What is all that weird writing on your Karate Belt?
What is all that weird writing on your Karate Belt
I should start by saying that every organisation has it’s own rules regarding what is allowed on their obi’s (belts).
In two of the styles taught at Bujutsu, Japan Karate Association and RyuKonKai Kobudo, it is customary to have your style written on one end of your obi in Kanji.
If you are a westerner your name will be written on the other end in Katakana (the Japanese way of writing foreign words). If you have a common Japanese name, your name will be written in Kanji as well.
The photo below shows the RyuKonKai Kobudo obi worn by Sensei Mark Szalajko.
On the left side is the Katakana for Mark Szalajko.
On the right side is the Kanji for RyuKonKai Kobudo.