# About black belts



## Manny (Aug 14, 2010)

Talking about black belts wich one would you prefer: a) embroiden black belt, b) plain black belt, c) cotton black belt or d) satin black black belt.

Please tell me about your election and tell me why, I will really apreciate.

Wife want's to give one new black belt but I am beetwen two rivers, the embroided black belts are fashion but nothing beats a nice plain black belt around a well ironed and clean white gi. I have never had a satin black belt so I don't know how good they are, sure they will look terrific.

Manny


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## Blindside (Aug 14, 2010)

Our custom is rank stripes, but I much prefer a plain black belt.


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## scottie (Aug 14, 2010)

Manny said:


> Talking about black belts wich one would you prefer: a) embroiden black belt, b) plain black belt, c) cotton black belt or d) satin black black belt.
> 
> Please tell me about your election and tell me why, I will really apreciate.
> 
> ...



I have a satin embroidered. It looks shinny and really crisp with a White GI. it looks better than cotton i think.


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## dancingalone (Aug 14, 2010)

For working out, I prefer the plain cotton black.  The satin belts do wear out quicker if you like the tattered, old belt look.


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## stone_dragone (Aug 15, 2010)

Of my several belts, I probably wear my plain black cotton belt the most.  It's broken in and sturdy.  I have never owned a satin belt, so I can't comment on them.  

As far as embroidery, I have gone through stages.  I used to wear one with yellow/gold embroidery until someone pointed out that in their system, 3 gold bars (what I meant to be Sandan) indicated 9th dan in their system.  

I figured a plain black wouldn't cause such confusion...


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## twendkata71 (Aug 15, 2010)

My favorite is my original black belt, embroidered with karate do on it. I have a nice embroidered one with my name and style in Japanese. It was a birthday gift from my wife.  I don't much care for the rank stripes. 
I had a plain satin one, but it wore out quickly and did not hold up well.


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## Grenadier (Aug 16, 2010)

I have three that I use.  

My every day, utility black belts are a Tokon, 1.5" wide, cotton black belt, with no embroidery, and a plain cotton Tokaido 1.5" black belt, with no embroidery.  Both of these stay tied quite nicely, and the knots don't slip nearly as easily as their satin counterparts.  

For formal events, I use my old Tokaido belt that has the school name embroidered in Kanji on one side, and my name on the other in Katakana.  This belt has a good bit of wear and tear, but it's still functional, strong, and comfortable.


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## Manny (Aug 16, 2010)

It's time for me to talk about my black belts, I have a fully embroiden korean black belt I got when I did my black belt test, this is the one that I use the most, it's a 2 inch wide one, I really love it it's broke in and the korean lettering is fading away for the honest work, it's like an used leather glove, very softh but sturdy. My second black belt was one I bought a long time ago is a Mexican FT Sport brand it's plan black but not as black as my other black belts, this is my spare belt that I carry on my bag if I leave my black belt in home or if some one need it in dojang. My third black belt it's a gifth from my actual sambonim, if I recall it's a Hanckook black belt fully embroided, it's an used one that's in pretty good shape that my sambonim fully embroided to me, it's a very nice one but it's 3 inches wide and I think it's too much.

Since I saw the eosin pacnther belts I felt in love with them, and was hard on me deciding with one, because I wanted a neat white gi and a neat black belt, a plain black belt so I just ordered a plain sattin black belt.

This sating black belt it's not going to be a show blet, I want to use it so I will be rotating belts, and given I have two embroided cotton ones I opted for the the plain satin belt.

Manny

Manny


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## Hudson69 (Aug 16, 2010)

Something plain, strong but hangs after it is tied and not too stiff.


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## Brandon Fisher (Aug 16, 2010)

We use cotton black belts though I did get one satin one and though I like it, it wore out very quickly.  I always get black belts with the name of the dojo on one side and my name on the other.  Same thing with my students.


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## Haze (Aug 27, 2010)

My favorite belt has to be my 1.5 inch embroidered in red with "karate do" in kanji. Just seems right when I wear it. 

I have another, 2 inch,  embroidered in red with style in kanji (Goju Ryu) and rank in kanji (Sandan)


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## searcher (Aug 27, 2010)

For me it depends on which style I am training in. In the EPAK school I train in, it is a thing to have plain belts with your rank on it. In TKD, we use belts emroidered with our name and the school name in addition to our rank. In my school, I teach primarily C-ryu and I-ryu, so I use belts with our school name and the students name with no rank on it.

My own belt is a red and black panel with nothing on it.


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## Michael Hubbard (Jul 25, 2021)

I have a plain Tokaido 1.75 cotton belt and a 2 inch wide soft kataaro belt that work well for me.  They are very simple belts that do the job quite nicely for me.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jul 25, 2021)

You want a belt that can fade the dolor quickly. After you have wore your belt for 3 years, your belt will look like to be on your waist for the past 30 years.


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## Martial D (Jul 26, 2021)

I wear a nice leather belt on my jeans that usually stays there in my locker after I change into my MMA shorts and rashguard


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## letsplaygames (Aug 8, 2021)

As long as it keeps my kegogi top closed... I'm good to go. 

Where I come from there is  Kuro OBI...  nothing more.  no stripes, no fancy embroidery....  prowess determines the rest.


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## Hanshi (Aug 9, 2021)

Well, let's see.  I have my red/white paneled belt from judo, a red grandmaster ceremonial belt and my ratty, stringy, frayed and showing much white "everyday" belt that's still in one piece after decades around my waist.  I also have one other belt from another school I trained/taught at from just a few years ago.  The grandmaster there told me I should have a "true" grandmaster belt and so he had one made up for me.  It's black with name, rank, school etc, embroidered and with much Korean on it.  I started wearing that one at the school.  

Years back when my school merged with another respected sensei's school, his grandmaster, GM Kim,  presented me with a very nice, embroidered uniform, a lifetime achievement plaque along with a lengthwise striped belt, instructor belt.  I think it might have had something to do with his (or so I was told by my partner) being impressed by the name on one of my certificates.  It was "honorary" since I never had training in his organization's style.  I would wear it from time to time out of respect. 

I haven't worn a gi/dobok in a couple of years and just try and stay in shape at home; so all these various belts remain packed away.


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## Instructor (Aug 13, 2021)

I seldom wear my belt.  I always wanted one that was so old it had faded back to white and have the edge all wore out and frayed.


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## Gerry Seymour (Aug 13, 2021)

Blindside said:


> Our custom is rank stripes, but I much prefer a plain black belt.


I go back and forth. I rather like the plain one I wear when visiting NGA schools, but wear my rank stripes when teaching. If I could easily remove them from my good belt (cotton), I likely would. I don’t have anyone anywhere near BB in my curriculum, so have no need of the stripes.


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## Gerry Seymour (Aug 13, 2021)

stone_dragone said:


> Of my several belts, I probably wear my plain black cotton belt the most.  It's broken in and sturdy.  I have never owned a satin belt, so I can't comment on them.
> 
> As far as embroidery, I have gone through stages.  I used to wear one with yellow/gold embroidery until someone pointed out that in their system, 3 gold bars (what I meant to be Sandan) indicated 9th dan in their system.
> 
> I figured a plain black wouldn't cause such confusion...


I actually went to red stripes because so few systems use them.


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