To tie a karate or Tae Kwon Do belt, put the middle of the belt on the stomach, wrap both ends around the back and bring them to the front, then tie a flat square knot at the belly button. Tied right, the belt lies flat in two layers and both ends hang the same length. Most karate and Tae Kwon Do schools use this knot, and the steps below work on your own belt or your child's.
How do you tie a karate or Tae Kwon Do belt?
This is the standard double wrap with a square knot. Read the steps once, then try them with the belt in hand.
- Fold the belt in half so the ends meet. The fold marks the middle.
- Hold the middle of the belt flat against the stomach, just below the belly button.
- Take both ends around to the back, cross them there, and bring them back to the front. Keep the belt flat, with no twists.
- Check the ends. If one is longer, slide the belt around the waist until both ends are the same length.
- Cross one end over the other in front, at the belly button.
- Tuck the top end up under both layers of the belt and pull it out at the top. Pull both ends to snug the belt. One end now points up and the other hangs down.
- Bend the lower end up to make a loop. Bring the top end down in front of the loop and tuck it through.
- Pull both ends out to the sides to tighten the knot.
The finished knot lies flat at the belly button, and the two ends hang down to each side at the same length.
How do you tie a belt on your child?
Stand or kneel behind your child and reach around their waist. Your hands then move the way they would on your own belt, so the steps above work as written. Facing your child flips every step left to right, and that's where tying someone else's belt gets confusing.
- Ask your child to stand tall with arms out to the sides, so the belt goes around without catching.
- Hold the middle at the belly button with one hand while the other passes each end around.
- Tie it snug, not tight. A flat hand should slide between the belt and your child's stomach.
- Once your child can do the wrap, let them tie the knot while you hold the layers in place.
Common belt-tying mistakes
- A twist at the back. Run a hand along the belt after step 3. A twisted belt bunches and works loose.
- Uneven ends. The middle wasn't at the belly button when the belt went on. Untie it and start again from step 1.
- A knot off to one side. Slide the belt around the waist at step 4, before the knot, not after.
- Ends pointing up and down. If one end points straight up and the other straight down, the second crossing went the same way as the first, and the knot will slip. Undo steps 7 and 8 and tie them again, crossing the other way.
- A belt too loose or too high. The belt sits at the waist, around the belly button, not up on the ribs or down on the hips. Pull it snug at step 6.
How do you keep a belt tied in class?
A belt usually comes undone because the knot is loose or crossed the wrong way.
- Pull the knot tight at the end, one end in each hand, out to the sides.
- Soften a new belt. A new belt is stiff and slides easily, so tie and untie it a few times at home before class.
- Practice the knot at home, on your child or around a pillow, until it's quick. There's more on practice in our guide to practicing Tae Kwon Do at home.
If the belt comes loose during class, ask your child's instructor how the school wants it retied.
Is a karate belt tied the same way as a Tae Kwon Do belt?
Usually, yes. Some schools add their own details, such as a single wrap for a short belt or which way a label faces. At Chung TKD, the instructors show the school's way in class. Our article on Tae Kwon Do and karate covers how the two arts differ.
When does a child get a new belt to tie?
After a belt test. At Chung TKD in New Hyde Park, there are no fixed test dates until brown belt. Until then, each child tests when the instructors judge them ready. Grandmaster Howard Chung, 9th Dan, runs every belt test, and the school's instructors demonstrate.
Between tests, a child earns a stripe for a class where they reviewed their curriculum. Our guides cover how stripes work and the belt colors in order.
How to start
Chung TKD teaches children in three programs by age: Pee-Wee, Children and Youth. Every new family starts with two free trial classes, and a parent or guardian stays for them. For those classes, children wear something comfortable, sweats or shorts. The uniform comes when a family signs up.
Questions parents ask
Where should the knot sit on a karate or Tae Kwon Do belt?
In the middle, at the belly button, with both ends the same length.
Why does my child's belt keep coming undone?
Usually the knot is loose or crossed the wrong way, or the belt is new and stiff. Pull the ends out to the sides to tighten it, and tie and untie a new belt a few times to soften it.
Is a karate belt tied the same way as a Tae Kwon Do belt?
In most schools, yes. Both use two wraps and a flat square knot in the middle. Ask the instructor about any detail the school adds.
Does my child need a belt for a trial class?
No. At Chung TKD, children wear something comfortable, sweats or shorts, to their trial classes. The uniform comes when a family signs up.
How does a child start at Chung TKD?
With two free trial classes. A parent or guardian stays for them.
Written by Master Chris J. Chung, 5th-degree black belt.