Interesting belt dilemma

[Bleeding Lion]

I wanted to dress as a martial artist for Halloween, sort of like ryu in street fighter (white karate gi, black belt, red ribbon on the head). However, I am not a black belt. I didnt know if I could (morally) buy a black belt and dress just for this occasion. At the end I didnt do it cause I would have felt weird a belt i didnt earn, even though it was for a party.

What do you guys think?

[Jussi Häkkinen]

You can. It's a costume and you're not claiming to be a black belt in a some specific style. It's all OK.

If it would make you feel better, you can always create your own "Halloween-do" and grant yourself a status of a grandmaster and any rank you ever want to. It's completely OK - anybody can create a style.

Black belt is just a piece of fabric. Anybody can buy it, anybody can use it if they wish to. Outside a dojo it really does mean nothing.

[supajuice]

I agree, it's only a blackbelt(just don't wear it in front of your master).

[pineapple]

You could have worn a homemade black belt so everyone could see that you were just pretending, otherwise people might take you for a real black belt that was showing off.

[Sensei Rick]

I like the progressive responses to this question. Keep your eyes open grasshopper.

[White Warlock]

Halloween isn't merely about wearing a costume. It is commonly believed this is a pagan or Celtic holiday, but in truth the Catholic Church presented it as an actual holiday to precede All Hallows (aka: All Saints Day) on November 1st, which was followed by All Souls on November 2nd. That's not to say it does not have Celtic origins, for it does.

However, it was due to the Celtic 'New Years' falling on November 1st, and therefore the celebration occuring on the night of October 31st. The merging of the Romans (Roman Catholics) and the Celts (granted, not a peaceful merging) birthed a new holiday. The observances of the druids were 'transplanted' to the day of Halloween, and thus we have an observation of the dead; not as dead, but as living spirits of loved ones and of guardians of our cultural and spiritual identities... our past.* Costumes, when presented, were about the dead and about spirits. They were of ghostly origins... skeletons, wraiths, ghosts, etc.

Of course, we all know that Halloween has been commercialized by the merchants. Our modern version has taken a rather demented track, and now we dress up like Vanna White and Luke Skywalker. So, all that said... what would the purpose be in dressing up like some anonymous black belt?

* (( readers digest version ))

[shotochem]

Just wear an orange belt with black stripes on it.

It will certainly fit the occassion.

[JimmyNewton]

make one out of an old black t-shirt.

then it would have more of the costume effect.

[orion82698]

I'm dressing up as a woman. Doesn't mean I have to tell my wife

I see it as a problem at all. Have a safe night!

[whitematt]

I'm dressing up as a woman. Doesn't mean I have to tell my wife

You do if you plan on borrowing her clothes.