I know I might be in the minority when it comes to this being a MAJOR issue for me. But I simply have zero tolerance for losing your belt every other roll.
I took some time and examined a dozen or so of the major brands out there.
My final analysis is that there are two broad classifications of belts that are worth investing in.
I call them "teaching" belts and "rolling" belts.
Teaching belts are the ones that will be the nicest, most impressive, and last very long. But they are not going to stay tied consistently when youre training hard in them. While its awesome to have a custom belt of top quality, youre better off imo having your name embroidered on a belt that stays tied.
Rolling belts are the few brands that manufacture a belt that stays tied throughout the duration of almost any roll. it will be a rare event to have these belts come undone.
Conclusions:
Isami, Katarro, and Eosin Panther all make amazing, gorgeous belts. However, none of them will stay tied consistently throughout heavy training, even after a couple months of being "broken in". I strongly recommend these only if youre looking for a "teaching" belt. To demonstrate or do light drilling in. Youre gonna spend way too much time taking breaks to retie these belts for it to be worthwile.
The ONLY belts that passed my acid test for use during heavy sparring are Koral, Vulcan(same exact make just under a different logo) and surprisingly the Hayabusa deluxe model belt.
All 3 should stay on for around 19/20 rolls minimum with no problem.
What I really liked about the Hayabusa was that its actually made of gi material so it has a ton of grip when you tie it.
The stitching is also much more aesthetically pleasing than on the Koral.
As a side note I know there are some model options for the Kataroo and Eosin belts yet to this day Ive yet to see a single one that stays tied on par with the 3 I mentioned.
Love to hear any thoughts or input.
