When you tie your shoelaces do you see the face of God when you look at the knot that you just used, or in the case of the martial arts the face of Bruce Lee maybe? I must admit that the subject of the karate belt, (or any other martial art style, take note), is not really something that I would regard as that vital a thing to write about, or is it?
The term dogma, or even brainwashing, are often associated with religious extremists, maybe even politics to a degree, but not the martial arts, and yet it can not only be found within the martial arts it is also more widespread than most people realise. Being a martial art racist, or being a martial art snob, does tend to be the main items of note when it comes to some people's attitude on that subject but lower down the list the humble karate belt itself can also be found in just the same way. The belt is not really the main subject, but of all things, the look of the knot and how you tie and wear the belt is. However the first thing to look at is racism and snobbery in the martial arts, and yes they really do exist. One form of martial art is often looked down upon as being less than others, (martial art racism), and not wearing the correct colour or style of attire is nothing less than a hanging offence in the eyes of some people. I do however agree that the correct attire is needed when conducting classes, or taking part in classes, as that does set a professional looking standard. But that does not always mean having to wear the traditional uniform, or clothing, that is more recognised from the country of origin. On condition that the martial art uniform is suitable, clean and tidy does it really matter if it’s a Japanese or Chinese style garment? Does it really matter if it’s a cotton belt or a silk sash? Apparently it does to those who we call - martial art snobs? Anyway, regarding the wearing of a martial art uniform this is something that you can easily compare to someone wearing a formal suit while working in an office or a bank for example, and for sure far better than wearing street clothes that will give in many cases the wrong, or unprofessional, impression. But does that really apply to how you wear a martial art belt and how the knot on the belt looks? Apparently it does? Traditionalists will say it represents formal tradition, wisdom and even enlightenment. Yes, for sure some will say such things. And yet if that is truly the case then why do many people these days have their name on the belt and decorate it with all sorts of things? That is not tradition by nature is it? And even worse than that some will scrap away at the belt to make it look old and worn to give the impression that the instructor wearing such a belt has worn it out over many years, nothing traditional when it comes to doing that - is it? So in conclusion - do you really have to wear and tie a belt in a specific way or face being thought of as a criminal, or even worse, viewed as a crime worthy of a hanging offence? The belt of course does show a person's rank and level of skill, so it does have merit and value in that way, but when all is said and done it is just a belt. The belt does come in very handy however when it comes to holding your Gi jacket in place in addition of course. Do you wash your black belt with a cheese grater? Click >HERE< to find out more. For the site author profile page click >HERE< Comments are closed.
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