washing your belt

[Ninjanoir78]

Do you do that. you do that after every training or just 2-3 times by year?? The belt can shrink?? and the color fade?? I think we can wash the coton belt but I'M not sure with satin belt and you put that in the laundry? ??? what do you think??

[yingampyang]

If it is a satin belt then be carful on how you wash it , but if its cotton then dont worry about it , just wash it wen you need too.

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

Do you do that. you do that after every training or just 2-3 times by year?? The belt can shrink?? and the color fade?? I think we can wash the coton belt but I'M not sure with satin belt and you put that in the laundry? ??? what do you think??

well i do not wash mine due to two things. one is tradition and the other is that there's a new fad out there that if you wash your black belt it will fade and fray faster, which apparently is the new 'look' for martial artists. people opinions on not washing them due to tradition is different and that's all well and good, not washing it is just the way i do it. i work very hard during classes and have had my black belt for many years and have not had a problem with smell that some people talk about, so if you dont have to then i wouldnt risk it. yes, it will shrink slightly but hardly much at all prob like a quarter inch, if that. and yes, the color will start to fade, referring back to that whole 'fad' thing. you can absolutely wash a cotton belt, but satin, i wouldnt, i'd hand wash that and hang dry at the most. but good luck with whatever you chose to do.

[Ninjanoir78]

Do you do that. you do that after every training or just 2-3 times by year?? The belt can shrink?? and the color fade?? I think we can wash the coton belt but I'M not sure with satin belt and you put that in the laundry? ??? what do you think??

well i do not wash mine due to two things. one is tradition and the other is that there's a new fad out there that if you wash your black belt it will fade and fray faster, which apparently is the new 'look' for martial artists. people opinions on not washing them due to tradition is different and that's all well and good, not washing it is just the way i do it. i work very hard during classes and have had my black belt for many years and have not had a problem with smell that some people talk about, so if you dont have to then i wouldnt risk it. yes, it will shrink slightly but hardly much at all prob like a quarter inch, if that. and yes, the color will start to fade, referring back to that whole 'fad' thing. you can absolutely wash a cotton belt, but satin, i wouldnt, i'd hand wash that and hang dry at the most. but good luck with whatever you chose to do.

about washing a belt..... it's just a myth, in japan almost everybody (sensei, master etc) wash their belt after the training, in okinawa too.... it's a myth like the belt touching the floor etc!!!

[cross]

May be of some interest:

http://www.24fightingchickens.com/2005/09/09/urban-legends-of-karate-belts/

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

yes, i have heard the 'myth' cries. and i have also read that article, but unless i have substantial evidence, i will follow the tradition i have learned and maintain set in my ways. whether its true or not, i believe it has some good points and is good to follow. but nonetheless, until i find a reason to wash my belt, i'll continue to keep it the way it is, and with the new fad of washing the belt to make it look more worn, it gives me all the more reason to not wash it. whatever others do is fine, wash or don't wash, but i've had my bb for a long time, and trained very hard with it and just so everyone knows, it smells fine.

[DWx]

I don't wash mine as such but keep it clean by wiping it down. I sweat a lot, especially in a sparring class and the belt just soaks it up. Doesn't smell but I'm really hygiene concious.

Quite a lot of belts you can't wash because they are an outer material with inner padding. When you wash them the inner bit tends to shrink.

[JohnASE]

Most of the people I've talked to don't wash their bets.

How a belt will hold up to washing depends on its construction and materials. I would guess most will shrink a little, but some will shrink a lot. Some won't fade at all, but, again, some will fade a lot, especially if they're not colorfast. Some people's belts rub color onto their uniforms! These, obviously, will lose more color in the wash.

I've heard of people ruining belts by washing them, so if you decide to give it a try, be careful. Minimize shrinkage and fading by washing in cold water and hang drying. Maybe even hand wash. Just my thoughts. I've never done it.

[NightOwl]

From what I've seen the Japanese seem to treat the belt like any other part of their uniform (although I've seen some embroidered belts that probably are taken extra care of for looks). I usually don't wash my belt as much as my gi, but every now and then I'll throw it in there.

[white owl]

I do not wash my belt do to tradition, and it does not smell either and I sweat a whole bunch, too. I think it looks cooler to see belts sweat stain and dirty it shows that your working hard. we had a white belt who's belt started to turn yellow before he tested for his yellow. how cool is that.