Downgrade and Belt Customs
Gene: Those are colored belts with stripes, i.e. kyus. I don't think the black with white stipe is a dan grade.
Are you trying to demote me?
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I want my 2nd dan inscribed with my chinese name, which coincidentally is "Shi". So fate has already pre-ordained me to be a monk.
I don't know how i'm going to live with that "no killing" rule.
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Now in Aikido, many sensei's give the rank, but allow the kyus to always wear white belts in respect of a certain philosophical attitude.
It really sharpens people up in practice. You don't have the color of the belt to help you, you have to repond to the technique and not seeing the belt color.
I never heard of dan grades wearing the white. Some bb's do when they forget their black belt, but as a custom, i'm not sure.