Old belts

[bushido_man96]

Well, if you have lots of wall space, you could frame each certificate for each belt, and mount the belt below each frame. But that would take quite a bit of wall space.

You could also minimize that, and just have all the belts hanging below the certificate of your current rank, having the lowest rank belt at the bottom, leading up to your current rank, with your current rank certificate above them.

I wish i still kept many of my old belts. Alas I was young and didn't think of keeping them.

But hey what can I do, lesson learnt!

I'd have to do some digging to see if I still have all of mine. I did keep the certificates, though. Most of them, I keep in clear page holders in a notebook. The bigger ones I have framed.

[sensei8]

Well, if you have lots of wall space, you could frame each certificate for each belt, and mount the belt below each frame. But that would take quite a bit of wall space.

You could also minimize that, and just have all the belts hanging below the certificate of your current rank, having the lowest rank belt at the bottom, leading up to your current rank, with your current rank certificate above them.

I wish i still kept many of my old belts. Alas I was young and didn't think of keeping them.

But hey what can I do, lesson learnt!

I'd have to do some digging to see if I still have all of mine. I did keep the certificates, though. Most of them, I keep in clear page holders in a notebook. The bigger ones I have framed.

Yes, now, I've kept ALL of my certificates; they're irreplaceable, imho.

[ashworth]

For me old belts simply get used as a training aid in the dojo

[Archimoto]

I used to return them so they could be used if someone forgot their belt or graded last minute if there were none in stock. We also used them for resistance training.

To me the belt is a reflection of the stage you are at in your training, once you move on then the belt is "used" and no longer valid, just like throwing out old clothes that no longer fit.

Making a shrine to your training journey is fine if you like that sort of thing but this kind of show seems like an ego problem to me. IMHO....

Shrine? Not sure what you mean...although I may reconsider a full-size bronze statue of my self or framing the poem that I had written about....myself.

Just kidding. Fair point although this is for my garage / training with few if any visitors. It's meant for more of a memento rather than a shrine. For instance, I still have my very first motorcycle helmet that I got when I was 9 years old. Brings back many good memories. I still have my very first BJJ gee - has a few blood stains that I'm very proud of to this day. The belt "display" was meant along these lines. And I suppose I may be brainstorming ideas because I don't want it to look like a shrine. Anyway, food for thought, you raise an interesting point. Will think of something. The training aids idea is interesting....

[Nidan Melbourne]

I used to return them so they could be used if someone forgot their belt or graded last minute if there were none in stock. We also used them for resistance training.

To me the belt is a reflection of the stage you are at in your training, once you move on then the belt is "used" and no longer valid, just like throwing out old clothes that no longer fit.

Making a shrine to your training journey is fine if you like that sort of thing but this kind of show seems like an ego problem to me. IMHO....

Shrine? Not sure what you mean...although I may reconsider a full-size bronze statue of my self or framing the poem that I had written about....myself.

Just kidding. Fair point although this is for my garage / training with few if any visitors. It's meant for more of a memento rather than a shrine. For instance, I still have my very first motorcycle helmet that I got when I was 9 years old. Brings back many good memories. I still have my very first BJJ gee - has a few blood stains that I'm very proud of to this day. The belt "display" was meant along these lines. And I suppose I may be brainstorming ideas because I don't want it to look like a shrine. Anyway, food for thought, you raise an interesting point. Will think of something. The training aids idea is interesting....

I love keeping mine because it reminds me to be honest to myself and to remind me why I started training in the first place.

Looking at each belt it reminds me to face my fears and to face any challenge that i face in my life.

Also looking at them brings back memories for me.

[Archimoto]

^ I can appreciate that !

[Shizentai]

Floods wash away many things. Yes, there are many things that I lost nine years ago today, my colored belts were some of them. I can't say I've missed them much though.

Tokens of the past pale in comparison to knowing that the real legacy lives on regardless of 'things'. That is one of the most beautiful aspects of karate if you ask me. We require neither weapons nor armor, nor even shoes. We can just as easily train in a dojo as we can outside in the grass.

No, I do not regret the karate trinkets I have lost: gold medals, belts, certificates, etc. For as long as I continue to live my beautiful life of training and discovery, regardless of the clothes on my back, the money in my pocket, or the artillery in my arsenal...

...I will always have karate.

[Archimoto]

Beautiful post !

[sensei8]

Floods wash away many things. Yes, there are many things that I lost nine years ago today, my colored belts were some of them. I can't say I've missed them much though.

Tokens of the past pale in comparison to knowing that the real legacy lives on regardless of 'things'. That is one of the most beautiful aspects of karate if you ask me. We require neither weapons nor armor, nor even shoes. We can just as easily train in a dojo as we can outside in the grass.

No, I do not regret the karate trinkets I have lost: gold medals, belts, certificates, etc. For as long as I continue to live my beautiful life of training and discovery, regardless of the clothes on my back, the money in my pocket, or the artillery in my arsenal...

...I will always have karate.

Solid post...a quite moving solid post!!