# Embroidery thread color



## IcemanSK (Apr 17, 2007)

Is there a "traditional" or typical color of thread that KMA uses for embroidery of BB's? It seem gold tends to be while Japanese or Okinawan styles tend to use red. 

Anyone know if there is a traditional color &/or reasoning for it?


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## Kacey (Apr 17, 2007)

I don't know of any in particular.  When I was given my first embroidered belt, gold was the only color available except at a much higher cost - so it was gold.

Our TKD association (YCTA) has standardized the embroidery colors within the association, as much to make it easier to tell the rank of an unknown person at a distance as anything else (lots of nearsighted people don't wear glasses while working out) - our colors go as follows:

I-III Dan - white
IV-VI Dan - gold
VII-IX Dan - red

These colors were in the original instructor's "flash" patches, which were worn on the shoulders - black and white (I-III Dan / assistant instructor), then white with yellow/gold (IV-VI Dan, instructor), then a red stripe (VII-VIII Dan, master instructor), and finally blue (IX Dan).  I recall that the blue stripe stood for peace, but it's been a while, and I'll have to go look the rest of them up when I'm home and near my Encyclopedia.  I'll try to see if I can find a picture of the patches, as well.


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## Muwubu16858 (Apr 17, 2007)

My teacher uses gold. Their is no traditional style, as black belts are only an invention of the last 120 or so years, and ebroidery even less so. also, i notice their are a great many styes used, like most use stripes to indicate rank. I have 2 belts, one the midnight blue with red stripe down the center for tang soo do, the other black for my other styles. The embroidery on one side says TRADITIONAL EASTERN MARTIAL ARTS INSTITUTE, and the other has the same school name in chinese writing, and on the left side of that writing it has my name and rank in chinese writing (chinese writing goes from up to down on the belt).


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## Laurentkd (Apr 19, 2007)

I don't know about traditional, but gold/yellow is definetly the most common around here for Korean arts.  Any other color usually gets interested stares.


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## Andrew Green (Apr 19, 2007)

"traditional" in this case is a rather funny word, I don't see many old pictures of people with embroidered belts 

Gold is most common across the board, regardless of art.  Why?  cause pink would look odd :lol:

That said, go with a rainbow approach, stand out


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## bluemtn (Apr 19, 2007)

Andrew Green said:


> "traditional" in this case is a rather funny word, I don't see many old pictures of people with embroidered belts


 
I've seen embroidery with gold (my school does this 1st dan and up), and I've seen no embroidery-  irregardless of rank.



> Gold is most common across the board, regardless of art. Why? cause pink would look odd :lol:


Naw-  to each his/ her own!  However, the following statement is PERFECT!



> That said, go with a rainbow approach, stand out


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## jim777 (Apr 19, 2007)

It's gold in my school, but at my brother's Shotokan dojo the guys with emroidered belts all have red embroidery. I have to say, the Japanese characters in red on a nice black belt look absolutely awesome


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## Miles (Apr 20, 2007)

I've toyed with the idea of having the color of the embroidered name/school on the belt be different for various ranks.  

This is what I came up:

1st dan-gold embroidery
2nd dan-green embroidery
3rd dan-blue embroidery
4th dan-red embroidery

But most of my students just wear plain black belts.  It occasionally causes questions from others when we line up for events outside of our dojang, but we know where we belong in the overall scheme of things. 

Miles


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## zDom (Apr 20, 2007)

All the KMA organizations I've been around use gold, regardless of rank.


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## IcemanSK (Apr 21, 2007)

Our organization does something unique with 4th-7th Dan. We have a broken gold line through the middle of the belt. (From the back, it looks like a highway divider.) For 4th Dans under 25 years old, the broken line is red thread. I hope I'm describing this well. Anyway, the 4th Dan & above belts are unique & look great.


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## MBuzzy (Apr 22, 2007)

All red for us.


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## Laurentkd (Apr 23, 2007)

Miles said:


> I've toyed with the idea of having the color of the embroidered name/school on the belt be different for various ranks.
> 
> This is what I came up:
> 
> ...


We have something like that, as a "dress belt", which represents the elite class of black belts.  Something my instructor came up with as a recognition for black belts who really go above and beyond.  It's for those who help teach classes, for those who come sit on testing commitees, or assist with seminars etc.  There is no extra cost or anything, it just gives those black belts who give more, more recognition.  They are given a dress uniform (with lots of fancy embrordery with their name and instructor status and all that) and a black belt that has a stripe through the middle of it.  They wear this "dress uniform" on special events (testings, tournaments, etc).  The stripes coorespond EXACTLY with what you have above (yellow stripe through the middle for 1st Dan, green for 2nd, blue for 3rd, red for 4th).  They look pretty cool! I have never been one for lots of colors or patches, etc, but I think it is important to recognize people in a way THEY feel is special, and all the black belts LOVE receiving these fancy uniforms and belts.  It makes them feel good for putting in lots of hard work, so I think it is a good thing.


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## Laurentkd (Apr 23, 2007)

IcemanSK said:


> Our organization does something unique with 4th-7th Dan. We have a broken gold line through the middle of the belt. (From the back, it looks like a highway divider.) For 4th Dans under 25 years old, the broken line is red thread. I hope I'm describing this well. Anyway, the 4th Dan & above belts are unique & look great.


 
That is cool, and something I've never seen before!  I'll have to play with a picture on the computer to create one so I can really see what it looks like!


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## Miles (Apr 23, 2007)

Laurentkd said:


> That is cool, and something I've never seen before! I'll have to play with a picture on the computer to create one so I can really see what it looks like!


 
No need to play with a photo!  Just go to the US Chung Do Kwan Association website:www.uscdka.com and look through the photos.  Hey Ice, are you in any of the photos?

Miles


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## Laurentkd (Apr 23, 2007)

Miles said:


> No need to play with a photo! Just go to the US Chung Do Kwan Association website:www.uscdka.com and look through the photos. Hey Ice, are you in any of the photos?
> 
> Miles


 
well thanks, that was much easier! And it does look cool! I really like the yellow trim along the V-neck of the dobok also... do you guys buy them like that  (where from?) or do you sew it yourself?


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## IcemanSK (Apr 23, 2007)

Laurentkd said:


> well thanks, that was much easier! And it does look cool! I really like the yellow trim along the V-neck of the dobok also... do you guys buy them like that (where from?) or do you sew it yourself?


 
We have a company that does it for us. I get a dobok that I like & have it done locally, however. Miles is right, uscdka.com is a great place to see the "master" & GM belts (GM belt is a solid gold line down the middle.)

http://www.franklinfitness.com/TaeKwonDo/SeniorInstructor.html

Here is a photo of one of our masters wearing his dress dobok. Black pants with a gold with white stripes (gold in the middle) are for masters. White with gold is for school owners under 4th Dan.


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