Belt Display

[Goju1]

Ran across my old belts recently, the white belt going back to '88, and thought it would be nice to display them. I've seen some of the racks on EBay and such, most look kinda tacky. Anyone know any good displays, maybe a small glass case? What do you guys do?

 

Thanks!

[karatekid1975]

I just have a belt rack for my old TSD belts. BUT I bought decorations (sp?) for it. I bought three patches. One of TSD logo, one of the American flag, and one of the Korean flag. I tacked them on there. It might not be anything special, but it is to me

[Budderfly]

mine are hung on my wall with the corresponding certificate underneath. I'm looking into a rack myself as my wall is getting cluttered.

[Jussi Häkkinen]

To be honest, the whole idea of the belt display is kind of a tacky one. Certificates on a wall are a bit tacky as well - I think that the latest certificate, nicely framed, would be a pretty acceptable (and least tacky) solution, if you want to show up your progress somehow.

 

Belt displays...hmm, not a nice idea, really. Shops might use them, but for a person training a martial art...no, not nice. Somehow makes me thing a do-gi with 3-10 badges and a McDojo to study in. Gak!

[Kate]

*edit* Edited October 17, 2003 by Kate

[karatekid1975]

Same here, Kate. My new (well not new now LOL) doesn't give out certs for rank till black belt. So My belts/experience are all I have. So one belt rack is good for me And yes, I'm proud of them since I put a lot of hard work into each one of them (ranks).

[Jussi Häkkinen]

Hmm. Maybe my personal approach to karate is a bit different - and it may show out as a kind of strictness.

 

I think this way: I go to a dojo, dress into my clean white uniform, train in class or teach a class. Usually I never hear any praise - just corrections, year after year. Nothing feels finished, ever. Occasionally I, personally, feel that I have achieved something. Usually it's not a grade or anything - just a sense of improving, I guess - but that feeling keeps me going. I'm proud of it, inside.

 

I have no certificates on my wall. No belts hanging, actually just a style name calligraphy even showing that I train karate. Even that lacks the "kara te do" -part from the calligraphy. So, even if you can read japanese, the "young forest stream holy art school" doesn't make much sense.

 

I feel that I personally don't need anything to remind me of the progression and years I've put in training karate. It is inside me. My pride of my training - and yes, I am proud of my achievements - is inside me. I don't show it - it practically has no value to anyone but martial artists, and they are a crowd I don't need to show anything. They already know how I feel.

 

However, if you wish to show your progress somehow - or, well, as I prefer it (I underline it - my opinion is my opinion and I don't wish to offend anyone's belief. I just thought about clarifying my stand a bit - I'm pretty open to different approaches, however having my own taste about "tackiness" too), remind it to your own self as some kind of nostalgic trophy, I'd have an idea. Since you don't get certificates from your club, you might actually like it. It requires a slight amount of carpenter skills (and might even be cheaper to be made by a skilled carpenter), so you might want to check around for prices.

 

Make a board that is a bit longer than the combined width of all of your belts. Make two longitudal, about 1/5 of an inch wide, 1/2 inch deep grooves about 4-5 inches away from each other to the board. I think that maybe some dark quality of wood might make it (I'm not very familiar with material names in English - however, oak or chestnut might do). Cut short sections (about 1 inch longer than the distance between the grooves) from your belts - either from the most unfrayed position or from the most frayed one. I'd go for the clean, unfrayed part. Then, glue the belt ends to the grooves and belt to the board between grooves (grooves help to make the belt section ends look more tidy). Repeat this with every belt you have, preferably in rank order. You may decide to put the belt parts a bit apart from each other or then put them together - your call, again.

 

Decorate the showing part of the board. I'd recommend a single, simple design - maybe your club's emblem or a similar thing. Don't go for flags - that just doesn't look good.

 

Put the board into a place that you see it as often as you want. Preferably it might be over your working table or something - serving as a personal reminder, a source for that "I've achieved that" -feeling. Your own thing.

 

Of course, different approaches are just as valid. That's just my idea - I just thought about a sophisticated alternative for a bunch of semi-worn out belts hanging sloppily from a board (that I've seen in martial arts shops). I thought that maybe 4-5 inch parts of belt might make the thing as well.

 

 

 

I'm sorry if my use of language isn't easy to understand. English is not my first language and I still make a whole bunch of mistakes every time I write something. I hope my explanation of the structure of that possible belt display still gives some ideas. I still state that I personally (and your own personal opinion should be a most important to you as well) don't use any belt displays or framed certificates. For me, the feeling before and after the karate class makes it all worth it and is well enough.

[Kate]

*edit* Edited October 17, 2003 by Kate

[shotochem]

I just not the home decorating kind of guy. I have my belts neatly folded into a 1ft size piece. 1 on top of the other on a little table with a mirrior I use. My certificates are in an envelope right under the belts and around the mirror are photographs of the good friends Ive made and have trained with. I place much more value on that than any piece of cloth or paper.

[Goju1]

Jussi, thanks for the input! Good idea for the project. Your english is fine, way better than my Finish And I know what you mean about the display, I wasn't planning on a public display of these, more of a private thing to remind me of where I've been, what it took to get there, and the reasons for keeping going.