New doubt

[gwindor]

Hello!

well, a new question lol
i was looking at the forum and i saw a topic about waching the Dogui and that should never wash the belt, is really important never washing the belt??
it doesnt get dirty or stinky or something like?

Just to share with u guys this week I started my trainings!

[Lucy]

Hello gwindor

Lol ive never washed a belt and ive never noticed it get 'stinky' or dirty! Mind you i only have lady sweat so... lol no dont wash your belt its a symbol of your hard training and dedication. Ive always been told its bad to wash your belt and that its disrespectful

[Martin H]

I wash it when needed, but I avoid it as long as possible since belts tend to lose its color easy when washed.
The old "you must never wash your belt" thing is a byproduct of the old "in the old days you started with a white belt and when it got black with dirt people knew you were a master" myth. The colored belt system was taken from judoin the 20ies and didnt exist in karate before that. Judo borrowed the color system from a old japanese swimming school badge/certificate system.

I see not washing the belt as directly conflicting with the tradition of keeping your DoGi clean.

[blackdog]

We did beach training last week, and of course in the water the belt got wet.

I didnt wash it of course, but hung it out to dry.

The weather has been a little humid this week, so the belt didnt dry very quickly. For this reason (and fact that it has lots of sweat and salt water in it!) my belt did end up smelly!

Now it is totally dry its not so bad, but a bit of a pain.

We train in the water again this week, my plan was to get the water out of the belt and dry it as quick as i can this time. I hope that works!

Oh well, if it doesnt i only have 3 months or so until my next grading and then i get a new belt!

In regards to getting smelly with normal use, unlike Lucy i have BLOKEY (man) SWEAT, so my gi and belt get very sweaty. Before last week i have never had a problem with a belt getting smelly, i guess i havent had them long enough for it to be an issue.

Have any of the Dan grades who have had a belt for a long time had any issues with this?

Bren

[sokaiya]

Well I wonder if the old Masters had carried their dogi and belts in a gym bag like we do today? I imagine them hanging their belts up on a hook and hanging/washing their dogi immediately after training. Those of us who forget to take it out from time to time know how HORRIBLE anything in the bag smells like after we left her brewing for a few days with that nasty sweat without any air for a few days. If it stinks, wash it. If it doesn't, who cares?

[Aunty Ichigeki]

I don't buy the whole 'don't wash your belt' thing either. It goes hand in hand with 'never wear undies under your gi' and 'never wash your jockstrap' advice IMO. Nod reverently, 'osu' & do whatever seems sensible.

[BCook]

I like the idea of not washing the belt and the apparent traditions it follows,
ive put a hell of alot of effort into my belts and i like the thought that its still in there, somewhere....

i guess its a personal choice..

Blackdog: i always hang mine up in the laundry as soon as possible when i get home, then out in the sun for a little while the next day, never had a smelly problem but it does get quite rigid till the sweat softens it again

[Bloke]

Never wear undies and dont wash your jockstrap? Never heard of those (Thankfully).

I was told that we dont wash our belts as the sweat and blood they contain is symbolic of the the effort we have put in. I have never washed a belt. For the lower grades you change belt roughly every six months anyway so it should not get smelly. For higher grades who tend to keep belts longer your belt will get wet (and possibly cleaner) through training in the sea or lakes or water of any kind.

I had my last belt for 6 years and trained 3 times a week. I never left it in my bag with my dogi (which does stink when left). I take it out and air it and I have never noticed a smell off my belt.

But its each to their own - I teach dont wash it and others dont.

[Spirit]

Yes as I grew up we where told that you never wash your belt do to you wash out the sweat and knowledge in it. Yes and old wives tail but a very good one.... Hell you all follow other wives tails why not this one.

PS You should always take your gi out of the bag each night after training and at least hang it out to air dry.
Not only is this respectfully to your gi but to your instructor and each studentd that stand next to you. And wash it once a week!!!
I send students home who wear smelly dirty gis to the dojo!!!

[Dorsini]

I think that if you wash your belt, your knowledge will wash away as well.

[smoothsake]

Originally Posted by Aunty Ichigeki

I don't buy the whole 'don't wash your belt' thing either. It goes hand in hand with 'never wear undies under your gi' and 'never wash your jockstrap' advice IMO. Nod reverently, 'osu' & do whatever seems sensible.

LOL. You just reminded me of how old school martial artists in Japan would go "commando style" underneath their gi. I know this is particularly true among kenshi (practitioners of kendo). Hilarious.

Back on topic: I never wash the belt. If it reeks, let it hang outside to dry. No need to go crazy and throw it into the machine.

[gwindor]

Lololol not wearing undies under dogui lololololololol lololololol

Ty guys for the answers!!
i am not washing my belt only the dogui! hope the belt keep clean i am doing like most people mentioned to let it get dry in air outside the bag
lolololol i totally agree to keep the dogui clean people smelly like a pig sound very anoying during the training lol

Thanks again for the answers!

[Billy no mates]

Im in the never wash your belt camp i cant justify it rationally but it has become habit/ritual/superstition to me so i hang it up after every session and its fine,i also use a canvas duffel rather than a nylon bag and my gear doesnt seem to get as ripe in a short space of time as it used to .

[gwindor]

Ty guys for all the answers about the belt!

Now i have a new question lol
Btw during or after a very intense training, someone feel like the ears strange like stuck i dont know the right word for this in english like pression in ears something like this lol dont know exactly how to explain someone have ever feel somehting in the ears?

[smoothsake]

Sorry, can't help you with your "ears" question. Do you mean like when you are flying in an airplane?

[blackdog]

I reckon gwindor does mean pressure like when in an aeroplane.

Your ears / mouth / nose are all connected.

It sounds like you end up with some pressure differentiation with your ears, which can happen quite easily and is quite normal.

You might be suffering from hayfever or a little sinus , ear infection, water in the ear etc which could cause this. or maybe you have had broken nose which has affected your normal sinuses. Or you could be just totally normal

Yawning should adjust the pressure. If its bothering you / causing pain / interfering with breathing for training, see your doctor for some advise. If it doesnt bother you, do nothing!

[BCook]

dont cut your ears off!!!!!
i repeat dont cut your ears off.....

might seem like a quick easy fix, but its not!!

[ichigeki31]

sumtimes in training i do get a some pressure in my ears which is really irritating but after a while it goes away hehe osu!!!

[Aunty Ichigeki]

Hmm! Never heard that one! Maybe check you're breathing out as you exert yourself & not holding your breath and getting over-tense! Relaxing is really important at training.

[ichigeki31]

yah tht is kind of the problem if we get too tense in a work put only then i get tht heheh thnx osu !!!!!