I mentioned in a previous post that I felt my obi was in a perfect state of wear – worn but not worn out. I commented that I never added the gold stripe to my belt. I recently decided to buy a new Renshi belt and keep my original belt stripe free. I have been so busy; I have yet to place an order.
My plans suddenly have changed.
Last Saturday, I went to the black belt workout at the Honbu. I was asked to stand up front and lead the group through Odo No Tekkos Ichi. At the end of the kata, my instructor came towards me. I thought that he wanted to inspect my weapon. My tekkos were hand made from ebony. He did not want to see the tekkos.
He wanted to see my belt.
My belt will soon be under construction. My instructor told me that he would mail me what I need. Therefore, I am expecting an envelope in the mail any day with the supplies I need to retrofit my obi. I will be adding a stripe and updating the Federation logo. I need to do this before the Federation training camp next weekend.
Did I mention I do not sew?
For those interested, I am including a link to Crane Mountain weapons. They specialize in custom traditional wooden martial arts weapons. I am fortunate to own a pair of steel kama and nunchaku made by Crane Mountain.
4 comments:
While we're much less formal, we jiu-jitsukas LOVE our patches!
One tip for you: clear thread. If you can't sew and insist on doing it yourself, buy some clear thread. It will help hide your mistakes. Believe me, the stuff is gold!
Personally, though, I'd spend a few dollars at the local alterations store. I get my patches done at the Dry Cleaner/Alterations place for between $5 and $10 depending on the size and location of the patch. We're not talking a huge investment and, because it's their business, they should do a very nice job!
I know the feeling about having to sew things - I can't sew either and have been known to spend 3+ hours sewing my school patches onto my uniform.
Thanks for the support and the tips about ice. I've been icing like crazy ever since I could feel my wound pain setting in. It's nice to read about your success with the surgery - it gives me hope whenever I feel the pain kicking in. :)
Steve: Clear thread ...awesome! I would have never thought of it. I was certain I would have to go to the local fabric supply store to find matching gold thread. Thanks for the tip!
Wei: You will get through it! I tried to stay focused on the end result ... a strong, stable knee.
I am sure I'll have to put new patches on my uniform when I start officially at BTK. If that happens, I'm going to the tailor in the shopping center next door. For $3.16, he'll sew patches on for me. Hooray! I do NOT sew whatsoever!!
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