In brazilian jiu-jitsu, we have to wash our belts and gis after every training session, so the belts can start to fade/frey. Usually when that happens, you buy a new one because it's a requirment to have an intact belt for most competitions.
I was listening to this while working, and was so disgusted when I heard him mention that you don’t wash your belt-and so relieved when I realized I wasn’t listening to a BJJ video.
My blackbelt is from 2001 , and has sean me through my 2nd dan 3rd dan and 4th dan and now training for my 5th dan! It looks really tatty and white now, however I do mainly wear my fresh crisp Blackbelt now. It signifies moving forward and not living in the past!
Thank you for this. Proves just how awesome you are. Been around many black belts. Never seen a distressed black belt. I used to know a guy who distressed his Gi so it would “pop” when he did techniques…
My Sensei in the 90´s in Shotokan Karate had a black belt that was almost white. He always said the belt only hold up your pants, it´s the knowledge on the inside that counts. He was the Swedish Kata champion for many years here i Sweden.
Very Well said Sensei! Thank You for your Wisdom! I believe that when learning any type of Martial Arts, one must begin to learn to be humble. When you've earned your black belt, I believe it must be displayed only in the Dojo, and in a clean and neat way. I have in one occasion witnessed here in Australia in a acompany I just to work for, a Boss antagonize an employee only to be humiliated, under the building in the parking lot. Before the fight he (the Boss) was boasting that he (the antagonized employee) didn't want to fight a black belt!
20 years ago I received my Shodan rank in the Bujinkan. I still wear that same original black belt that was handed to me to this day. It still looks as new as it did then. Take care of your gear.
The black belt is just the beginning. The understanding of the basics and beginning of true study. I prefer to train in what I would where in the streets unless training traditional weapons. That is what I would defend myself in. As long as I get home to my family, I don't care what my belt looks like.
There's a saying you see sometimes that goes something like "A knight in shining armor has never had his metal tested." Maybe...or maybe he just takes care of his gear!
That said, it's interesting that you were told not to wash your belts. I was told by my Judo senseis that washing your gi after each training session is part of being considerate to your training partners, and I always assumed that also meant my belt since they didn't specify that that is not a part of it. I'll have to ask them.
It was the same when I used to scuba dive, there are always people who need to boast about how many dives they have been on, one guy said 3000 dives and he was 20-25 years old. I do not know if he counted putting the gear on and jump in and do a 5 feet deep dive, and then count that as a dive...
20+ years ago when I was taking Tae-Kwon-Do we were taught having a worn-out dobok was disrespectful. It was taught to have dirty dobok and belt not only made yourself look bad it also reflected badly on your master and the school. It was also common to have a doboks just for testings, competitions and/or other special occasions.
I knew a person who had studied Okinawan karate for several years and had a frayed black belt. When you worked out with him, though, you could tell he was the real thing!!!😀
Jiu Jitsu belts get way more contact due to the physical nature of BJJ. Also, they are washed by many as frequently as the number of days they train in a week. It isn't about the belt looking good. It's about how much mileage is on the belt. Beware the person whose black belt has an exposed white core.
Gis and belts when in heavy use are getting wear and tear, washing machine shouln't also be an enemy. If you don't want worn belt, just buy a new one. Obviously i would be kicked out of gym if i had stinky piece of clothing during gi classes.
isnt fading or fraying a black belt along the same lines as a glory thief. personaly i think these people should be shamed. i remember a vid from about 2012 of a guy wearing a marines uniform who was stopped and asked about his ribbons, the 25-30 yr old was boasting about how he won them right up to the point it was pointed out he was wearing 2 WW2 Campaign and a Korea period decorations. I am a freemason and yes part of my regalia was gifted to me, but when I am asked i always say "this and this I got new, but this piece was gifted after the owner died and I continue to wear it in his honour". and there I believe is the Key word, HONOUR ! if you have worked and gained a masonic grade, a black belt, or military decoration there is a reason for pride and is an honourable thing. BUT there is no honour if as a mason or martial artist you achieve a level and then proceed to claim experience or time served that you dont have, similar to the guy in uniorm and medals he isnt entitled to, you may get admiring looks from those who dont know, but you will be aware its fake and like the glory thief, you will be exposed, possidly in a dolo where your lack of experience will show, or possibly in a crowded Mall when someone points out you couldnt possibly win medals in WW1, WW2, Korea and Afghanistan and be 25 or even alive, and for anyone thinking maybe the ribbons were in honour of a family member, there is a worldwide medal wearing rule, if you won and were awarded a medal or ribbon, it is worn on the left breast, if its worn as a family member honour, say , for a memorial day for a deceased father, brother etc , its worn on the right breast. There is no honour in glory or experience theft.
