What does your obi mean?

[tayl0124]

I was thinking after class tonight about rank, obi colors, and what I would do if I visited another styles dojo. So I ask you this question. What does your ink mean to you, and what does it mean to others?

-shawn Taylor

 

[Blindside]

By my Kenpo school's standards it means that I am a qualified to be a full instructor, for me it represents years of work and fun.

 

[seasoned]

It's not the belt, but the significance of it that holds much meaning to the individual. When I was Dai Sempai my instructor passed his first black belt down to me. Many years later I in turn passed my first black belt down to my son. Please don't take me wrong, the belt is only a piece of cloth, and that cloth did not make the person. The belt as well as the Gi were to be treated with respect because of the life you put into them through dedication, long hours and perseverance. While in the dojo, and not in use, the belt hung on a hook along with the Gi, never thrown on the floor. One of the most important tenants of Martial training was respect, for the Sensei, training hall, your partner, and yourself, which included your belonging.

 

[Xue Sheng]

What does Obi mean....heck everyone knows it's this guys first name

But seriously... Obi means

Obi (帯, おび , literally "sash") is a sash for traditional Japanese dress

 

[seasoned]

What does Obi mean....heck everyone knows it's this guys first name

But seriously... Obi means

Main article: Obi in martial arts
Many Japanese martial arts feature an obi as part of their exercise outfit. These obis are often made of thick cotton and are about 5 centimetres (2.0 in) wide. The martial arts obis are most often worn in the koma-musubi knot; in practice where hakama is worn, the obi is tied in other ways.
In many martial arts the colour of the obi signifies the wearer's skill level. Usually the colours start from the beginner's white and end in the advanced black, or masters' red and white. When the exercise outfit includes a hakama, the colour of the obi has no significance.

This too, for sure.................

 

[Ken Morgan]

My obi?
It holds my sword in place.

 

[Restita D.]

For me, the obi (the "over the gi obi" not kaku obi) it's a representation of the work I put in. As a child, I was brought up to "respect the belt" by not washing it, never letting it touch the floor or ki would flow out of it, etc.... But as I got older I realized that an inanimate object was not the focus. It was the work you put behind it, the teachers and masters that came before you to bring the art to you, the practitioners of your art, the traditions, etc.... That is what the obi represents for me. (I had to wash my obi.... It got so sweaty smelly gross that I wondered why anyone wouldn't wash it)

-Restita

 

[pgsmith]

Yep, I'm with Ken. In the sword arts, the obi is there only to properly hold the sword (or swords in our case).

However, I understand the OP's question, but there can be no easy answer. The color of a person's obi is only significant within the school or organization to which they belong. This is because the rank that a person holds is likewise only valid within that school or organization. I know schools that expect you to gain your next rank (at least up to 4th or 5th dan) every 18 months or so. I am also familiar with other schools that expect it to take 5 years or so just to get to 1st dan, and a 4th dan would count his experience in decades.

Every art, school, and organization has their own way of doing things and everyone has to accept that. Whenever I have visited a dojo from another style, I try to put myself down at the end since I have no ranking in that style.

 

[Zero]

Absolutely nothing. But that's just me and the kind of person I am. When people from other clubs would come to fight or spar me in my (not mine but the club I trained at) dojo I would often be waiting in muay thai shorts, no belt or any of that. I have also checked out other clubs wearing my old white belt, which some would say is underhand but no one should be so foolish as to make assumptions (good or bad) about a coloured belt round someone's waist.

Testament to my years of work, and for many years, very hard training, is my fighting ability, my techniques and the experience (which still needs considerable adding to!) I have garnered.

Always respectful, and when sparring, wary, when facing someone with considerable rank but again, that is more in relation to the years (and presumably/hopefully experience and ability they have picked up along the way) and not so much what they are wearing.

Some black belts have been obtained with little understanding of the art or acquired ability but then there are many dans out their from who much can be learned, so I am not saying I have any disrespect for the belt, just not that it has much worth in itself to me without the guy (or gal) it's wrapped around.

 

[Langenschwert]

Yep, I'm with Ken. In the sword arts, the obi is there only to properly hold the sword (or swords in our case).

Beat me to it.

Best regards,

-Mark

 

[kbarrett]

It means nothing, martial arts is about the essence and character of the person, not the belt or the uniform that he/she wears (personal feeling)

Ken

 

[Buka]

This is what I wear. It's a little worse for wear now.

Translated it means - Rank is nothing. Bushido is the only path.

I could give you a lot of nifty Zen like meanings, but those around here that are longer in the tooth know what I mean. If I am in gi, I must have my belt on. It is part of me. If it's in my bag it's just part of the stuff I need to work out with.

One thing it does is remind me. It reminds me that the brave men and woman who come to class every day are working for something. Their reasons are not important, those will change with the passing years. But their commitment and passions - that's another story altogether.

Our belts are pieces of cloth, pieces of costume, but they're OURS. We earn them every single day we put them on. They themselves are nothing, the ideals they stand for are everything. Maybe they represent why we train when it is so easy not to, I don't know, I don't remember.

People who have not trained in Martial Arts could never understand. How could they? To me, it means everything. What it means to others, I couldn't care less.

 

[tayl0124]

Many great comments here. Keep them coming.

 

[Tez3]

I keep my belt on from teaching TSD to the children class into the MMA class simply because I need something to keep my T shirt down when training. Being female I need to wear a top and the belt is the easiest way to keep the top down. It's not so much modesty but to stop it choking or impeding me when grappling.

 

[Josh Oakley]

This is what I wear. It's a little worse for wear now.

Translated it means - Rank is nothing. Bushido is the only path.

I could give you a lot of nifty Zen like meanings, but those around here that are longer in the tooth know what I mean. If I am in gi, I must have my belt on. It is part of me. If it's in my bag it's just part of the stuff I need to work out with.

One thing it does is remind me. It reminds me that the brave men and woman who come to class every day are working for something. Their reasons are not important, those will change with the passing years. But their commitment and passions - that's another story altogether.

Our belts are pieces of cloth, pieces of costume, but they're OURS. We earn them every single day we put them on. They themselves are nothing, the ideals they stand for are everything. Maybe they represent why we train when it is so easy not to, I don't know, I don't remember.

People who have not trained in Martial Arts could never understand. How could they? To me, it means everything. What it means to others, I couldn't care less.

I really like that.