What Does a Black Belt Mean?

June 29, 2008

What Does a Black Belt Mean?

When I started martial arts in the 1970’s, the rato of the number of Black Belts in our karate club to other students was about 5 to 200 students. I don’t remember any student being under 16 - children were not taught in our club. These black belts were as hard as nails and quite happy with unprotected full contact - one guy always seemed to have black eyes after the weekend contests around the country. The class was conducted in japanese terminology because it was an oriental art and had to be learnt as such.

I moved on to Judo ( in which I finally graded 1st Dan) which was the originating art that started the colour belt system. This started at 9th Kyu and was tested at each stage to a defined syllabus standard and with minimum time scales, in front of a Grading Panel of Senior Black belts from different Clubs. You had to win a minimum number of contests as well as pass the technical assessment. There was no internal club testing, everyone had to travel to a common point each time - hundreds of students from all over the region.

It took me 11 years of sweat and injury as an adult to get my 1st black belt. That was the challenge. To show that I was a determined, sincere, committed student not afraid of knockbacks and ready to learn more.

My third Dan in Goshinjutsu was taken in front of a board in London and went on for hours - showing all the syllabus techniques continually and surving single and multiple attacks with and without all manner of weapons until I was just about on my knees! My fellow examinee was off work for a week afterwards.

The students I promote to black belt know they have earned it, but perhaps of greater value, they have accrued a significant ammount of knowledge and self esteem and personal pride along the path.

The popularization of “karate” and similar styles by the movies “Way of the Dragon, Marked For Death, Karate Kid” etc, led to many cashing in on the fads with Ninjas, Kung Fu, Brazilian Jujitsu - and now MMA - by awarding rank as fast as gradings could be done!

So, back to these belts. It seems that alot of martial art (sports) training schools don’t hold the requirement that a black belt be sixteen, and even award degrees to pre-teens! Unfortunately, the popularization of the martial arts by movies and cartoons have made martial arts seem like soccer to many parents, and has definitely “watered down” the meaning of the black belt - God help us now the latest epic ‘Kung Fu Panda’ has hit the big screen. I guess there will be another outburst of 8 year old 1st Dans in the paper from Mum and Dad run schools.

I know what my black belts represent to me personally, and I am proud of my achievements. I am also proud of those whom I have promoted to black belt. All of them know that they earned it. I have also trained and worked with many fine adult black belts whose achievements I hold in high esteem - not their belt colour.

Here’s another slant on things: Martial Arts Myths & Misconceptions

A Black Belt Is A Master

Not even close. A first-degree black belt is a very advanced beginner student. The belt signifies his passage from the ranks of those students who are still learning to the ranks of those persons who have now learned how to learn. This is a significant difference.

The process between white belt and black belt has a lot less to do with techniques than it does with learning the methodology and procedures necessary for a person to think like a martial artist. A black belt should be able to genuinely grasp the concepts upon which the martial arts are based, which is far more important than his ability to perform any given technique. There is a saying about human survival: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for life.” This is very similar to the process of transitioning from coloured belt to black belt. The black belt has learned how to learn, and therefore becomes more proactive in the process of his own education.

Does this mean that the black belt is an expert? Well, my colleagues in the martial arts are fairly evenly split on that point. One point of view is: Yes, the first-degree black belt is an expert on the basic gross motor skills necessary to perform martial arts skills. The other point of view is: No, a first-degree black belt is not an expert but is rather a very advanced beginner who is just grasping the concepts he will need in order to become an expert within a few years.

Most of the traditional instructors I know maintain that a person becomes a true “expert” of the basics of their martial art by the time they reach third degree black belt, which is for many arts the point at which that person is allowed to begin teaching.

In modern times, especially with rapidly growing chain schools, first and second degree black belts are often assigned to teach classes and many are even called “sensei”.

This marketing procedure greatly confuses the issue — and confuses younger students — who then equate anyone with a black belt with instructor-level expertise.

About the Author:

Jonathan Maberry is the award-winning author of over 700 articles as well as several books, including Ultimate Jujutsu Principles and Practices and The Martial Arts Student Logbook. He holds an 8th degree black belt in jujutsu and a 5th dan in Hapkido, is a member of the Martial Arts Hall of Fame, and is co-founder of the COP-Safe program.

Malcolm
Yoshiki Goshin Jutsu