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John Lindsey
6th August 2002, 22:03
Obi that is...

What do you feel are the acceptable lengths of the ends of the obi after it is tied? I have seen em from a few inches to knee level. I guess it depends on what you want to put on it :). Personally, I prefer the shorter ones...

shadow42
7th August 2002, 18:32
one of my obi's was rather long and when my sensei tied it on me during the promotion type ceremony he said "Congratulations. keep up the good work. Oh yeah and try not to let the belt hit you in the face too much." But it really wasnt too bad. I think if they are too short they tend to come undone too easily. I like mine to come down a little below where the gi top ends. this is usually a good length, IMHO

David T Anderson
12th August 2002, 00:47
It's all pretty much determined by the length of your obi and the size of your waist, isn't it?

I'm happy to say the ends of my obi are getting a little longer, although my Iai obi isn't quite long enough for a proper knot. Maybe a few more months...

Of course there's no law against shortening an obi if it's just too darn long. Personally I'd prefer to have no more than about 10 inches hanging on either side...

will szlemko
19th August 2002, 22:18
hi,

My obi has about 10 inches hangning from the knot. I once trained in a school that advocated longer belts (even with the knee). The reason was that this provided an easy method for instructors to gauge stance depth as well as hip movement.

will

Jussi Häkkinen
1st July 2003, 05:49
About 5-15cm (2-6 inches) below the hem of the jacket seems to be aesthetically nice. My current one ends to about 3-5cm (about 1-2 inches) over the knee level, each end hanging down about 30-35cm (12-14 inches) from the knot. Doesn't hit my face, though.

Kimpatsu
6th July 2003, 14:31
It's not the length, it's the thickness that counts... :cool:

Qasim
8th July 2003, 15:45
Originally posted by Kimpatsu
It's not the length, it's the thickness that counts... :cool:

Stop it! :nono:

Snowtiger
14th July 2003, 12:42
Originally posted by Kimpatsu
It's not the length, it's the thickness that counts... :cool:

I thought it was all about your skill in using it. :D

Well, seriously, I think it is up to the art/style at hand. Some arts have practical uses for the obi too, others have philosophical meanings/teachings attached to it, and I've learned at least two different tying methods/knots with zen symbolism in them. So there's no one correct way for us all, but there may be one correct way for a student of a certain style.