Worn/Frayed Black Belts

[NightOwl]

Ugh- frayed belts are a pet peeve of mine. What's ironic is I tend to see them more in striking arts where the only place your belt should have wear on it is the edges where it constantly gets friction from tying it. A good high quality belt won't fray that quickly- I've seen 65 year olds who have been doing martial arts their entire lives with belts faded and a bit scruff, but not frayed and tattered like I've seen in pictures of many young looking black belt 'masters'. If your belt is falling apart buy a double weave belt; it looks more professional.

[granitemiller]

A good quality belt that is frayed is ok

[Killer Miller]

By tradition, the belt is never supposed to be washed - just the Gi.

When the belt wears unwashed, it is usually the "white" looking belt where the black has been worn off from years of training.

However, the belts that are faded, worn and frayed are usually Karate-ka that wash their belt and don't know they are not supposed to do that, or ego black belts that want that worn look to fit in with the naturally worn black belts. You can always tell the difference of the two in the looks of the belt as well as their technique...

- Killer -

[Scott_LIFE180]

I would have PMed this, but I have less than 25 posts, so I apologise in advance.

I would never let my belt hit the ground as well. It is dishonorable (IMHO).

Tweak9, I have a question for you concerning this view point. By "letting your belt hit the ground..." do you mean tosssing it on the ground after practice or say letting it come untied and it falls off or something to that effect?

I feel that having respect for our uniforms is on par with showing respect of not only those who teach us, but for the school as well. At our school we teach the students to fold their uniforms after practice. (they can take them home and dry them out or do what they need to with them, but when the arrive and when they leave their uniforms are to be folded, this is done for a number of reasons) However we do not have changing rooms (they change in the bathrooms) and we do not have tables set up to fold uniforms on. (when we fold the uniforms the belt is wrapped around the gi in a specific way) Would you personally consider this as letting the belt hit the floor in a disrespectful fashion as they fold their uniforms on the floor?

[the beast]

A little wear and fraying is OK but recently I was at a tournament and seen a master with a belt that was frayed beyond belief, it looked terrible. I think there comes a time when you need to break down and get a new one.

[oneheart]

As I'm sure has been said many time here already, the belt system is a fairly new innovation. Maybe a good innovation, some think so some don't. Maybe its a tradition, just a new tradition. In a few hundred years it will be an "ancient tradition". Ever consider that? I guess if we really started training in our white belts and never changed or washed them till they turned black, that myth would become true as well.

In any case, I like the esoteric stuff but we do need to aknoledge where this comes from and keep it in perspective. When I get a shodan, I will cherrish it I'm sure. I will likely have little traditions that go with it probably half from my school and half personal because thats just kind of my thing.

Interestingly enough though we should consider many cultures put a lot of value into things that others might see as "just a piece of cloth". Consider the Jewish Tzitzit, for instance. I actually like that comparison a lot because a black belt should do three things a tzitzit also does (albeit the tzitzit does other things culturally as well). It should be a personal reminder of your responsibility, in this case as a black belt, a personal item to be cherished, and should give you unity with your fellow students in your style or school.

[Shotokan-kez]

Refering to my earlier post....I just bought a brand new black black belt from Kamae International, it's twice as thick and much better quality...cost me £64!! But well worth the money i'd say. Just have to even longer now for it to start fraying...

[Traymond]

I still have my first black belt, which my Hanshi Sensei Hand Dyed from my first white belt, and I have been using it ever since I was 14. I use it for all my dan level classes, and I refuse to buy another one, and I will not allow any one to embroider it or add any tape to it. Its a nice and solitary belt thats been humbled. I think your belt should be treated as a samurai use to treat his sword. That it is a part of you.

[Grego]

I take a more moderate approach. I wont just throw my belt on the floor, or let my dog chew on it...but I don't think of it as sacred. I don't get torn up if it touches the floor.

Though, Traymond, I think its cool that your black belt is made from your original white belt. Ive put on a bit of weight since I started training at 10 years old, so I couldn't do that

[Traymond]

Oh...Well I suppose not. I think thats why my Hanshi Sensei makes people wear their white belt atleast 2 or 3 sizes bigger depending on how old they were when they start. When I first started training with him I was 9 and he made me wear a size 8 belt, haha. I think I would have fit snugly into a four...and I looked a bit odds, but now 10 years after that day its still a bit big...but when I weighed 275 it fit snug...now I weigh 168 and its loose since I wear a size 5 now...But oh well...I hope I dont get into a fight with a juijitsu master any time soon...