r/judo • u/nicekid81 • 2d ago
History and Philosophy What is the formal etiquette for getting a replacement belt?
Say yours is old or damaged, maybe the ol’ belly has gotten a bit larger with the passing of time.
Of course it depends per each club but is there an etiquette involved in getting a replacement?
Even if it is not explicitly said I feel like the obi carries bit more weight than a gym bag or even your gi as it is something you earn/was always something you’ve been given.
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u/BackflipsAway 2d ago
You log on to Amazon and order a new one?
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u/TrustyRambone shodan 1d ago
Log on to Amazon. Bow deeply. Find suitable belt. Bow deeply to image of belt. Print out image of belt. Sleep with it under your pillow while whispering Hail Kanos. In the morning the paper will be replaced by a real belt. Bow deeply to the belt.
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u/CypherBob 2d ago
Some treat it as a sacred object, for others it's just a belt.
To me it signifies the training and effort but isn't special in itself.
Just get a replacement.
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u/miqv44 2d ago
Obviously first you throw a goodbye party for your old belt, invite every black belt in the dojo to pay respects to it. You make a paper boat (cardboard works better but you can also fold more paper) that supports the belt's weight. Put a small amount of oil on the boat (not too much or USA is gonna invade it) and a short knot from a candle so it starts burning the boat within a minute, set the boat on the lake or similar body of water and watch from the shore with a candle in your both arms, in silence.
Then you can order a new belt.
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u/MrShoblang shodan 11h ago
Alternately make an event of it and invite every black belt in town. Though you will need to supply an ungodly amount of beer. Best to think of it as an investment.
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u/Yamatsuki_Fusion sankyu 2d ago
My green belt was just a second hand thing they pulled out of storage lol
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u/rexmajor 1d ago
You must preform the “Amazon no Kata” in front of bezzos before being granted the right to order a new one
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u/Otautahi 2d ago
If it’s a belt that was given to you for a promotion, you probably want to keep it. But buy a new one for regular training.
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u/Rough-Procedure-7628 2d ago
My dojo gives everyone a 'one size fits all' belt, by which I mean it fits no one well. I immediately order one that fits when I get given one...
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u/zealous_sophophile 2d ago
Buy one that matches your gi manufacturer. Or buy unmatching just to find out who has ocd in a class with the horror on their face. If you're a Dan grade, you don't need to go to a registry office for a new belt. Only a country like France might take it that seriously. Up to taste if you want your name embroidered onto it too.
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u/D133T 1d ago
The only time I've ever seen it come up, (more than once though), is for clubs with formal events and dan belts with names and embroidery where someone has gotten paint or bleach on their belt, or near unbelievably managed to rip it somehow, in which case if it does have meaning beyond indicating rank at a particular club I'd say take it up with the person who provided the original.
If it is weight related I've known people to single loop their old belt when returning after a break/many years later as a parent bringing their kids to the club and because their original belt meant something to them.
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u/IronBoxmma 1d ago
You perform the rite of entering a martial arts supply store, you perform the ritual of choosing the appropriate belt, you bow three times before waking up to the counter, you pay
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u/amsterdamjudo 17h ago
In our dojo, in a school, we purchase a large quantity of rugged colored belts for kyu promotions. We award them at promotions and if a child outgrows the belt. We do do not charge the child or the parents. We are “awarding” the belt, not selling it.
I have three Yudansha that teach with me. Some years ago, I promoted two of them to Shodan. I purchase Mizuno judogi for my instructors, and purchased their first black belts from Mizuno as well.
I wear a KuSukura JKK Judogi. Very comfortable. Custom fitted. However my black belt and kohaku obi are special ordered from Kataaro in Chicago.
I started judo in 1965. The practice in the USA at that time was to dye your belt, with a dye packet and boiling water. Luckily I found out from a green belt friend, the name of a company I could buy a belt from. No more strange shades and no ring around the waist from dye rubbing off on my gi.
In the 1980’s when I started teaching, my son and daughter were my students. They are both yudansha today. I kept their kyu belts. My grandchildren are now my students and as they were going through the ranks I would award a belt that was previously worn by their mother or uncle.
Each belt has its own story.
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u/MrShoblang shodan 11h ago
Formally speaking, you go to the shop, get another belt and then wear it. All with the strictest formality of course.
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u/HurricaneCecil 2d ago
nah, you’re overthinking it, just buy another one. I’ve had to buy a second brown belt due to wear and tear (and by that, I mean an accident with a lighter) but I still kept the one my sensei gave me because, like you said, it carries more weight than a gym bag.