Is this normal?

[Coco]

Well, right now, im wearing a white karate gi and a green belt. When I sweat alot, many times I come home, and after I take out my belt and my uniform, I check over my gi to see if there are any stains, and many times, there is the huge colored outline of my belt, green and all... Is this normal?

[CloudDragon]

Yep, if you haven't washed your belt it will do that. Try to wash it on the gentle cycle with regular detergent and let it drip dry and the belt shouln't run any more. Most folks don't need to do this, but for those who perspire freely it is the way to go.

[Coco]

I heard if you wash/wet your belt itll un-dye? Hh and it also says do not wash on the little thingie.

[ramymensa]

WASH THE BELT! And the problem is because the coloures are not best quality. Had belts that wouldn't leave stains and only one that left a trace Wash the thing and DRESS UP FOR HOME AFTER FINISHING THE TRAINING. Stop wearing the karategi on the streets. You remember what happened before, not to mention I find it of a very bad taste. I don't wear my pijama on the streets and a karategi is very similar

 

And as for the belt ... change it. Try to find one that doesn't stain the gi. I guess they're a bit expensive ... but they can be found. I had some belts with silk covering. They never left marks.

[aefibird]

If you wash your belt gently the dye shouldn't run the next time you wear it.

 

If you wash it fairly regularly it will stop it becoming sweaty and smelly too.

 

Handwash it if you're unshure of whether to shove it in the washing machine or not.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Interesting. The only belts I've ever seen bleed their colors are ones that were origionally another color...like white...and dyed to a new color. I and my students have used Century MA's belts for quite a few years and have never had a problem with colors fleeding, and we never wash out belts...EVER!

[solar_kid]

Yeah, I never have had a problem with my belt color coming off on my gi, but I always wash the belt before wearing it. It may help take off any excess dye, but I also find that the belt stays tied better too. The new belts tend to be too stiff.

[Goju 4 Life]

Um. We never ever ever wash our belt either. To us your belt is sacred the only thing you can do to alter that I can think of is take off the manufacturer's label. but you dou whatevr you do

[ramymensa]

Here we go again We are separated in our beliefs regarding washing or not the belt. I chose to wash mine. In our dojo (a sport hall) some others train in basketball and vollyball. Imagine the floor So I go home with a grey gi and grey belt (it would show better when wearing a lighter colour ). After some weeks my belt would be just miserable. I hope Funakoshi would forgive me for my sins, but I had to clean the coloured rag ... because it didn't look like a belt anymore. Not to mention the "traces" left on my gi. So I chose to wash it. For me the belt is just another accessory. It's not holy. Is my rank and that's all

[aes]

I have never seen colour transferred from a belt to a white gi. IMO the belt did not get the dye set properly when it was made.