Is there a secret to tying your belt

[Hogosha]

don't you get hot?

[Freddy]

Is this the "fortunecookieknot?" http://www.karateforums.com/album_pic.php?pic_id=353

[Rain]

At my dojo, the belt is tied with the middle of the belt in front and then the two end cross over at the back. If you do it correctly, there should be a perfect overlap of the two ends at the back that diverge when they reach the front, with one end under the belt and one end over (where it is then knotted). I couldn't get it right until I continuously and patiently observed my peers. Even then, I am still not 100% sure if I knotted it right, but at least now it looks neat.

Yes, it does get quite hot during hot days. Usually, I would just wear a sporting bra under. And yes, my gi always come undone for all of the training my style ensues (hard-contact karate) but I don't mind at all. In fact, I like to 'rough-up' my gi. But now I'm going off on a tangent.

Anyway, I think you are right Freddy, because thats exactly what I assumed when people started talking about a 'fortune-cookie' knot. But that's just my intuition.

[hobz]

I love how this thread has Christened me a belt tieing newbie

[kitsune_no_tama]

1:affix end of belt to waist strafing a little bit on the left-ish side, going around and coming out your right.

2:wrap solidly around waist over the line made twice.

3:pull out the bottom of the belt where your placed it on your back at first, through the bottom of it. it should come out to the front of you on your right side.

4. take the free end and make your upside-down topknot and there you go. a tight belt that will at least give you some time to figure it out when your belt is about to untie. even when it does untie, all you have to do is redo the knot. if you still have problems with it, try checking the neck of your gi to make sure that the collar part is down. if you tie your other sides before you make sure of this, you could throw off the length of your knots. have fun with your belt (?)

[Killer7]

My Gi flies open a lot too. It came with the little strings on the insides, but in our style we do a lot of throwing and tossing, therefore ripping them off in weeks. The biggest problem is that generally student Gi's are very lightweight and made of some thin cotton or polyester. Next time you buy a Gi get a good heavyweight Gi and you won't run into this problem.

And yeah, my belt is flat against my back.

[kitsune_no_tama]

actually, it depends on the length of your belt. i may be wrong if the belt is too short.

[al karate]

I can tie it fine, it's just somehow my Gi always flies open! Geez, maybe I just have to get the feel for it. Hopefully :\

I sometimes find myself constantly straightning it out.

you are probobaly tieing your belt to low so try tieing it higher.

[Sam]

that fortune cookie knot is quite similar to how we tie our belts [tkd]

[emma]

on the subject of belts.. who has their belt flat at the back and who has the belt crossing over at the back?

I was taught the belt should be flat at the back, and the knot at the front be a flat knot in case you fall flat on your front you won't get a big knot pressing into your belly!

But I have seen a lot of low kyu grades at the dojo I'm at now, having the belt cross over at the back and then just tied any-old-way at the front. I don't think Sensei ever told them how to tie them.

motoko

I try to tie my flat at the back as its more comfortable, but its very difficult when I can't see much even when I look in a mirror.

Also I hate those really hard belts, here in the UK they useally have a washing label on them, my favourite are the hayoshi belts, they are so soft to wear, even if its a hard or soft one I come home after grading and break it, to make it even softer.