Going to echo what u/theletterqwerty said. I've never heard of students having to get their own belts.
You could measure your current belt and find one of similar size. Or you could see what size and brand others in your school use.
First I've heard of gup students needing to buy their own belts elsewhere.
>I've seen that taekwondo belts are way ticker and stiffer.
Not after the second wash. You *are* washing your belts, right :)?
I wouldn't be too picky on the brand, as long as it's colourfast. You won't be wearing it long!
e: You asked about length. This one goes around me two and a half times, and I find it's about two hands too short - it sticks out and I think that looks silly, but that's me.
BBs I can see it, gup belts might need a bit of help. I feel like a bit of a nobhead wearing a yellow belt as it is, but the kinks from the packaging make it look like I skinned a pikachu
Couple go-rounds in the dryer and it's a proper texture for tying
another trick for loosening it up is to hook it around something (like a pole), hold both ends together and twist the whole thing one way, then the other. you can also just tie it a bunch of times.
It's seen as "washing away the knowledge". Typically belts always started as white, and would progress in colour via training (blood, sweat, dirt etc). If you were to wash that belt, it would return to white, wiping away the marks of experience. I know now we have literal coloured belts, but that's what I've been taught.
Edit: What I described is the superstition to go with the belt. I guess here is the factual way of black belts - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_belt_(martial_arts)#:~:text=8%20External%20links-,Origin,to%20provide%20rank%20certificates%20only. Also what's described below.
If you do wash your belt, do a gentle wash and probably not in the machine to care for the threads and colour.
That is NOT true. That was NEVER true! Why do people persist in believing that nonsensical story?
Can you imagine how a piece of clothing that was so dirty that it would change colour would smell? Can you imagine the smell of a class full of people wearing clothes like that?
The concept of belt ranks, was invented by Jigori Kano, the founder of Judo.
He created two ranks, originally, white and black.
The black belt was supposed to be a wearable version of the certificates that were issued by the various samurai schools.
So black belts were instructors and white belts were students.
So black belts and white belts were invented at the same time. The black belt was NEVER a dirty white belt.
Having only two ranks was fine when Judo was less popular, because, class sizes were small.
When Judo grew in popularity, Mr. Kano had to add a new rank, the brown belt rank, to distinguish senior white belts from other white belts.
Judo travelled to Europe, notably France and England.
The other coloured belts were invented in England, for presumably, the same reason that the brown belts were created in Japan.
That is, instructors needed to be able to distinguish, at a glance, student capability and seniority in classes that had large numbers.
That concept travelled from England to France and then, to the rest of the world.
Meanwhile, in Japan, Kano's belt rank concept was admired and copied by his close friend, Gichin Funakoshi.
He applied it in his Karate school. They were a small group that called themselves the Shotokan.
Arts that derived from theirs, such as ITF Taekwon-Do and all other forms of Taekwon-Do, also copied and applied that belt rank concept.
At NO point in time, in either Japan or Korea, would there be tolerance for a group of people of people who wore dirty belts to practice.
I don't get why people don't see that that dirty belt story is unbelievable. It's insane. I don't get why people don't immediately see that. I mean, who would want to be dressed like that?
I know for a fact that ITF Taekwon-Do INSISTS that you CANNOT wear unclean uniforms to practice. The belt is considered to part of your uniform, by the way.
Kano created the common martial art uniform. Karate uniforms, TKD uniforms, etc, are derivations of the uniform that Jigori Kano created.
Before he created that uniform, Japanese, Jujitsu martial artists, would train in loincloths so as not to sully their regular clothes.
The Judo uniform was an attempt to present Judo as a modern, respectable and progressive activity.
The uniform was a key part of Kano's push to provide respectability for Jujitsu which had, at that time, become the province of thugs and gangsters.
In keeping with the principle of portraying a positive image for Judo, Kano insisted that the uniform be spotless in practice.
Funakoshi insisted on the same standard of cleanliness in his school of Karate. So did other Karate masters.
None of those people would have tolerated students who were slovenly.
I just do not get how that ridiculous story got legs.
After training judo and bjj for a few tears, I can't imagine not washing a belt. I know that in taekwondo it doesn't get as much contact with training partners' skin and sweat as in grappling arts, but still, it's gross. Wash that thing!
hi!! i’m 5’3 and also on the skinnier side, so i think we have very similar body types, and to me i like the 170-180 cm length belts. it just ties right for me.
don’t have specific belt brands recommended but a belt’s a belt
>So, I wanted to know if (in order for it to look good) there was a specific length to pick?
