How to display your belt...

[Wa-No-Michi]

I'm with JAKEHE3078 on this one.

We don't have grading ranks identified on our belt anyway.

Also, most of the seniors in my group tend to tuck the belt ends back through their belts, so the ends don't hang down.

As I understand it, the belt ends hanging down thingy is a relatively modern invention and originally, the obi ends were tucked away to stop them hanging. There are numerous photos of the likes of Funkoshi and Mabuni etc. wearing their belt this way.

As far as tying the belt correctly well... thats a whole thread by it self I think.

1. Do you overlap your belt when you wrap it round or

2. Do a cross over thing at the back

3. Left over right or right over left

4. do you have the belts ends coming out of the top or bottom of the knot

etc.etc.

And goodness forbid if you ever have to wear Hakama!!!

[DWx]

I don't think you have to be that picky on tying the belts but I think there should be some standards expected. It just looks so much neater if the ends are the same length.

[Kruczek]

When I started my instructor told us that:

Ends should be equal length.

Boys Knots should point to the right.

Girls Knots should point to the left.

The back should NOT criss cross.

Over the years I have found myself being the only one who pushes the issue on new students. I do not think it is something of huge importance, but I think if everyone is uniform in this idea it makes the whole school look more professional.

If I was at your school and everyone did it completely opposite...that would still be "correct" in my mind as long as EVERYONE did it.

[DWx]

..Boys Knots should point to the right.

Girls Knots should point to the left..

Not heard of that one before. Is there any reason behind it?

[Kruczek]

Was never explained.

Our instructor was an elderly Japanese woman and this was one of those things many people just assumed she had a meaning behind. I found it similar to how on male jackets the buttons are the right but on many female jackets the buttons are on the left.

I still teach it because "traditions" have to be made by someone

[joesteph]

A photo series by Master Constantino Terrigno of Tang Soo Do World may be found at:

http://www.tangsoodoworld.com/reference/reference_tie_belt_2.htm

The belt does not cross in the back, and the ends are even. This is what I use, myself.

Personally, I think that students of both sexes should be wearing their belts--including how the knot is tied--the same way for uniformity of appearance.

[Wa-No-Michi]

Was never explained....

I still teach it because "traditions" have to be made by someone

I guess so but that's a really weird reason to do it. Isn't it?

[bushido_man96]

Was never explained....

I still teach it because "traditions" have to be made by someone

I guess so but that's a really weird reason to do it. Isn't it?

I was curious here, too. In my experience, the knot always pointed the same direction.

As for criss-crossing in the back, I have done it both ways. My current school does; in the ATA, it didn't.

[Kruczek]

I guess so but that's a really weird reason to do it. Isn't it?

I teach it that way because my teacher taught me that way...I think we all do this, just in this case it involves the uniform instead of how the kata is done.

[ps1]

In Shotokan we made sure the stripes were on the right. The knot was a square knot that held both sections of the belt in place. Some people did it in a way that there was no cross in the back others did it with the cross in the back.

In Chuan Fa we wore sashes. The were tied in what was essentially a slip knot. The knot was worn on the right hip. The ends should cascade down the right leg with the longest ending at the knee, the middle ending mid thigh and the loop ending just above that.

In BJJ, we think of the gi like a runner thinks of his running outfits. They should be clean, in good order and fit properly. Other than that, just put it on and get on the mat.