washing my belt

[Jussi Häkkinen]

To wash your belt is to disrespect yourself. Karatekas never wash their belts.

Belt is just an object - a symbol, but still just a piece of cloth. Washing the belt when it's needed (i.e. belt is stained, smells or otherwisely dirty) - like washing any other clothing - is respecting yourself and the people you practice with.

If any of my students train with a dirty belt (or dirty uniform), I ask him or her to wash it. It's just basic respect.

Japan is a society that is obsessed (healthily) to cleanliness. They have been that way for hundreds of years. Japanese sensei generally wear new and clean belts always when they're displaying their karate. In training, they may wear old belts but those are clean and washed always when needed.

Not washing a belt when it's dirty is uncivilized. One may have a frayed belt (if he/she wishes so), but dirty belt...never.

Belt is a symbol of hard work, yes. I tend to keep my symbol clean and beautiful, rather than put it (and my work) to shame by not taking a proper care of it.

[y2_sub]

Another article that supports White Warlock's post :

There is another story behind the decision of karate belt colours. This is that the old grand masters began their karate training wearing a white belt. As they continued to practice day in, day out they never washed their belts, leading to their white belts becoming black belts! (as the belt got dirtier and dirtier they went from white to red-ish to yellow, then darker, to orange......brown, and finally black.) Obviously the stage of the colours would not come about in reality...although a dirty belt may go yellowish and brown, colour such as orange, blue and purple, make this story hard to believe, although it is a very nice myth...

[Jussi Häkkinen]

Another article that supports White Warlock's post :

There is another story behind the decision of karate belt colours. This is that the old grand masters began their karate training wearing a white belt. As they continued to practice day in, day out they never washed their belts, leading to their white belts becoming black belts! (as the belt got dirtier and dirtier they went from white to red-ish to yellow, then darker, to orange......brown, and finally black.) Obviously the stage of the colours would not come about in reality...although a dirty belt may go yellowish and brown, colour such as orange, blue and purple, make this story hard to believe, although it is a very nice myth...

That is a very well known myth.

Originally, belt system was created by Jigoro Kano for judo. He addressed a black belt for his older students. It served as a mark of a student who had mastered the basics and - practically - could train equally with pretty much everyone else. Others did wear white belts.

Eventually, more colours were added. One possibility for the source of colours is a colour range of kesa -cloth of buddhist monks that is used in some sects to show the rank. Another one is a colours of sword handles - certain colours were reserved for higher ranked officials and daimio. These may have given an idea for the colour system.

Later many other belt systems were created. White, brown and black seems to have been one stage. Then white, green, brown and black. More colours were added to some styles and someone came up with the "darkening" idea - which seems to work fine.

Story about a belt that gets dirtier and eventually black...well, it's not very plausible in Japanese society, which has been almost obsessed to cleanliness for ages.

[makiwaraman]

Dont wash your belt get a new one and keep it as a souvenir.

regards maki

[White Warlock]

Okay, so we have the ones tossing out paragraphs of information, and then others tossing out their single-sentence unsubstantiated opinions.

Which would you listen to?

[Rateh]

ask your instructor

if he/she feels that belts should not be washed, then washing it would be a sign of disrespect

if on the other hand, he/she feels that wearing a dirty belt is disrespectful, then by all means wash it asap

not all dojo's have the same rules and guidelines for their training, just as you would follow the rules of your dojo in other aspects, you should follow the guidelines of your dojo in this situation

[y2_sub]

Okay, so we have the ones tossing out paragraphs of information, and then others tossing out their single-sentence unsubstantiated opinions.

Which would you listen to?

No one.. It dosn't make any difference

[joerfe]

Use your common sense. If your clothes are dirty, you wash it. Is your belt dirty, you wash it.

Your gi is (hopefully) clean. So is your hands and feet and your nails are not too long.

Why would your belt be dirty then? Did you know that sweat consists of very much the same as urin does?

[makiwaraman]

Or, you could spent the $5 to just buy yourself another belt. :wink

Okay, so we have the ones tossing out paragraphs of information, and then others tossing out their single-sentence unsubstantiated opinions.

I hope you include your self in that

regards maki

[ivette_green]

ask your instructor

if he/she feels that belts should not be washed, then washing it would be a sign of disrespect

if on the other hand, he/she feels that wearing a dirty belt is disrespectful, then by all means wash it asap

not all dojo's have the same rules and guidelines for their training, just as you would follow the rules of your dojo in other aspects, you should follow the guidelines of your dojo in this situation

I think that's the only definative answer. When in Rome...