Poll: How attached do you feel to your physical belt in aikido?

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[AikiWeb System]

AikiWeb Poll for the week of June 24, 2007:

How attached do you feel to your physical belt in aikido?

I don't do aikido
Very attached
Somewhat attached
Not very attached
Not at all attached


Here are the current results (http://www.aikiweb.com/polls/results.html?poll_id=383).

[Pauliina Lievonen]

Lol, I guess if I had had my belt permanently stitched around my waist I could say "very attached". :)

I'd have said not at all attached but my current belt was a gift from my teacher and so it does have some emotional value...

kvaak
Pauliina

[Mary Eastland]

I said somewhat attached because it is soft and worn and not thick like the ones that seem to be around right now...I like a thinner belt.:)
Mary

[James Davis]

My belt was also a gift from my sensei after my shodan exam. He's since moved to Georgia, and I took over teaching the students. I've met some really great teachers, and from time to time I'll think to myself that I don't know enough to be teaching anyone anything. Sometimes I don't feel like a sandan, but when I put on that belt that my sensei used to wear and consider that he believes that I'm a sandan and trusts me with his students, I'm able to go and teach.

[Nafis Zahir]

I voted somewhat attached, because it reminds me of my responsibilities as a Yudansha, as we as how much I have trained and how far I still have to go.

[Qatana]

My brown belt was a given to me by Janet when I passed my 2nd kyu test, and I treasure it as she is my very best aikido friend. My previous belts were "gifts" from the dojo and while I value them, Janet's gesture was far greater than just coming out of the general fund with everyone else's.

[SeiserL]

I am as attached proportionately to how tight I tie it.
Too tight, too attached, can't breath.
Not tight enough, not attached, jacket falls open, belt falls down.
Like Goldilocks, just the right attachment.

And I am less mentally or emotionally attached than I am physically attached.

I gotta work on this attachment thing.

[Nick P.]

A fantastic sempai and good friend suddenly past away last year; what did his ailing mother do with all his hakamas and belts?

On the one hand, they are nothing but pieces of fabric. On the other, they are priceless because of the memories and feelings they represent.

I am not attached to mine. I believe I am attached to those of my fellow students and friends should anything happen to them.

edited for spelling mistakes.

[Karen Wolek]

Somewhat attached.

What can I say? It may not be the mature answer, but I like my belt. I have had it since I started almost 5 years ago. It's been through a lot with me, including all five kyu tests. Next year I'll probably take my shodan test and I'll have to wear a new belt. I'll miss this one, even though there won't be much of it left by then!

It's like The Velveteen Rabbit to me.

[Amir Krause]

I am very attached to my current belt, but not because of the black colour, rather because of the belt softness. I tried looking for a white belt with similar feel and as easy to knot, but did not find yet, once I will find, I plan on going to some other Dojos as a White belt and train without peple falling just because of my belt.

Amir

[Rolf Granlund]

I voted "somewhat attached" as my 2nd kyu rank is the highest I have ever attained in my training. With my previous training experience in other arts I never stuck around long enough to reach anything higher than 3rd kyu. Something in Aikido seems to me to be of great value which then encourages me to stick around.

Also, with the rank I seem to have a greater feeling or sense of responsibility to my dojo. Maybe its the rank rather than the belt but since the belt is the outward/visible sign of where I am there is an attachment.

[CatSienna]

I just swopped mine with another student after about a year plus of having it. He looked like he had a tiny bow tied around his dogi and mine has been way too long from the start. Now we both look normal belt-wise...I'd been tucking mine into my hakama as I didn't like the long trailing belt smacking me in the face on backward falls :). Now I wear it like everyone else and he doesn't look like his belt can't go around his waist.

So no, I'm not very attached to my physical belt...anything that works is fine with me.

Once swopped my hakama too with a friend of mine who was shorter than me and hers was trailing on the floor which she didn't like.

[Hanna B]

.I'd been tucking mine into my hakama as I didn't like the long trailing belt smacking me in the face on backward falls :).

Do you normally put your belt on top of your hakama? The way I am used to wearing belt and hakama, there is no way belt ends can smack my face no matter how long they were.

[Mark Uttech]

I've always been very attached to my aikido journey, but as things would vanish, I would attach myself to the memory of them. Thus, the journey, and the attachment is ongoing.

In gassho

Mark

[CatSienna]

Do you normally put your belt on top of your hakama? The way I am used to wearing belt and hakama, there is no way belt ends can smack my face no matter how long they were.

I was exaggerating for effect :). It was long, but it hung out the sides so no it never smacked me in the face and yes, I wear it under my hakama. But I still didn't like it being that long.