"Young man, are you aware that you are wearing two WW2 era ribbons?" "Yessir, I fought in WW2 and the Korean War, as well as the English Civil War and the Hundred Years War. You see, in 1294 I was cursed with immortality by a witch."
I've worn some of mine down before. It nevet got like white or as bad as some if the ones I've seen, so yeah, when they look older than you its a joke lol. I completely agree obviously about that belt just being a belt. I had students tell me obsessively that they couldn't wait to get that black belt. I'd take mine off and hand it to them "here, is that all you really wanted?" I never get tired of the look on their face lmao. They would often say "you know what I meant" and I'd laugh and say "yeah, I do, but just be careful not to fixate on the belts. Focus on the information, the training and the spirit of it all and you'll be good to go." I often had my students come in wearing street clothes mostly so they felt the difference in fighting in what they would have on irl but also so they get over the belts etc.
Belts mean nothing to me, and they haven't for decades. I've known many people who either "paid" for their belts, being promoted every month as long as they were paying their dues, or jumped 3 ranks as soon as they found an instructor who was crooked enough to promote them for no reason, and they didn't even know basics that they should have known. I ran into a 20 something guy a few weeks ago who told me he got his black belt at 15 years old, but had only started training when he was 13. I've been training since the mid 80s and I've obviously gone though many gis, but I've never had to replace a belt because of damage.
Not washing a belt seems unhygieneic as your working out. If you do hard sparring there's chance of blood getting on as well. All BJJ schools I've been to the instructors have said to wash the belt as well as it inevitably gets dirty and you don't want to be that kid who smells and no one wants to train with.
That's what I was told in Judo. As soon as you get home from class you give your gi a wash, including your belt. You don't want it growing anything gnarly from your sweat and then rubbing that on yourself and your training partners.
Look dude... lol, im sorry people respect your old black belt enough to emulate it. Its endearing, and as you say they are young, let them learn their ego overtime without their elders calling them "sad" Just my thoughts, i never washed my belt and it never occured to me. But ive met lots of try-hards, and they have their own reasons for needing social validation.
As a martial arts practioner for over 55 yrs my belt is black and its the only color ive ever worn even though our system allows other colors for upper level yodansha and like you a lot of times i dont even wear a belt when i teach. Still on the mats at 76.
The video is not about washing the belt. It is about the ego behind the faded belt. Do not so easily take the message out of context. If you are worried about staph, etc, hope you don't practice with bare feet!? 😉
I am not a student of martial arts, but I do understand enough to be horrified at the idea that someone would have such small respect for their equipment as to deliberately do things that would wear it out. Tantamount to wearing outdoor shoes on the mat. Take care of your gear and it takes care of you. Continuing to use and wear gear that is frayed or damaged could endanger yourself or others around you. Failing to maintain, repair or replace gear is sloppy and bad manners. Coming into the dojo, or any similar practice, without being at your best, or at least making every reasonable attempt to be at your best, including your clothing, gear, and hygiene is nothing less than half-hearted and at best disrespectful to the dojo, sensei and your fellow pupils. If a black belt desires a white belt so much, they should trade their black for a white, that is, if they hadn't already lost the path of the meaning of what it is to be a student.
Wash your belts. Not to distress or age them, but because sweat is gross. I only do it once a month and the color doesn't really fade on them.
Exactlly.
In brazilian jiu-jitsu, we have to wash our belts and gis after every training session, so the belts can start to fade/frey. Usually when that happens, you buy a new one because it's a requirment to have an intact belt for most competitions.
I was listening to this while working, and was so disgusted when I heard him mention that you don’t wash your belt-and so relieved when I realized I wasn’t listening to a BJJ video.
