Your Taekwondo Black Belt

[d1jinx]

Although my current belt isn't one,
My all time favorite belt is the 2" Pine tree. Its thick and a huge pain when its new. Doesnt tie well and comes untied often until you break it in. Then its great. Looks good and fades well. Its so thick and stiff at first. But it soffens up after use! no punn intended.

 

[DBZ]

I've spoken to James Kim @ Mooto about that belt. It's a nice belt, but it's not $200 nice.

What makes this belt so nice? It does look sweet but what is the bamboo part? is it made out of bamboo? is the 200$ for the box lol?

 

[mw.rosa]

Does anyone have the Mooto Limited Edition Bamboo Black Belt?
If so was it money well spent? ($199)

I've got a wide selection of black belts.

1. The one I got for my black belt test.

2. My old master gave me an embroidered black belt when I took over his dojang.

3. I once forgot my belt at a tournament and bought one there

4. My pride and joy, the MOOTO Limited Edition Bamboo Black Belt.
My girlfriend gave it to me when I passed my 3rd degree blackbelt test. It has my name on one side in Korean in the same color as the standard embroidery on the belt. The other side just says taekwondo in korean.
I love this belt, out of the box it is real flexible, it feels great. The inside of the belt is made of 100% bamboo fibers wrapped in a high quality cotton outside. I mainly use this belt for training and tournaments.

5. With this belt I got a MOOTO single wrap black belt, same embroidery in gold but with 3 stripes on the taekwondo side. I only use this belt when teaching at my dojang. I normaly don't wear the dan stripes but it impresses outsiders new to the club. Unlike the bamboo belt this belt was really stiff. Had to work it and wash it with my Haidong Gumdo dobok about 10 times before the ends stayed down in stead if standing straight up.

6. Last but not least I was given a MOOTO Warrior Vintage Black Belt by the MOOTO supplier here in Holland. Same embroidery but in gray.
This belt is a little thicker but realy flexible. It's grayish and worn to simulate years of training. I only wear this when I wear my MOOTO NF PRIDE dobok, the combination of the gray stripes on the dobok and the grayish belt with gray embroidery looks great.

As for the Bamboo Black Belt, most sites selling them have very little info on the site, just a big image with Korean text. I'm currently working on the MOOTO Benelux website and have included most of the Korean text in English. I've also posted a review there with some more details.
http://www.mooto.lu/...

Is it worth $199? Hard to say. I've never heard of EOSIN Panther, I went to the site and made a Satin 2" size 8 (130") same embroidery as MOOTO belts, 3 dan stripes and it comes to $128,95. Most of the costs are the embroidery which is included with the Bamboo Black Belt. The bamboo belt is exclusive, limited to 1000 pieces. I think it's more special then an other belt.

Hope this helps.

- Michael

 

[aftab]

Thanks for the Belt review Michael

 

[Manny]

I've been using my eosin panther satin black belt for 9 months and it is stiff still I think it's going to need more time to break in, it's a nice belt it cousts U$D135.00 including shiping and handling ( I live in Mexico ) it's plain black, no embroided or bars cause this make's it more expencive. I wish I could had it embroided but well, it looks so nice in aclean and well ironed gi.

I would like to have a Pine Three (Sang Moo Sa) embroided black belt but I would have to import it.

Manny

 

[Spookey]

Question Everyone,

Does anyone wash their belt on a regular basis...what are thoughts and opinions on washing your belt?

Manny,

I have been breaking in my Sang Moo Sa 2" Deluxe for about 5 years now. Teaching / Training 8-12 hours a week and still tightening the knot 5 times a class...if you want stiff that is what it is!

 

[ralphmcpherson]

Question Everyone,

Does anyone wash their belt on a regular basis...what are thoughts and opinions on washing your belt?

Manny,

I have been breaking in my Sang Moo Sa 2" Deluxe for about 5 years now. Teaching / Training 8-12 hours a week and still tightening the knot 5 times a class...if you want stiff that is what it is!

I never wash my black belt, I suppose it sounds wierd but I like the fact that all my blood, sweat and tears are on that belt and I could just never wash it.

 

[andyjeffries]

I never wash my black belt, I suppose it sounds wierd but I like the fact that all my blood, sweat and tears are on that belt and I could just never wash it.

A lot of people don't wash them for that reason. A lot of others believe (or at least nod to) the mythical reason that all your training energy is stored in the belt over the years.

I don't wash mine because I like my belt to look black (rather than grey or falling apart). I'd rather get a new belt when mine looks faded/grey than look like some guy "who's been a black belt for many many years".

 

[ralphmcpherson]

A lot of people don't wash them for that reason. A lot of others believe (or at least nod to) the mythical reason that all your training energy is stored in the belt over the years.

I don't wash mine because I like my belt to look black (rather than grey or falling apart). I'd rather get a new belt when mine looks faded/grey than look like some guy "who's been a black belt for many many years".

Yeah you see some black belts that are completly falling apart, with stitching hanging everywhere and a light shade of grey. I will be getting a replacement long before that happens.

 

[Manny]

Question Everyone,

Does anyone wash their belt on a regular basis...what are thoughts and opinions on washing your belt?

Manny,

I have been breaking in my Sang Moo Sa 2" Deluxe for about 5 years now. Teaching / Training 8-12 hours a week and still tightening the knot 5 times a class...if you want stiff that is what it is!

I never wash my belts, never ever!!! I don't like it because: a) don't want to color fade away.... and please what if?? my wife or the lady who do the clothes use BLEACH!!! OMG I don't want to imagine that!! and b) because my belts have so many hours of training,learning,sweating and belive it or not my belts does nots stink or smell bad.

About tightening the knot ohhhhh boy I know what you feel I have to do this many times in class, so you have done this for 5 years!!! well what can I do then?

Manny

 

[mw.rosa]

I never wash my belts, the only acception was the MOOTO single wrap which I washed before wearing it to break it in. "Washing your belt washes away your knowledge"
We actually teased a fellow student with that back when I was a yellow belt. His belt kept getting lighter and lighter so we teased him that he was loosing his skills. After few weeks mom stopped washing is belt ;-) Kids are cruel.

Love the gray aged ragged look, shows years of training. For that reason I have the MOOTO Bamboo Black Belt, a belt for live. The only belt that will be upgraded is a belt with dan stripes for teaching and examinations.

About tightening the knot ohhhhh boy I know what you feel I have to do this many times in class, so you have done this for 5 years!!! well what can I do then?

The only belt I have to tighten during class is the single wrap with stripes. The Bamboo an Vintage I only have to tighten when I put is on and untighten after class.

 

[andyjeffries]

Love the gray aged ragged look, shows years of training.

High skill and a good attitude show years of training, a gray aged ragged looking belt shows a lack of care. Would you turn up in a discoloured/aged/ragged looking dobok? If not, then why should your belt be any different?

I understand some belts have special meaning, I have the belt I was given after my first dan many moons ago, but I don't wear it any more.