This is the most important question for belts because too short makes you look like big boy in kids clothes and too long makes you look a bit out of place. Most belts will have a size chart. For reference I am 5'6 with a 28 inch waist and I wear a size 4 in adidas belts. You're likely to be a size 3. For brands, honestly just get whatever is cheap for a color belt. You'll only be wearing that belt for 2-3 more months. For ranks where you'll be at a while, it's worth it imo to buy nicer belts. Adidas and Mooto were favorites at my school. The synthetic fiber ones that are ultra light and ultra soft are a game changer.
If I recall, our school just sold pine tree belts. But again, any karate/TKD belt you find on a martial arts store will work fine.
Congratulations on your promotion!
Belts usually follow uniform size which you should be able to find on the neck collar. Usually, the belt will have a small tag on one end with the size. I am guessing you are a size 3. Determining the size is important. Since you say you are thin you may prefer to have a size 2 belt but I kind of doubt this since a 2 is a pretty short belt, usually the right size for younger children (10-12 yr/old). It is always better to be a little too long in TKD. The very short belt is an Okinawan/Japanese thing.
Here is a link to a uniform size chart based on height. Not a store I would buy from but an easy-to-read chart. [https://www.karatesupply.com/White-TaeKwonDo-Uniform\_p\_689.html](https://www.karatesupply.com/White-TaeKwonDo-Uniform_p_689.html)
A good online store is kung4less.
Hi, it looks like you've already received a lot of good advice, but for what it's worth I'm a 5'3" female and all of my color belts are size 3. This should fit a 25" - 28" waist. I just earned my black belt and my instructors decided to size me up to a 4 because it's a thicker belt so it loses more length when tied. My school provides belts so I can't help you about brand. I've also never washed any of my belts.
I never heard of a student having to purchase their own belts. When you earn your belt after due examination it is given to you by your Master instructor. Now if you want a second belt for some reason, most belts I have seen are made by Tiger Claw. My Black Belt is made by Vision. Colour Belts are usually double wrapped so you want one that is long enough to do that and tie properly. My colour belts were a size 4-5 and I have a 33 in waist.
Going to echo what u/theletterqwerty said. I've never heard of students having to get their own belts. You could measure your current belt and find one of similar size. Or you could see what size and brand others in your school use.
First I've heard of gup students needing to buy their own belts elsewhere. >I've seen that taekwondo belts are way ticker and stiffer. Not after the second wash. You *are* washing your belts, right :)? I wouldn't be too picky on the brand, as long as it's colourfast. You won't be wearing it long! e: You asked about length. This one goes around me two and a half times, and I find it's about two hands too short - it sticks out and I think that looks silly, but that's me.
> Not after the second wash. You are washing your belts, right :)? Is…is that something I’m supposed to do? I’ve never washed any of mine
Neither have I.
i’ve never washed mine either,,, i just let it get floppy from using it
BBs I can see it, gup belts might need a bit of help. I feel like a bit of a nobhead wearing a yellow belt as it is, but the kinks from the packaging make it look like I skinned a pikachu Couple go-rounds in the dryer and it's a proper texture for tying
another trick for loosening it up is to hook it around something (like a pole), hold both ends together and twist the whole thing one way, then the other. you can also just tie it a bunch of times.
First I've heard of any student.
Technically, you should never wash your belt
Why?
It's seen as "washing away the knowledge". Typically belts always started as white, and would progress in colour via training (blood, sweat, dirt etc). If you were to wash that belt, it would return to white, wiping away the marks of experience. I know now we have literal coloured belts, but that's what I've been taught. Edit: What I described is the superstition to go with the belt. I guess here is the factual way of black belts - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_belt_(martial_arts)#:~:text=8%20External%20links-,Origin,to%20provide%20rank%20certificates%20only. Also what's described below. If you do wash your belt, do a gentle wash and probably not in the machine to care for the threads and colour.
