traditionalists."

How much do belts shrink in cold washing and warm workout sweats? I have a Ki international brown belt which I can't remember how it fit new. Recently, I measured it to be 265 cm. However, it's a size 5 and should be 286 cm. It's been cold washed perhaps twice and subjected to warm sweat a couple times a week for a little over a month. So is it a super shrunk size 5 (shrunk by 21 cm) or a mislabeled size 4 (size 4 should be 266 cm)? (I just ask because someday I'd like to earn and buy a darker belt and need to know if I should get a longer one to account for shrinkage)

Anyone buy from mykaratestore.com? They seem cheaper than others for Tokaido.

Thanks, that does help, I think the bigger of the two sizes I was considering will fit perfectly then. Now I'll just have to wait until I'm crazy enough to spend that much on a nice gi that I very much want, but don't really need.

I have a Mugen Orange label. I've only washed it cold since it was already about the right size and it hasn't shrunk much, maybe only one cm. How much do Tokaidos shrink? If they shrink more (still only in cold water), I'd probably get one with a couple cm more in the arms and legs, if not I'd get the same dimensions as my Mugen. Thanks in advance!