No wonder SGM Parker went to the bars...

[stone_dragone]

As far as wearing the embroidered belt with my name on it at events - that's as much because it has my name on it (rather than my rank) as anything else - it makes it easier, at larger events, to find people you may not know if their name is embroidered (as ours are) in large block letters, fairly easily read from a distance - certainly more easily read than doboks with names embroidered on one side of the front, where the letters are less than 1" high, often in script, and often difficult to read.

I would agree that a neatly embroidered belt does produce the utility of being able to identify someone whose name you know but not their face...far better than those annoying "Hello my name is..." stickers.

 

[dianhsuhe]

In Kara-Ho Kempo, when you get your black belt it has Kara-Ho Kempo on one end and your name on the other. As you promote you keep the same belt, and no stripes are worn. We feel that all of our knowledge and sweat go into our belt so we have only 1, and it NEVER touches the ground when we are not wearing it. Heck when I was in Hawaii for our Professor Chow memorial, there were many high ranking instructors but since there are no stripes most can't even tell who is what rank. (Unless you know everybody pretty well)

This is apparently unique in the Kenpo/Kempo family.

Cheers!

 

[kidswarrior]

I think it's just up to the individual/instructor/school to decide what's appropriate or preferable. Doesn't matter to me one way or the other what the guy in this video wears.

If I ever have to fight on the street again, though, sure hope I get one of the guys stepping in for him. As slow and mechanical as this instructor is, his 'opponents' still aren't able to counter or stop his blows. :lol:

 

[Gentle Fist]

The other day I was training with some guys at my bjj club who said they saw a kenpo guy trying to wear a bjj black belt and where ready to go over and call him out as being a fake. I had to explain that in American Kenpo, 5th dans have bars instead of 5 stripes. For those who don't know. In bjj a black belt with a red bar means instructor. A black belt with a white bar just means fighter.

A black belt with a red bar takes normally 15 years to achieve in bjj. I would asume it take 20 years in EPAK to achieve 5th dan? So they are not so different eh?


Hey DavidCC, what type of belt is Geary sporting these days?

 

[kuntawguro]

I recently retired my black belt given to me by GM Lanada in 1973. If I had tied it 3 more times it would have fallen apart. No stripes, no bars, no writing. I was given a new black belt by one of my black belt instructors. It was a gift, it means as much to me as the belt given by my GM. No stripes, no writing. I think the whole patch covered uniform and bill board backs detreacts from what is important- the training.

If somebody doesn't know what school I am from- so what. If they have no idea what art I am in, so what.

I heard a long time ago- the emptiest barrel makes the most noise. Of course it doesn't apply 100% but I have seen many players with all the patches , stripes, dragons, US flags and militaristic rankings all over their uniforms- not be able to perform basics well.

My toughest competitor ever wore no patches just a clean white uniform and plain black belt.

My easiest opponent looked like the back of one of those redneck RV's with all the stickers for every KOA campground they ever stayed at.


Just my 2 centavos

 

[almost a ghost]

The general public doesn't really get what the stripes stand for, so it doesn't actually lend anything.

I'll have to disagree with that, the general public has the mentality "The more the better", although I will admit most don't get that at a certain point stripes become politics.

 

[MJS]

I'll have to disagree with that, the general public has the mentality "The more the better", although I will admit most don't get that at a certain point stripes become politics.

Yes, just like some have the mentality of the higher the rank the better. There is a thread about that in the Kenpo section.

 

[Rickg]

So many red stripes that was hard to tell it was a black belt.