The absolute correct way to tie a karate belt?

[drunkenninja]

Is there such a thing as the "correct" way to tie a belt, or are belts tied differently in different MAs?

 

I noticed from the last dojo i went to, TKD, that almost everyone had their belt tied differently. And when Id ask the instructor after i tied mine, if it was correct hed say yes, even though it was completely different from the way i tied it the day before!

 

And I started an isshinryu dojo, i noticed the same thing. some were different.

 

Is the belt tying thing just not a big deal or what? It seems like it should be important issue to me, but thats just me.

[Reklats]

How many different ways are there to tie a belt?

 

I don't think its a big deal. I don't wear my belt much anyway.

[Pacificshore]

Unless your tying it like your shoe laces, then something is amiss

 

So long as it's tied with a square knot, and the two ends dangle equally, then it shouldn't be a big deal. Oh yeah, and it's tied around your waist, and not some other part of your body

[stl_karateka]

The two schools I've been a part of its a big deal. There are two ways you can tie it --- but like said above, the end result should be a square knot (some schools are specific as to which way the open end of the knot is pointing) --- and hanging equally.

 

First Way,

 

1. Put the middle of the belt at your belly button and wrap behind you. You should now be holding 2 equal lengths in front of you.

 

2. LEFT over RIGHT. Take the top piece and wrap all the way under --- including the piece that should be laying across your belly button

 

3.RIGHT over LEFT -- just typing the 2 pieces. Pull SIDEWAYS (not down) --- to get that nice square knot.

 

This is the way most people tie belts and this is the way we tie the kids belts --- problem is you start moving around too much it starts to come off and it looks messy in the back the wrap isn't aligned.

 

This is the way we teach our advanced belts:

 

1. Start with the middle of the belt you around your back.

 

2. Adjust the belt so there is more on the left than the right. The amount on the right should be just slightly longer than you want it to hang.

 

3. Take the longer LEFT side, wrap around you and bring back to the LEFT.

 

4. LEFT OVER RIGHT (tie under all material)

 

5. RIGHT over LEFT -- just tying the straps

[Reklats]

Oh yeah, and it's tied around your waist, and not some other part of your body

 

Good point.

[aefibird]

Aslong as it's tied tightly enough not to come undone my instructor isn't really bothered HOW it's tied. There's only so many ways you can tie a belt, anyway, I'd have thought.

 

Usually I tie mine the the 2nd way, as described by stl_karateka.

[Solo]

Adding to what stl_karateka described, I hope this diagram helps. But as others have pointed out, there are many ways to tie your belt.

 

http://www.georgiakenpo.net/info_pages/belt_tie.htm

[krunchyfrogg]

I remember asking this question back in September, when I first joined these forums and started my training.

 

-- I never got the answer I was looking for.

 

Maybe my school is different, but we tie our belts (obi?) differently. My instructors are strict about it, though. It's a very traditional dojo, and I guess tying your belt is part of that tradition.

[Reklats]

Yeah, chances are if your dojo has a traditional term for belt, you're beyond our help.

[DLopez]

I don't know if there is an 'official' Kuk Sool Won way to tie my belt, but here's how I was instructed how to tie my belt:

 

I take one end of my belt and hold it against my stomach while I wrap the other end around my waist twice. The belt travels from my stomach, left side, back, right side, stomach, repeat.

 

After the 2nd wrap, I then adjust the two ends so that they are equal in length.

 

I then take the right end and from the bottom, loop it under the left end and the part lying against my stomach.

 

Then I take the end that I just looped under, over just the left end (which is now dangling to the right ) and pull tight.

 

Not sure how clear that is to visualize.

 

The reason I don't start with the halfway point of the belt across my stomach is that doing it that way the belt makes an 'X' in the back. Looping it the way I do makes the belt lie nice and neat, straight across the back.

 

I've done it from the left as well as the right, and I think as long as the knot looks like it should, it doesn't matter which way I start.