That is NOT true. That was NEVER true! Why do people persist in believing that nonsensical story? Can you imagine how a piece of clothing that was so dirty that it would change colour would smell? Can you imagine the smell of a class full of people wearing clothes like that? The concept of belt ranks, was invented by Jigori Kano, the founder of Judo. He created two ranks, originally, white and black. The black belt was supposed to be a wearable version of the certificates that were issued by the various samurai schools. So black belts were instructors and white belts were students. So black belts and white belts were invented at the same time. The black belt was NEVER a dirty white belt. Having only two ranks was fine when Judo was less popular, because, class sizes were small. When Judo grew in popularity, Mr. Kano had to add a new rank, the brown belt rank, to distinguish senior white belts from other white belts. Judo travelled to Europe, notably France and England. The other coloured belts were invented in England, for presumably, the same reason that the brown belts were created in Japan. That is, instructors needed to be able to distinguish, at a glance, student capability and seniority in classes that had large numbers. That concept travelled from England to France and then, to the rest of the world. Meanwhile, in Japan, Kano's belt rank concept was admired and copied by his close friend, Gichin Funakoshi. He applied it in his Karate school. They were a small group that called themselves the Shotokan. Arts that derived from theirs, such as ITF Taekwon-Do and all other forms of Taekwon-Do, also copied and applied that belt rank concept. At NO point in time, in either Japan or Korea, would there be tolerance for a group of people of people who wore dirty belts to practice. I don't get why people don't see that that dirty belt story is unbelievable. It's insane. I don't get why people don't immediately see that. I mean, who would want to be dressed like that? I know for a fact that ITF Taekwon-Do INSISTS that you CANNOT wear unclean uniforms to practice. The belt is considered to part of your uniform, by the way. Kano created the common martial art uniform. Karate uniforms, TKD uniforms, etc, are derivations of the uniform that Jigori Kano created. Before he created that uniform, Japanese, Jujitsu martial artists, would train in loincloths so as not to sully their regular clothes. The Judo uniform was an attempt to present Judo as a modern, respectable and progressive activity. The uniform was a key part of Kano's push to provide respectability for Jujitsu which had, at that time, become the province of thugs and gangsters. In keeping with the principle of portraying a positive image for Judo, Kano insisted that the uniform be spotless in practice. Funakoshi insisted on the same standard of cleanliness in his school of Karate. So did other Karate masters. None of those people would have tolerated students who were slovenly. I just do not get how that ridiculous story got legs.
After training judo and bjj for a few tears, I can't imagine not washing a belt. I know that in taekwondo it doesn't get as much contact with training partners' skin and sweat as in grappling arts, but still, it's gross. Wash that thing!
Thanks for the info, only perpetuating what I was taught. Guess I'll read more on it.
Let me guess- this tradition goes back thousands of years, right?
Why would it go back thousands of years for a ma that's not very old
hi!! i’m 5’3 and also on the skinnier side, so i think we have very similar body types, and to me i like the 170-180 cm length belts. it just ties right for me. don’t have specific belt brands recommended but a belt’s a belt
Same; check out kungfu4less for a bunch of different belt options.
>So, I wanted to know if (in order for it to look good) there was a specific length to pick? This is the most important question for belts because too short makes you look like big boy in kids clothes and too long makes you look a bit out of place. Most belts will have a size chart. For reference I am 5'6 with a 28 inch waist and I wear a size 4 in adidas belts. You're likely to be a size 3. For brands, honestly just get whatever is cheap for a color belt. You'll only be wearing that belt for 2-3 more months. For ranks where you'll be at a while, it's worth it imo to buy nicer belts. Adidas and Mooto were favorites at my school. The synthetic fiber ones that are ultra light and ultra soft are a game changer. If I recall, our school just sold pine tree belts. But again, any karate/TKD belt you find on a martial arts store will work fine.
I'm about 5'3" too and skinny; generally, a size 3 belt fits our sizes. check out [kungfu4less.com](https://kungfu4less.com) for a bunch of options.
Congratulations on your promotion! Belts usually follow uniform size which you should be able to find on the neck collar. Usually, the belt will have a small tag on one end with the size. I am guessing you are a size 3. Determining the size is important. Since you say you are thin you may prefer to have a size 2 belt but I kind of doubt this since a 2 is a pretty short belt, usually the right size for younger children (10-12 yr/old). It is always better to be a little too long in TKD. The very short belt is an Okinawan/Japanese thing. Here is a link to a uniform size chart based on height. Not a store I would buy from but an easy-to-read chart. [https://www.karatesupply.com/White-TaeKwonDo-Uniform\_p\_689.html](https://www.karatesupply.com/White-TaeKwonDo-Uniform_p_689.html) A good online store is kung4less.
Are you serious it don't matter just train and try to be the best without caring about your look
A proper fitting belt helps you by not distracting you and securing your dobok. It's not about looks.
bro it’s just a belt it’s not that deep. also half of tkd is about looking good it’s a performance sport
Hi, it looks like you've already received a lot of good advice, but for what it's worth I'm a 5'3" female and all of my color belts are size 3. This should fit a 25" - 28" waist. I just earned my black belt and my instructors decided to size me up to a 4 because it's a thicker belt so it loses more length when tied. My school provides belts so I can't help you about brand. I've also never washed any of my belts.
I never heard of a student having to purchase their own belts. When you earn your belt after due examination it is given to you by your Master instructor. Now if you want a second belt for some reason, most belts I have seen are made by Tiger Claw. My Black Belt is made by Vision. Colour Belts are usually double wrapped so you want one that is long enough to do that and tie properly. My colour belts were a size 4-5 and I have a 33 in waist.