Hi

i hope someone can give me some advice. im my early years 1983 i obtain my shodan in Shotokan, now year later i would like to start training again in Shotokan. i feel ashamed to wear my black belt, for i am very rusty and i wish not to make my past Sensei look bad, but at the same time i dont know how he would feel if i wore a white belt maybe he would take offense to that. My past Senssei is no longer around to ask.

any thoughts on what to wear (i know the belt color is not that importance and it does not make the man but , i would just like to know the proper etiquett)

thankyou

Kevin

Bring both and ask. You are not the only one who has taken a little vacation from MA. Approach the head Sensei and discuss it with him/her first before class begins.

In my humble opinion. Wear your white belt. Your instructor will welcome your humility. When you are ready, he will tell you when to wear another colour. (I have been there twice in my life so I can speak from experience.)

I'd just ask.

I wore a white belt

Submit a request to be evaluated by the Chief Instructor. However, Kodakmint is absolutely correct...wear the white belt and let your rank speak for itself. Your Chief Instructor will either do one of two things: leave you at 10th kyu or increase you to a deserving rank. If Shodan isn't realized for the moment, train until the wheels fall off and then some, but not for the rank, but for your MA betterment.

IMHO!!

Well ask your sensei about it and he will decide.

As for me I moved schools (my sensei made his own school in 2008 and i moved late last year) and i had a hiatus of 4.5 years after attaining my black belt and my sensei decided that i can retain my rank and i was able to grade for my shodan recently