Sash ettiquete

[Ou Ji]

A few questions about the sash. I see in some styles/schools the men wear the knot on the right and the women wear it on the left and in others it's reversed. Is this a north - south difference or is there some other meaning? Also color difference between instructor and student. Any standards (not talking about colored belt ranking)?

[Shaolinlueb]

i was told martial artists wear their knot on the right because normal citizens wore it on the left. and it was a way to distinguish ones self.

[CLFNole]

Typically today the Sifu ties the knot on the left side and the students on the right side.

I believe old, old style the sifu sometimes tied the knot in the front and the students in the back. The back tie was somewhat different than today's typical knot with two parts of the sash hanging. Kind of hard to explain.

Peace

P.S. As far as colors go, "traditionally speaking" the sash should be the same color for the whole kwoon (sifu, students, etc...). As the color represents the school not a particular level. Colored belts is a western thing to make people feel special and that their money isn't being wasted.

[Yum Cha]

I can only speak for our school, which is rather traditional. Sifu wears his knot in the middle, students off to the side. That being the right side from the student's perspective, or if you are facing a student, it would be on his left.

And, all belts are the same colour. Sifu gives them out when you attend your first Lion Dance. Some of the batches have changed over the years, so some of the students have slightly different belts than others, but they are all basically black.

Our belts are cotton, very thick, with cords extending out, twice the length. The thick, wide section goes around your dan tien (lower belly), like a reverse kidney belt, and the cords then wrap around back, come forward and tie off. very little hangs down.

They are much more supportive than sashes, and actually provide a bit of support for our particular type of breathing.

[DeathTouch]

In my kwoon the sifu knots on the left or front and the instructors on the right and the juniors on the back

[Fu-Pow]

Agree....right side students, left side Sifu.

[Fu-Pau]

Clearly from the above there is no universal 'etiquette'.
In my school sifu does not wear a sash, the guys tie theirs on the left and the girls on the right. I guess the etiquette may be confined to schools or lineages or styles?

[Ou Ji]

Very interesting replies. I see it's not a north/south difference or even a style difference. It appears to be school specific. The knot in the front reminds me of Karate. I'll have to pay more attention when watching the old kung fu flicks and see if 'normal' people wear it on the left.

[Gold Horse Dragon]

There is also another explanation adhered to by some schools. It is based on the I Ching and the Post Heaven and Pre Heaven sequence. If one follows the post Heaven, the sash is worn on the left by all including the Sifu. If the pre Heaven is followed, the sash is worn on the right. If a Sifu wears his sash in the middle it can but not absolutely for certain mean he is making a statement that he is the best...again this not a for certain as it depends on the nature of the Sifu...so please do not get bent out of shape and start flaming me if your Sifu wears his in the middle :). It can just also mean he is the Sifu.

GHD

[MasterKiller]

At our school, everyone wears the knot on the left. Including Sifu.

[Feng]

What I heard once was that wearing the knot on the kleft side meant you are a warrior, and wearing it on the right side you are a scholar (i might be mistaken on the sides), but that is what i was told once.

Peace

[Kymus]

It seems it really varies from school to school. At my Green Dragon Kuoshu school, the students tie their sashes on the left, and instructors on the right. A new school I am looking at that teaches northern and southern shaolin, it looks like everyone wears theirs on the right. I've heard that Grand Masters/Masters are supposed to tie their knont in the middle. I've seen a few pictures of this, however, my Grand Master at the Green Dragon Kwoon wears this velcro kinda thing that circles around his waist/belly, so there's no knot. I don't know if this is simply a substitue for the tieing in the center (cause I'm sure that's gotta get in the way!), or what.

[Hungfutkune]

I think it's all dependant on the School. One school I trained at doesnt even have sashes. The original school I trained at everybody had a black sash with black tassles on it. All the students tied thier sash on the left. When the reached instructor level they were then allowed to tie on the right. Only the "Master" of the school wore his sash in the middle.

[David Jamieson]

it's different anywhere you go.

ultimately, your sash helps you to focus on your center as you practice. your lower dan tien being key as a focal point. the sash helps because it is tied pretty much around the lower dan tien.

colour systems, how many etc etc etc are completely dependent on the school there really isn't any standards outside of any given school.

cheers