Black belt material durability

[lit-arate]

I'll be testing for my shodan in Taekwondo at the beginning of December, and in Aikido either December 2014 or July 2015. I already have a black belt from American Kenpo, but it's embroidered with "American Kenpo" in Chinese on it, so I can't exactly wear it for the other two. Plus, it's rather low-quality, so it hasn't so much frayed as just torn off the top layer and exposed a core that belies the thirty dollars I spent on the belt.

So, in short, I'm on the market for a new belt. I've scanned this part of the forum and found many useful tips for where to buy belts, and varying opinions on the available materials. I'd like to get a satin belt, because I'm so fancy. However, everyone says that the satin belts wear out more quickly, but I was wondering: how dilapidated is "worn out," and how long is "quickly"?

I'm hoping for some actual numbers gathered from experience, here. Like, "My belt was unusable after two years," or "My belt was quite worn but still presentable after six years," etc. I'm leaning either Eoisn Panther or Kataaro, so if you had one of those, that's even better.

Thanks much!

[Nidan Melbourne]

There are a lot of brands that are really good. But go for a high quality belt.

They cost more but last long.

I have heard in TKD you get a new Black Belt for every dan grade you receive so you might just buy it through the school

[IcemanSK]

I'm a huge fan of Eosin Panther & have several belts from them. In 2005 I asked about them on a thread here at Karate Forums & a gentlemen from Europe recommended them. I don't go anywhere else for my belts.

A few things mentioned about Taekwondo. Shodan is a Japanese term and not used in a Korean martial art. The term in Korean for first dan is IL Dan. Second dan is YI Dan, Third dan is Som Dan. Also, another poster brought up that TKD schools give a new belt each time you increase in rank. This is often the case, especially where rank stripes are put on the belt. I have a "dress belt" with stripes on it that I only wear for special occasions. (I regularly wear a belt with no stripes). The next time I test I will send it back to Mr. Yi at Eosin Panther for him to add another stripe.

I wish you all the best in your martial arts journey.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Just to add to my last post I have an Adidas Black Belt that I was awarded when I attained the rank of Shodan-Ho in 2008 and still wear to this day. And it has kept up extremely well and still looks brand new

[JohnASE]

Like previously mentioned, most schools will provide and award a black belt. Some even won't allow you to wear one not provided by your instructor. I assume that's not the case in your school.

To answer your question, how long a satin belt will last varies depending on the brand and your definition of unusable.

Most satin belts have a satin cover with some type of padding inside, often made of cotton. This covering begins to fray or shred faster than cotton covers, but cotton wears, too. As they wear, the padding begins to show. Typically, they will wear first on edges and at the knot. I can't speak for all satin belts, but my impression is that they start to tatter fairly quickly and will look pretty well worn within a year or two, depending on use. Maybe others can chime in with their experiences.

Some people like their black belts to look shiny and new. Others prefer their belts to look tattered and worn, as if it's seen years of hard use. I've seen belts where there is less cover than stuffing showing, and their wearers still don't consider them unusable. A satin belt will last many, many years for someone like this.

Some people like the look of a new satin belt, and want to extend its life, so they use it only on special occasions, like testing or tournaments, and use a more durable belt for training.

[nyramat911]

Hi there, just to add my 5 cents in...

I currently have a Yamaga Silk black belt, which is just starting to show signs of wear around the knot after 18 months of constant use (wearing it 4-5 nights per week). Prior to this I had a standard, club issued cotton belt (no embroidery or anything fancy) which I wore for 4 years, and the only sign that I wore it at all is that it's softer now than when it was new.

Generally speaking, cotton black belts will last a long long time. One of my instructors wore his 6 days a week for 30 years before he deemed it 'unusable'. Another one of my instructors wore a Yamaga silk belt for about 5 years before they said it was unprofessional to keep wearing it, however a friend of mine has been wearing his for about 8 and he thinks it's fine, but one of his students told him to wash it (the white cotton inner is now grey-brown from all the blood, sweat and tears).

Ultimately, it's up to you, but I will suggest that if you're going to go the silk/satin route, make sure you go with a brand which is known for it's reputation, rather than the cheapest one