The belt is perhaps the most iconic symbol of martial arts.

A karate belt is not just something to hold up your pants, but something that represents your rank and achievements as a karate practitioner.

Tying your belt is one of the first things you learn, but like most things in karate, it can be done many different ways.

This is like learning your first block, then discovering all the different types of blocks.

You may tie your belt differently for a different look (maybe for competition), or you may tie it differently to obtain a certain function (maybe so it doesn’t come undone).

I have tried tying my belt many different ways, but I have three favourites.

Tying your belt consists of two things, the base and the knot. In this post, I will explain different ways of tying each, and how to do it yourself.

Base

Before you tie the knot for your belt, you need to have tied your base.

The base is the way the belt is tied around your waist, the actually knot of the belt is what’s stopping the base from coming undone.

In a nutshell, the base is the first few steps leading into the knot of your belt.

There are two main ways of tying the base for your belt. They are relatively similar, and each way functions the exact same, it just comes down to preference.

Here is the first way:

Here is the second way:

Now that you know how to tie the base of your belt, its time to try some of the different knots.









Type One

This knot is the most basic of the three, and is probably the first knot you were taught.

It is quite simple and not too difficult to tie.

Once you have set up the base for your knot, follow the steps below.

A problem with this knot, is that it comes undone really easy (which is not ideal for competitive kata).

Type Two

This knot is more difficult than the first, but it isn’t as difficult as the third.

However, like all things in karate, the more you practice, the better you get.

This knot is used by many Japanese kumite fighters, as it stays tight and doesn’t come undone.

Follow these steps to tie this knot.

Type Three

This knot is the most difficult to tie out of the three.

It is very popular among WKF kata competitors, as it stays tight and doesn’t come undone, and is also visually appealing (big knots are trending at the moment).

This knot will also be ideal in training, as you will spend less time re-tying your belt.

This knot may be hard to tie, and it may seem slightly unnecessary to have such a complicated knot, but this is actually my favourite out of the three. This is due to the fact that it keeps your belt from becoming loose, as well as how it looks visually pleasing.

That’s it!

Hopefully you have found a new and useful way of tying your belt.

Please share this with your friends, and subscribe if you want to see more useful content.

If you would like to share your thoughts, please leave a comment down below.

Cheers!

-Jesi Boy