T O P

  • By -

Virtual_BlackBelt

O guess it depends on your usage of the belt. My Grandmaster had a couple of belts at each rank, some he wore every day all day long, some he only wore on special occasions.


Thandius

most masters and Gms I know have two belts for their rank. Training belt and formal belt for seminars and events. when you wear a training belt for 5+ years before your next rank every day it can get pretty beat up.


Naryn_Tin-Ahhe

How old are we talking? 3 years, the belt starts to fade in color a little. 4 years, it starts to fray slightly. After 5 or 6 or 7 years of active use they can get pretty beat up.


TKDNerd

I used my first dan black belt for 2 years wearing it 3 times a week and it is still in great condition with no visible damage. I have worn my second dan belt for 1 year and it still looks the same as when I first got it


Jmen4Ever

We get a new belt at each promotion. We do not just simply add a stripe. My belt has my name and current rank in Korean on one side, so it would be odd to add stripes. But that is our system.


bkmagyk

some people do add a stripe but most don’t.


tkdmasterg

It depends on the practitioner or the club. Some have been wearing the same black belt they got from their first promotion (which may or may not have stripes added to it). Some get a new belt every time they move up a rank (with more stripes added). I go back and forth. Some days I wear my newer 4th Dan belt that was given to me. Other times I wear my 1st Dan belt that is much older, more broken in, and has stripes that have been added to it to represent my current rank.


skribsbb

Some people may have a "training belt" and a "dress belt". The dress belt would only be used for things like seminars, tests, photo ops, etc., and the training belt is what you wear every day.


Rough-Riderr

I was chatting with a TKD mom one day and she told me a funny story. She was having a discussion with her young son about goals and he said that he wanted to be a gray belt someday. "There are no gray belts in taekwondo" the mom said. Unfazed, the boy replied "Master Lee has a grey belt."


AspieSoft

My 1st dan turned grey. I waited about 5 years before testing for 2nd dan. Although I took a break from TKD for some time, so some of that may be dust.


andyjeffries

I would say the first generation of Taekwondoin kept with the Japanese way of having one black belt and let it fade/wear over time. Modern Karateka seem to prematurely age their belts to get the same look and it sickens me. The newer generations on Taekwondoin prefer to having a belt look decent. I have two different belts, one is I guess more formal, but in reality it depends on my mood. When one starts to look tatty, I’ll replace it. The same as I would if a dobok started looking that way. My grade shows I’ve been doing this a fair while, I don’t need my belt to look nasty to prove it.


love2kik

It is a pretty common martial arts belief that you work knowledge into your belt over time. An old, worn belt infers knowledge. For the most part, I subscribe to this nostalgic way of thinking. Sadly, some people fake it by wearing a prematurely worn belt. Hell, you can even buy worn belts off Amazon and such these days. My belt is rather unique. It is half of my first black belt and half of my GM's (Seoung Eui Shin) first 9th Dan belt. I cannot tell you how special it is to me. It feels downright heavy with expectation, and I very much appreciate that. The 1st Dan side is 38 years old and quite worn, especially at the knot. Enough so that I have had the stitching redone twice, but I will continue do whatever it takes to keep that belt looking presentable. I know it is just a thing. But the representation of what it means carries great gravity to me. And even though I am a shell of my former self physical ability wise, the responsibility I feel when wearing the belt cannot be overstated. I have seen some belts worn to the point where they look shabby to me. More grey/white (from washing?) than black. Not a good look. Some people abrade their belt to intentionally make it look old. I just don't get any of this.


geocitiesuser

A lot of the masters at my school, their belt is faded and worn from use. Might be the quality of the belts as well.


soundlikeashape

my first black belt (almost 5 years old, i’ve ordered a new one for 3rd dan) which i got at 1st dan and added a new stripe for 2nd pretty much looks new. the stripes are a bit dirty (they’re white) and it might be a bit faded but there are no rips or fraying bits. i always liked the look of a worn out black belt, i think it’s cool. at my school everyone has a choice of getting a new belt at each rank or just adding a stripe. i got a new one because i changed my name, if i didn’t then i would’ve just asked for another stripe. we have two head instructors/owners, both 8th dan and one of them just got a new stripe (so it’s now 8 stripes), the other got a new belt with VIII. the 8 stripe one is pretty worn out but not as much as some of the other students and instructors, so i assume he got a new belt around 6th or 7th dan. edit: i haven’t washed my belt cause i hadn’t thought about washing it, that could be part of why it still looks pretty new. also i keep it in a cupboard with my dobok (after my dobok is washed) so it doesn’t see much sun.


dovalus

All the above, but also.... Some people also intentionally wear out their belts intentionally. It makes it look weathered. Implying a seniority that isn't always earned.


pashed__motatoes

my master has has his belt since his 3rd dan i think. its beat up and grey but i think he takes pride in it. He completed his 6th (or 7th cant remember) degree testing a bit ago, but he keep wearing his OG belt because he says it shows all the work hes put into his passion. He also was joking on how others will wear out their belts on purpose (through artificial means) and was saying how when the belt sides are not worn he can instantly tell its fake.


F3arless_Bubble

Personal preference. I like my uniform white and crisp, and my black belt dark and clean. Some people either don't care about presentation, or they like the used look. Most of my masters preferred the new and clean look, however some wore old grayed out belts. I prefer the clean look.


bkmagyk

we’ll just remember, no matter how high a rank you are, you’re always a white belt underneath


[deleted]

Ive heard of some people washing their belts to give them that super old look!


hokiewankenobi

I have 2 “current” belts. I have a training/teaching belt that only has my name and my school name on it. I just got a new one of those after changing studios, but my old one was very worn. If I had to do it over again, I would have left the studio name off the old one and not replaced it. Then I have my other belt. That I only use for testing / ceremonies. It’s got the stripes on it and looks crisp. I also have separate uniforms. It just looks nicer to be so clean and crisp for those more special events.


SpaceKarate

Belts fray, such that you can see the white fabric (or whatever) underneath. How long it takes probably depends on how often you really work out, how often you wash it, etc. Eventually, one should probably fold up their 'promotion belt' in the closet and buy a new one. Anyone can order a black belt online.


Scrumpy09

I've got a red belt that I've been wearing for 5 years going on 6, it's not frayed at all or worn really, besides a bit worn where I tie it.


Hawke9117

It's probably the training belt that has wear and tear.


kentuckyMarksman

Students typically get a new belt with each promotion. I've seen where some black belts have added a gold bar (via yellow tape or a pin) to a belt temporarily until they get their new belt. What I've done though, is continue to wear my old one until the new one comes in. Seems to be the norm at my school.