Obi (martial arts)

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Obis for budō. The colours range from yellow to brown corresponding to judo kyū levels from 9th to 1st.

One way of tying the obi used in judo, aikido and karate.

In some Japanese martial arts the obi is hidden underneath the hakama. Pictured is a kyūdōka.

Many Japanese martial arts feature an obi (Japanese: 帯) as part of their exercise outfit. Such an obi is often made of thick cotton and is about 5 cm wide. The martial arts obi are most often worn in the koma-musubi knot (square knot); in practice where a hakama is worn, the obi is tied in other ways.

In many martial arts, the colour of the obi signifies the wearer's skill level. Usually the colours start from white for beginners and end in black or red-and-white for masters.

Aikido[]

Unlike in many other martial arts, adult practitioners of aikido do not traditionally wear coloured obis,^[1] though in some schools different colour codes have been formed,^[1] especially for children. The children's obis range from white for beginner level to 7th kyū, other colours for the rest of the kyū levels, and black for levels 1st dan and up.^[2]

In some aikido schools, wearing a hakama is a privilege earned by reaching the first dan level. In other schools, all practitioners may wear a hakama. After taking up using a hakama, the colour of obi does not matter since it will be covered by the hakama.^[2]

Example of colour range in aikido[]

Below is a typical example of obi colours per level in aikido:^[1]

However, aikido schools worldwide may use their own systems with little reference to other schools save the use of a black belt for at least some dan grades.

Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu[]

The Bujinkan (武神館) makes use of only a limited set of belt colours, however there are also different associated uniform emblems or wappen (ワッペン), the style of which varies dependent on the grade of the Budoka. Unlike many other martial arts, the number of Dan grades extends to Jūgodan (15th Dan), and practitioners at this grade of may also be gifted the status of Dai Shihan (大師範, roughly translated as "senior instructor") by the Sōke^{[3][better source needed]} This title also comes with its own wappen style featuring a purple background.

Ninjutsu[]

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Ninja obi are required within JNF and WNF.

Atarashii naginata[]

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The outfit used for practice includes a hakama that covers the obi.^{[citation needed]} The obi is always white; its colour has no significance beyond simply blending in with the white keikogi worn when practicing the art.^{[citation needed]}

Iaido[]

The outfit worn to iaido practise includes a hakama, which is worn over the top of the obi, which fastens the keikogi. The obi colour has no meaning in iaido,^[4] and is usually chosen to blend in with the kimono or hakama worn by the practitioner.

Jōdō[]

The outfit used for jōdō practise includes a hakama that covers the obi. The colour of the obi has no significance.^{[citation needed]}

Judo[]

Below are the colours of obis worn for judo practise. Junior practitioners have a different colour range.^[5] There are also other colour ranges used worldwide.

Ju-Jitsu[]

The colours for obis used for Ju-Jitsu practise range as follows:^[6]

Different Ju-Jitsu federations use different colours. An alternative is shown below.^{[citation needed]}

Jūkendō[]

The outfit used for Jūkendō practise includes a hakama that covers the obi. The colour of the obi has no significance.^{[citation needed]}

Karate[]

Kyokushin[]

For adults, an obi worn in Kyokushin karate signifies rank as follows:^[7]

Stripes on non-black obis can be either black or the next obi's color. Some brown obis sport white stripes. On a black obi, gold is the most seen stripe color. Note that some dojo's in Kyokushin use a more elaborate striping system for children, allowing for a higher frequency of exams. Some higher degree blackbelts prefer to wear a plain black obi, with no markings.

Wadō-ryū[]

The obis used in the wadō-ryū style range in colour as follows:^[8]

Shotokan[]

The obis used in the shotokan KUGB style range in colour as follows:^[9]

Shitō-ryū[]

The obis used in the Shitō-ryū style range in colour as follows:^{[10][better source needed]}

Kendo[]

The outfit used for kendo practise includes a hakama that covers the kendogi. An obi is optional; if worn, its colour has no significance.^[11]

Kyūdō[]

The outfit used for kyūdō practise includes a hakama that covers the obi. The colour of the obi has no significance.^{[citation needed]}

T'ai Chi Ch'uan[]

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The outfit used for T'ai Chi is either loose-fitting, comfortable clothing or the same kind of uniform as other Chinese martial arts. Some schools also include a coloured sash, but no standard for their order has been established.

References[]

• Bennett, Gary (1997). Aikido techniques & tactics. Human Kinetics Publisher. ISBN 0-88011-598-X.
• Goodman, Fay (1998). The Ultimate Book of Martial Arts. Lorenz Books. ISBN 1-85967-778-9.

Notes[]