What is a Black Belt? It Might Not Be What You Think.

As restrictions around physical distancing are beginning to ease, many of us are thinking of new activities to burn off pent up energy for ourselves or our children.

Martial arts is a great outlet, both to relieve physical stress and to promote positive mental health. The benefits are innumerable, and for many provide a sense of spirituality to their lives as well.

Newcomers to the world of martial arts may shop around at various gyms/schools to find the best fit for them, and in doing so instantly gravitate to those who hold a "black belt" in the school's respective martial art. The popular conception is that a black belt is the apex of mastery, the "gold standard" of expertise, the mark of a deadly expert that towers above all others - but is that what it really means?

Here is some insight to make you rethink what a black belt signifies.

Where Did The Black Belt Come From?

The belt system is an invention of Japanese martial arts where a wide obi (sash) was worn to keep the kimono secured to the body. Dr. Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, created the keikogi (doublet-style training uniform), as a more practical garment for training. He subsequently created the coloured belt system as a motivational tool in order for students to more visibly track their progress. This coloured belt system terminated at the black belt, where dan (degree) grades were subsequently granted for further progression. Prior to this development, dan grades were the only "measuring stick" of progress and only white and black obi were worn.

This system was shared within the Japanese martial arts community, most notably to karate, and was further propagated to the Korean martial art of Taekwondo during Japan's period of occupation in the peninsula. The spread of Judo across the world also resulted in the belt system to be used in martial arts like Brazilian Jiujitsu (BJJ) and Luta Livre.

The Black Belt Is Not An Universal Concept

It is important to note though, that the concept of a Black Belt is non-existent in martial arts that do not have roots in this "genealogy". Boxing, Muay Thai, Sambo and myriad styles of Gongfu (ie: Kung Fu) do not use this system of ranking. Instead the relationships within the organization are less visible at surface level, and rely on competitive and training experience as a way of demonstrating proficiency and seniority.

The key takeaway is for newcomers to not expect to find a Black Belt in a boxing or Muay Thai gym, because one won't exist! Some organizations may try to implement a belt system of some kind, but I caution readers to be wary of this, particularly if there is a financial cost to progression in addition to a belt system not being of cultural relevance to the martial art's community.

The Black Belt Is Contextual

For martial arts that use a belt system - the black belt is not a universal standard across all different types of martial arts, and across different geographies.

The western world, particularly North America, has created a certain mystique around the black belt when Asian martial arts gained popularity throughout the 1960's-1980's. A black belt holder was seen as a master and expert of the art.

However, in Japan and Korea, a black belt signifies a basic competency in the martial art. Most senior high school students who practice karate or judo as their main extracurricular sport will hold a black belt in their martial art. In these communities, the colour of the belt is actually of little relevance compared to the seniority and training experience of the student.

The standard of proficiency signified by a black belt also has a different context across martial arts styles. Where a black belt means baseline elementary proficiency in martial arts like karate and taekwondo, a black belt in Brazilian Jiujitsu signifies considerable expertise and proficiency and typically takes around 10 years to acheive. This is due to BJJ's extremely conservative promotion practices, its pedagogy, and high student attrition rate.

As an outsider to one or more of these styles - it's important to acknowledge and understand that even though the colour of the belt is the same, they could be held to different internal standards of performance.

There Is No Magic In A Black Belt

The perception of a Black Belt as an "untouchable master" was popularized in North America over the past several decades. This aura of mysticism was used as a marketing tactic to drive student enrollment, more often than not in schools that provided little to no legitimate training.

Though this perception has largely faded due to a generally better-informed population, this dishonest business practice has evolved. Nowadays, the "Mystical Sensei" persona has transformed to someone having a laundry list of grandiose qualifications, often fraudulently claimed.

Exercise a buyer beware mentality when researching for a new school to train at and question any "stacked" resumes of instructors.

Treat The Black Belt Like A College Degree

I like to use the degree analogy when describing the Black Belt and how hard it is to treat it the same universally across all martial arts.

Comparing a Black Belt in one martial art to another is like comparing a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering to one in English Literature. They are both Bachelor's degrees, but they are fundamentally different in educational context and of the skill sets of the holder.

Similar to educational degrees - it's important to know the source of the qualification. Which institution granted it? Would you rather hire someone with a degree from a well-established institution or from a degree mill?

Martial arts are no different - when looking for a new school or gym, consider where the owner's qualifications came from and if they provide progression to their students reasonably.

It's Just Two Inches Of Fabric Covering Your Butt

There is a widely accepted saying in the martial arts community. Your belt is two inches of fabric covering your butt - you have to cover the rest.

When looking for a new instructor, you need to find someone who leads by example and is a good fit for you. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this person at a level of physical fitness that I want to achieve?
• Does this person encourage a level of competition or intensity that I am looking for?
• Does this person actively maintain their own level of technical aptitude?

Finding an instructor that you feel a connection to is much more important than one with the greatest qualifications.

As our communities begin to open up, I encourage you to try martial arts as a way to both stay physically active and learn something new. You'll soon find that this evolves very quickly from a hobby to a lifelong journey of learning!

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About the Author:

Jeff is a lifelong martial artist with over 25 years of getting his butt kicked. He has a black belt in Goju-Ryu Karate and Taekwondo (Kukkiwon/Olympic Style).

He also has a purple belt in Brazilian Jiujitsu and is slowly sucking less every day in Muay Thai.

Jeff is currently the manager of the Steveston Karate Club and provides hand-to-hand combat training for the Canadian Armed Forces.