Blackbelts - Plain or Embroidered

[Dobbersky]

All,

I have a question to ask, With regards to your Blackbelts, Is your Blackbelt plain or embroidered? Or if you haven't got one yet what would you prefer?

Mine is plain with no Dan Bars. But I am looking at, once I grade at Wado Ryu, getting a belt with Wado Ryu karate do on one side and Ashihara karate do on the other (in Japanese).

Arguments are:-

Yes, it looks good and it will last you the rest of your Martial arts life.

And No, its too expensive for what it is.

What are your thoughts and the reasons behind them?

Also which brand of belt would you suggest if any to get for embroidering?

Osu

[pittbullJudoka]

I've promised myself if I reached shodan Iwould get myself an embroidered belt. I got my shodan last october and am still planning on the embroidered belt when I get the money.

I think it's personal prefrence on to have one or not. Also I will be getting a Shurido straight from Okinawa. The embroidery on my will have name of my dojo on one side and style on the other.

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

It's not too expensive and if you're like me you've have had and will continue to have your belt for a long time. I like the embroidered look, but i don't mind a plain belt.

and my black belt is from karate depot and i love it, it wears well, just the way i like it.

I am getting my masters belt from eosin panther when that time comes, they are amazing quality but very pricey and that doesnt sound like what you're looking for. my karate depot one is nice but like ten buck!

[JohnASE]

From what I've seen in the US, embroidered black belts are pretty common among traditional Japanese styles, almost always in Japanese. Most will have the name of the style and sometimes the dojo. The karateka's name is only occasionally used among traditional dojos. Rank bars in traditional dojos is pretty rare too.

Cost can vary widely depending on what you're looking for. Belts can range from a few dollars (US) to $50 or more. Embroidery on top of that can run from about $10 or $15 to $40 or $50. Even at $100 total, I think the cost is smalll compared to the costs involved in earning a black belt-dues, testing fees, training equipment, time & effort. I think if you like embroidered belts, you should get one, whatever the cost.

Oh, and I should probably mention that some senseis would object to their students wearing belts they got on their own. If you don't know for sure, it might be a good idea to check with your sensei before spending your hard earned money.

Also which brand of belt would you suggest if any to get for embroidering?

I don't know what's available to you in the UK. Tokaido has some good stuff. Shureidos are great but hard to get in the US. I would guess that Adidas is pretty popular in the UK. Their karate line is good quality in general, but I don't have much experience with their belts. Maybe someone in the UK can offer some local suggestions.

[ps1]

Here is a past link about the same thing.

http://www.karateforums.com/embroidered-black-belts-vt29391.html?highlight=belt+embroidered

[DAZ]

Mine is embroidered, name on one side , style on the other , i did not want Dan bars , but my instructor insisted

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/38759/06052008356.jpg

currently away to have a 3rd Dan bar added ..in anticipation of me passing in a couple of weeks , i have a spare belt i am currently using while it's away.

Daz

[Zanshin]

All,

I have a question to ask, With regards to your Blackbelts, Is your Blackbelt plain or embroidered? Or if you haven't got one yet what would you prefer?

Mine is plain with no Dan Bars. But I am looking at, once I grade at Wado Ryu, getting a belt with Wado Ryu karate do on one side and Ashihara karate do on the other (in Japanese).

Arguments are:-

Yes, it looks good and it will last you the rest of your Martial arts life.

And No, its too expensive for what it is.

What are your thoughts and the reasons behind them?

Also which brand of belt would you suggest if any to get for embroidering?

Osu

Each to their own of course but personally, I am not a great fan of dan bars etc.

I have been fortunate to train with most of the Wado-ryu "old boys" as it were (Shiomitsu, Arakawa, Ohgami etc) and they all wear perfectly plain belts. Shiomitsu might wear a white one with his name on it I seem to recall.

Its almost a reflection of Wado, as in "less is more"?

That said, I did buy a silk BB with the full trimmings when I graded for Shodan.

I will hold my hand up to proudly purchasing a "Tokaido" silk BB with my name (in Katakana) down one side and my Assoc. name (in Kanji) on the other, and I would be hypocrite to say otherwise so I think they are a trophy in that way.

So go for it, but perhaps don't wear it in front of too many Japanese instructors!!

Z

PS ... It is my understanding that the word "Osu" is considered a bit "crass" in many Japanese Wado dojo, so perhaps don't do that either. Again, I learned the hard way by being reprimanded by a 3rd dan when training with Arakawa sensei .

Still, we live and learn.

[unknownstyle]

i likw eh embroidery but i would really rather not have rank bars. mt teacher will be getting my belt and it will be in englsh and gave rank bars. i plan on breaking away soon and seeking ouy new instruction. at that point i will get a belt embroidred in japanese and with no rank bars

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

yea, im not a fan of dan bars either, or rank for that matter. but we have a required format of what our ceremonial belts have to look like and dan bars are apart of it.

[bushido_man96]

My belt has my name embroidered on it, along with the name of the school in Engilsh and Korean, and dan bars. I like it. I also have a plain black belt, but I haven't worn it in years.