Martial arts belts aren't just utilitarian or signs of rank; they're also worn as a part of the martial arts uniform in a gesture of acknowledgment and respect to the discipline they represent. Tying your martial arts belt correctly will not only keep it out of your way--and out of other students' ways--but also signal that you have respect for the classroom you're in, your teacher and your fellow students. Most martial arts with a belt system use the same type of belt and the same type of knot to tie that belt.
Step 1
Hold the belt near your navel so that one end hangs down to about the bottom of your gi or uniform top.
Step 2
Wrap the other (long) end of the belt around your body until it crosses over the short end in front of your navel.
Step 3
Wrap the long end of the belt around your body once more. Make sure the belt lays flat all the way around your waist and doesn't cross or split into an x-shape in the back.
Step 4
Cross the long end of the belt over the short end of the belt, which is still in front of your near your navel. Adjust the belt around your waist as necessary so that both ends of the belt are now the same length--but remember which was originally the long end for the purposes of the remaining steps.
Step 5
Tuck the long end of the belt upward underneath both wraps you made plus the short end of the belt, as if it you were trying to scratch your chin with the long end of the belt. Let the long end drop in front of you.
Step 6
Wrap the short end around the long end once, forming a loop, then poke the short end through this loop and pull tight. If the short end is sticking up toward you, untie the knot you just made and wrap the short end around the long end in the opposite direction, poke it through the loop you just made, then pull tight. Now both ends of the belt should hang downward.
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