mjh1969

This is great information.

I have seen Isami, Kataaro, Eosin Panther, Shureido, KI belts and Tokaido (japanese and cotton belts). The best belts that I have seen are Shureido and Tokaido Japanese belts. Bar none.

I haven't used my KI Gi in a while but after reading your review I may use it for my next class.

For black belt brands, Shureido, Kataaro and Eosin Panther make the best 1.75 inch belts, no doubt.

Mugen Gi's are nice. I have two of them. They aren't too heavy and work really well in hot weather. KI international is in Inglewood, CA which is 40 minutes by my house. I have been there a few times and their customer service is top notch. I use their belts as well. Like others mentioned earlier, they aren't hard on the wallet.

This is great reading for me as I starting lifting weights again after stopping for 12 years so I can focus strictly on MA on route to earning my black belt. After benching 425 lbs, squatting 500 lbs and curling 200 lbs I had to refocus and come back to regain some of my strength because I find that it helps me better in martial arts. Now I focus on more reps with a decent amount of weight for a more tones and balanced body rather than looking like the incredible hulk when I was younger.

I have a weird question. Does the label on a person's belt always have to match their style of martial arts? I ask because I love the shito-kai circular label on Tokaido or Hirota belts but my main style of karate is shotokan. I could wear a JKA label but the shito-kai label appeals to me more. Any input would be appreciated.

For me I would say Muhummad Ali. Then Holmes, then Holyfield, then Hagler, Lennox Lewis.

I am glad I found this thread. It has good information.

Kataaro makes extra long belts but they come at a cost.

Shureido belts are the best quality belts that I have ever seen. Luckily the Shureido USA store is 20 minutes from my house so I was able to gt one direct.

Agreed I actually went down to the KI warehouse in Inglewood, CA last year and purchased one of them. Very nicely made belt. It's a simple durable belt as well, worth the money.

Good to know, I just bought a Shureido belt.

This is great information. I prefer 1 3/4 belts. 2 inch belts are very difficult to work with.

When I train in the garage, I wear shoes. Check out this brand. I have been using these for the last 12 years. https://www.shop bushido.com/collections/footwear The black martial arts shoe on the left is very light for the feet when training and the sole has good grip on it. One pair lasted me for 11 years.

I find myself less concerned about rank after earning my black belt and more concerned about skill, technique and staying committed. I came back to karate after a 26 year break, started off as a white belt and after 11 years earned my black belt. I was a white belt when my mom pulled me out of training the first time. I found the whole experience to be very very gratifying.

I started martial arts at the age of 11 in Brooklyn, New York because I was dealing with racism and bullying. Mom put me in Shotokan karate and I loved it. It was reinforced by watching Bruce Lee movies, Chuck Norris movies and lots of Kung fu movies and also boxing. Now I train because I love martial arts and because it helps me keep my life in balance.

I keep notes of when I practice and learn new katas. In my notes I list whether I did abs, stretching, self defense techniques and what katas I worked on. Whether it's Jion, Jitte, Enpi, Kanku Dai, etc. Occasionally if we cover something in class that I had a hard time understanding I will take notes to review them and go over the same material when I practice later.

In 1982, I was about 12 years old and I was in the game room playing centipede at the time. A 13-14 kid who I seen from around the neighborhood in Brooklyn (East Flatbush) New York was being bullied by 3 dudes. He was short and minding his own business. I saw a reverse punch, round kick to the head, hook kick to the other guys head and another reverse punch to the face and the fight was over and the three guys were down on the ground. Everything happened quickly but that moment was etched in my head forever. I started karate lessons a few months after that. From my knowledge of martial arts, he was doing karate. This left an impression on me forever and I have loved martial arts ever since.

I tested for my first dan black belt on 2/4/20, past the test on 2/8/20 and received my belt. Then the dojo closed on 3/17/20. For several months I practiced hard in my garage because I was still in great shape after preparing for my black belt test for the last 4 months. Sensei had all of the black belts join Whatsapp so he can send us weekly lessons. We did that happily for 2 months and then the dojo reopened in June for about 4 weeks, then due to the rising of coronavirus cases in Orange County, CA, we shut down again (bummer). During that time Sensei held kids and adult classes in the park 2 days a week. On the other 3 days a week I would practice at my home in my garage. I have 2 punching bags, an elliptical and mats so I am staying consistent. The dojo has re-opened and I recommended to Sensei to still teach classes in the park and a few in the dojo to capture students who are afraid to train indoors. He took my advice and so far training has been great. Since I have a key to the dojo, I sneak in there when I am bored training at home and practice and disinfect once I am done. We lost about 40% of our students due to the pandemic. There were about 3 black belts caught up in that lost.

Subscribed.

This is helpful as I am debating on which brand to use. Eosin Panther or Kataaro. I hear both of them are great belts.

I train because I love martial arts. I love the discipline of eating right, learning new katas and for sparring. I have loved martial arts since I was 11 years old.