My blackbelt is from 2001 , and has sean me through my 2nd dan 3rd dan and 4th dan and now training for my 5th dan! It looks really tatty and white now, however I do mainly wear my fresh crisp Blackbelt now. It signifies moving forward and not living in the past!
I got my black belt in 2006. I've worn it almost every day since and it looks almost exactly like it did when I got it.
Thank you for this. Proves just how awesome you are. Been around many black belts. Never seen a distressed black belt. I used to know a guy who distressed his Gi so it would “pop” when he did techniques…
As a black belt I greatly respect this video. I've been meaning to get back into it. I'm gonna use this video as my sign to do it.
My Sensei in the 90´s in Shotokan Karate had a black belt that was almost white. He always said the belt only hold up your pants, it´s the knowledge on the inside that counts. He was the Swedish Kata champion for many years here i Sweden.
Great information. i feel the same way Sir
Very Well said Sensei! Thank You for your Wisdom! I believe that when learning any type of Martial Arts, one must begin to learn to be humble. When you've earned your black belt, I believe it must be displayed only in the Dojo, and in a clean and neat way. I have in one occasion witnessed here in Australia in a acompany I just to work for, a Boss antagonize an employee only to be humiliated, under the building in the parking lot. Before the fight he (the Boss) was boasting that he (the antagonized employee) didn't want to fight a black belt!
awesome advice for practitioners to follow. its all about the journey not the destination
I have Satin Black belt and still looking Great ❤
Great video!
20 years ago I received my Shodan rank in the Bujinkan. I still wear that same original black belt that was handed to me to this day. It still looks as new as it did then. Take care of your gear.
The black belt is just the beginning. The understanding of the basics and beginning of true study. I prefer to train in what I would where in the streets unless training traditional weapons. That is what I would defend myself in. As long as I get home to my family, I don't care what my belt looks like.
Well said sir.
There's a saying you see sometimes that goes something like "A knight in shining armor has never had his metal tested." Maybe...or maybe he just takes care of his gear!
That said, it's interesting that you were told not to wash your belts. I was told by my Judo senseis that washing your gi after each training session is part of being considerate to your training partners, and I always assumed that also meant my belt since they didn't specify that that is not a part of it. I'll have to ask them.
I wash my belts one time when new so they are soft enough to hold the knot, it really helps.
It was the same when I used to scuba dive, there are always people who need to boast about how many dives they have been on, one guy said 3000 dives and he was 20-25 years old. I do not know if he counted putting the gear on and jump in and do a 5 feet deep dive, and then count that as a dive...
20+ years ago when I was taking Tae-Kwon-Do we were taught having a worn-out dobok was disrespectful. It was taught to have dirty dobok and belt not only made yourself look bad it also reflected badly on your master and the school. It was also common to have a doboks just for testings, competitions and/or other special occasions.
I knew a person who had studied Okinawan karate for several years and had a frayed black belt. When you worked out with him, though, you could tell he was the real thing!!!😀
5;03 👍
Some guitarists do this too. Beat their guitar with a sock full of screws to "relic" it. There are posers in all avenues.
Jiu Jitsu belts get way more contact due to the physical nature of BJJ. Also, they are washed by many as frequently as the number of days they train in a week. It isn't about the belt looking good. It's about how much mileage is on the belt. Beware the person whose black belt has an exposed white core.
Gis and belts when in heavy use are getting wear and tear, washing machine shouln't also be an enemy. If you don't want worn belt, just buy a new one. Obviously i would be kicked out of gym if i had stinky piece of clothing during gi classes.
isnt fading or fraying a black belt along the same lines as a glory thief. personaly i think these people should be shamed. i remember a vid from about 2012 of a guy wearing a marines uniform who was stopped and asked about his ribbons, the 25-30 yr old was boasting about how he won them right up to the point it was pointed out he was wearing 2 WW2 Campaign and a Korea period decorations. I am a freemason and yes part of my regalia was gifted to me, but when I am asked i always say "this and this I got new, but this piece was gifted after the owner died and I continue to wear it in his honour". and there I believe is the Key word, HONOUR ! if you have worked and gained a masonic grade, a black belt, or military decoration there is a reason for pride and is an honourable thing. BUT there is no honour if as a mason or martial artist you achieve a level and then proceed to claim experience or time served that you dont have, similar to the guy in uniorm and medals he isnt entitled to, you may get admiring looks from those who dont know, but you will be aware its fake and like the glory thief, you will be exposed, possidly in a dolo where your lack of experience will show, or possibly in a crowded Mall when someone points out you couldnt possibly win medals in WW1, WW2, Korea and Afghanistan and be 25 or even alive, and for anyone thinking maybe the ribbons were in honour of a family member, there is a worldwide medal wearing rule, if you won and were awarded a medal or ribbon, it is worn on the left breast, if its worn as a family member honour, say , for a memorial day for a deceased father, brother etc , its worn on the right breast. There is no honour in glory or experience theft.
