How to Tie Your Karate Belts

[joesteph]

I don't "cross" in the back, I layer. Here's an example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu04qC047KY&feature=related

I tried this with the stripes starting on my left side, did the layering and, after the knot, had the stripes on the left side for the finish.

A benefit of this layering, as I see it, is that you have a better chance of each end of the belt being the same length as the other at completion.

[DWx]

Don't have this problem in my style... we specifically have shorter belts so that they go around the waist only once

[Blade96]

in my dojo you take the belt, make sureits equallength, hold it behind you and bring it aroundsothat the two ends are in front one on each side. Then cross them ate stomach area, above the waist, then you endup with both ends beindyou. Then holdingittogether behind your back, drag it aroundin frontofyou. Then tie the knot rightover left and pass it under the whole thing right nextto your stomach. Then tie right over left again and this time dont go through the whole belt butjust doit just likeyou're tying a shoelace.

MY brown belt friend thinksmy knots are weirdlooking.But I guessits fine though because the senseis and sempai dont complain =]

[mudansha]

Learning how to tie a karate belt is one of the very first things that all students learn, and it is important that the belt sits above the hip bones and tied firmly so that it will not come undone. The ends of the belt should always be of equal length, and both ends of the belt should exit the knot downwards.

You should never let the belt cross itself at the back, mostly for aesthetic reasons but also because it is not that comfortable and can get in the way during karate practice.

That is funny.

I am a practitioner of Shotokan; one of the oldest, most traditional forms of karate. We are taught that the traditional way of tying the belt crosses in the back, and the ends of the belt exit the knot parallel to the belt that's tied around the waist.

I apologize in advance for being so blunt, but you appear to not know what you are talking about.

[Blade96]

Learning how to tie a karate belt is one of the very first things that all students learn, and it is important that the belt sits above the hip bones and tied firmly so that it will not come undone. The ends of the belt should always be of equal length, and both ends of the belt should exit the knot downwards.

You should never let the belt cross itself at the back, mostly for aesthetic reasons but also because it is not that comfortable and can get in the way during karate practice.

That is funny.

I am a practitioner of Shotokan; one of the oldest, most traditional forms of karate. We are taught that the traditional way of tying the belt crosses in the back, and the ends of the belt exit the knot parallel to the belt that's tied around the waist.

I apologize in advance for being so blunt, but you appear to not know what you are talking about.

that is howits done. my friend might think mine's weird because it dont look exactly like hers....but its correct =]

[joesteph]

I don't practice Shotokan, but I do respect that it has traditions its practitioners are proud of. However, time marches on, with new--certainly not meant to be disrespectful--ways of doing things introduced.

I find an aesthetic appeal to the layering way of wearing the belt, and my own art accepts both. I've noticed that the newer the (teen/adult) student, say 10th, 9th, and 8th gups, the more likely it's crossed in the back, while starting at about 7th gup there's a tendency to imitate the higher belts, who layer.

[quinteros1963]

Start with your stripe or tip end of your belt on your left.

Place that end at the middle of your back.

Layer your belt around your waistsuch that you only see one layer.

Take the striped end out and pull it to the front and make sure both sides are = in lenght.

Take the other end and wrap it over once and tie both ends in a knot such that both end are pointing down.

This is a nice knot with no crossing in the back!

[Chitsu]

When I tie my belt, it crosses at the back.

Not sure it matters really, but the important thing is the position of the knott in front of the "seiki-tanden".

Chitsu

[WireFrame]

This is pretty much how my club does it, the basic way (although I tend to reverse the left & right, no reason)

To be brutally honest I don't think how you tie your belt affects your karate in any way, it's a completely superficial detail and holds little importance. As long as everyone in the club ties it the same way I think that's fine, whatever method that may be.

[sensei8]

Two different ways of tying a karate belt:

Either way it's going to cross in the back unless, like still kicking said, you're using a really short belt.

For 45 years, I've used version #2 from the video above provided by Kuma. My belt crosses in the back but I don't care because it's just a belt.