Why belts? (championships, not training/rank)

[mrhnau]

I was just wondering... most fighting organizations have belts to designate champions. Why do they have belts? Why not a necklace, a hat or boots? Is this a spill over from martial arts? not neccessarily colored belts, but wearing a belt for training...

 

[Blindside]

I was just wondering... most fighting organizations have belts to designate champions. Why do they have belts? Why not a necklace, a hat or boots? Is this a spill over from martial arts? not neccessarily colored belts, but wearing a belt for training...

It comes from boxing in England from around 1910, the belt was offered as a prize from a patron of the London boxing scene. If you defended the championship of your weightclass twice you got to keep it. But why belts? I have no idea.

 

[Carol]

It comes from boxing in England from around 1910, the belt was offered as a prize from a patron of the London boxing scene. If you defended the championship of your weightclass twice you got to keep it. But why belts? I have no idea.

Imperial snobbery, perhaps.

There were some customs that came about during mid-nineteenth century Brittain that focused on a display of wealth. Queen Victoria, for example,chose to get married in a lavish gown that was a most impractical color (white).

For the gentlemen, the custom came about to award lavishly customized belts to award the champion of a sportsman's competition. The belt was awarded in a few pursuits, from boxing to The British Open. The gentleman would wear his belt in celebration of his victory but certainly would not be seen wearing it in polite society. As per why specifically a belt? Not sure, but given that many of these belts were made with exotic leathers, rare metals, and gems... perhaps a belt was offered because it was one of the easier accessory to make in a rather gaudy fashion.

 

[terryl965]

It was a symbol of being the best nobody could not see the belt when wearing it. It was there to recognize the champion at all times.

Really I have ideal but it sounded good enough for me.

 

[mrhnau]

I did a bit more thinking about it... it might possibly be that a belt can be adjusted to the persons size, where other articles of clothing might not be so easy to adjust when the belt changes hand.

I have no idea if thats the case, but its the only thing I could come up with...