"Young man, are you aware that you are wearing two WW2 era ribbons?"
"Yessir, I fought in WW2 and the Korean War, as well as the English Civil War and the Hundred Years War. You see, in 1294 I was cursed with immortality by a witch."
I've worn some of mine down before. It nevet got like white or as bad as some if the ones I've seen, so yeah, when they look older than you its a joke lol. I completely agree obviously about that belt just being a belt. I had students tell me obsessively that they couldn't wait to get that black belt. I'd take mine off and hand it to them "here, is that all you really wanted?" I never get tired of the look on their face lmao. They would often say "you know what I meant" and I'd laugh and say "yeah, I do, but just be careful not to fixate on the belts. Focus on the information, the training and the spirit of it all and you'll be good to go." I often had my students come in wearing street clothes mostly so they felt the difference in fighting in what they would have on irl but also so they get over the belts etc.
Belts mean nothing to me, and they haven't for decades. I've known many people who either "paid" for their belts, being promoted every month as long as they were paying their dues, or jumped 3 ranks as soon as they found an instructor who was crooked enough to promote them for no reason, and they didn't even know basics that they should have known. I ran into a 20 something guy a few weeks ago who told me he got his black belt at 15 years old, but had only started training when he was 13. I've been training since the mid 80s and I've obviously gone though many gis, but I've never had to replace a belt because of damage.
Not washing a belt seems unhygieneic as your working out. If you do hard sparring there's chance of blood getting on as well. All BJJ schools I've been to the instructors have said to wash the belt as well as it inevitably gets dirty and you don't want to be that kid who smells and no one wants to train with.
That's what I was told in Judo. As soon as you get home from class you give your gi a wash, including your belt. You don't want it growing anything gnarly from your sweat and then rubbing that on yourself and your training partners.
Look dude... lol, im sorry people respect your old black belt enough to emulate it. Its endearing, and as you say they are young, let them learn their ego overtime without their elders calling them "sad"
Just my thoughts, i never washed my belt and it never occured to me. But ive met lots of try-hards, and they have their own reasons for needing social validation.
In fact those guys who want and make their belts to look white get what they are: still white belts.
Belts, belts. I gave them up. It doesn't fit. I'm old, but having a good time. Haven't lost my pants yet. 😎
You must be a black suspenders!
As a martial arts practioner for over 55 yrs my belt is black and its the only color ive ever worn even though our system allows other colors for upper level yodansha and like you a lot of times i dont even wear a belt when i teach. Still on the mats at 76.
I'm not out here trying to give people staph so I'll continue washing my belts
The video is not about washing the belt. It is about the ego behind the faded belt. Do not so easily take the message out of context. If you are worried about staph, etc, hope you don't practice with bare feet!? 😉
Never washed my belt, doesn't harm me or others around me
I am not a student of martial arts, but I do understand enough to be horrified at the idea that someone would have such small respect for their equipment as to deliberately do things that would wear it out. Tantamount to wearing outdoor shoes on the mat. Take care of your gear and it takes care of you. Continuing to use and wear gear that is frayed or damaged could endanger yourself or others around you. Failing to maintain, repair or replace gear is sloppy and bad manners. Coming into the dojo, or any similar practice, without being at your best, or at least making every reasonable attempt to be at your best, including your clothing, gear, and hygiene is nothing less than half-hearted and at best disrespectful to the dojo, sensei and your fellow pupils. If a black belt desires a white belt so much, they should trade their black for a white, that is, if they hadn't already lost the path of the meaning of what it is to be a student.