Black belt (martial arts)
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- See Black Belt (disambiguation) for other uses of the term Black Belt
In many martial arts, each practitioner's level is marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is often the highest belt color one can attain (far less often, the second highest), and suggests a degree of competence.
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[edit] Origin
The systematic use of belt color to denote rank was "invented" by Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo, who first devised the colored belt system using obis, and awarded the first black belts in the 1880s. He only used white and black belts, and it wasn't until the early 1900s that the colored belt system of awarding rank was created[1]. Many modern martial artists, however, mistakenly believe that the belt ranking system is an ancient aspect of traditional martial arts (Koryu instructors in fact tended to provide certificates).
[edit] Above the black belt
In the Japanese martial arts, the further subdivisions of black belt ranks are called dan grades where higher numbers means higher rank. Yūdansha (roughly translating from Japanese to 'person who holds a black belt') describe those who hold a black belt wearing rank. The first black belt wearing rank is often called shodan (beginning level). While the belt remains black, stripes or other insignia can be added to denote seniority. In some arts, very senior dan grades will wear differently colored belts. In judo, for instance, a sixth dan will wear a red and white belt, which becomes red only at even higher ranks.
One common idea concerning the tradition of belts claims that early martial artists began their training with a white belt, which eventually became stained black from years of sweat, dirt, and blood. However, there is no real evidence for this story, so it must for now be relegated to the status of myth. In fact, given the standard of cleanliness common in a traditional dojo, a student arriving with a bloodied or dirty uniform might not be allowed to train. In some arts and schools there is the (often only half-serious, though equally often rigorous) opinion that the belt should not be washed; by doing that one would "wash away the knowledge" or "wash one's ki away." This might have something to do with the myth. More seriously, most modern belts are made with a cotton or nylon outer shell, but polyester batting and stitching to fill out the belt; the different shrinkage of cotton and polyester in hot water could cause the belt to unravel and come apart.
There is no way to compare belts and ranks between styles. In some arts, a black belt is quite easy to obtain while in others ten years of hard work is more of the rule than exception. In most schools the test for black belt is quite rigorous. It is a common belief that belts are handed out more loosely in the West than in the motherland Japan, and indeed often a sign of bad schools is an abundance of black belt holders of low quality. However, in Japan rank often comes more or less automatically with time done and the black belt has little to do with the "master" level which westerners often think of when they hear the term "black belt".
[edit] Advancement
A more correct view, in opposition to the "black belt as master" stereotype, is that a black belt indicates the wearer is at least competent in a style's basic technique. Since in many styles a black belt takes approximately 3 to 6 years of training to achieve, a good intuitive analogy would be a college Bachelor's degree; the black belt can be considered equivalent to a BA degree in the martial arts. The black belt is thus seen not so much as an end, but rather as a beginning, a doorway to advanced learning: the individual now "knows how to walk" and may thus begin the "journey." Of course, as noted above, rank is always a subjective matter.
In many schools, after obtaining a black belt the student also begins to instruct. Strictly speaking, a black belt student should not be called sensei until they are sandan (third degree black belt). A sensei must have experience and a deeper grasp of what is involved in teaching a martial art.
[edit] See also
- McDojo or the so-called "belt factory"
