What does having a blackbelt mean?

[JoeW]

I was thinking about this when I was watching some blackbelts on youtube. Does it mean you can fight? Does it mean you simply know all the content in your system? I have seen my fair share of blackbelts that have good form and can throw a kick but as soon as a punch is thrown they are closing their eyes and looking away.

SO what does a blackbelt mean exactly?

 

[stickarts]

In addition to having achieved a personal goal, for me it meant my instructor veiwed me as having reached advanced level in his or her art.
Being able to perform the material and understanding the material.
Its not standardized around the world so its meaning it going to vary quite a bit from person to person and school to school.

 

[terryl965]

A B.B. means so many thing to each person so I will only speak for me.The list is in no particular order.

Means I have stayed long enough to really earn the damm thing

It mean the basic of my system I understand well enough to help teach those techniques

It means that my instructors believe in me and my abilities

It also means I have alot more to completly understand before I am truely worth what it represents.

It also means that it can help hold up my size 44 jeans since now I wear a 38 inch waist. So you see it means alot, cause I cannot buy new clothes until I get back down to a 34 andd then all my old clothes will fit and I need not spend the extra money.

 

[Kacey]

SO what does a blackbelt mean exactly?

The problem with this question is that the answer is widely variable, depending on the instructor, the class, the association, the style... but it should mean that the student has mastered the basics and is ready to move on from there - but again, "basics" is a question-begging term that is going to vary depending on the instructor, the class, the association, the style... so I can't give you a straight answer that will be consistent from place to place.

 

[terryl965]

See three answers and one common sense it will mean different things to different people.

 

[celtic_crippler]

Depends on the school and/or style or even ones point of view.

It could mean you just showed up to class regularly and paid your monthly dues.

It could mean you are an expert in a marital art and have an understanding of the material being taught.

It could mean that you don't like suspenders.

It could mean that you spent years -blood, sweat, and tears - busting your butt to achieve soemthing that symbolized that effort.

It could and probably does mean different things to different people.

 

[JoeW]

To me I think it symbolizes the ability to protect yourself and the beginning of a journey now that you know the basics.

The one thing that is somewhat upsetting is that McDojos have lowered what a black belt means to most. When you have 20 10 y/o kids running around with a Dan ranking in a dojang I have a problem with that.

 

[Andrew Green]

I was thinking about this when I was watching some blackbelts on youtube. Does it mean you can fight? Does it mean you simply know all the content in your system? I have seen my fair share of blackbelts that have good form and can throw a kick but as soon as a punch is thrown they are closing their eyes and looking away.

SO what does a blackbelt mean exactly?

It means you have fulfilled the requirements set by your school to wear a black colored belt.

Beyond that, it doesn't mean anything. Every school does things different, sometimes the requirements are very high, other times very low.

 

[FearlessFreep]

Outside the dojang it means squat...

Either you can execute or your can't; what colored belt you wear in the dojang doesn't matter.

"Your belt only covers two inches of your butt, the rest is up to you"

*Inside* the dojang, it means whatever it meant to the instructor who gave it you and the perception of your fellow students.

 

[morph4me]

It means that you've learned the basics of your style and are ready to start the process of understanding and incorporating it.

 

[shihansmurf]

It means about $8.00 or so from century. $100 from Panther or Tokaido.

Beyond that it only means what it means to the individual wearing it, that persons teacher, and the social structure of the school/org to which they belong.

With the above caveat, I think the first three dan grades are about how well you perform the skill set associated with the system. Dan grades 4 and 5 are a reflection of your teaching ability. For my instructor, the 4th dan requirements include having trained one student to 1st dan, 5th dan requires producing a 3rd dan student. The upper dans are more about time spent, contributions to the org, and whatever other subjective criteria that the seniors set.

Mark

P.S. To clarify a 4th dan candidate cannot actually set the exam board for their student that is testing for shodan. Its considered a bit of a conflict of interest.

 

[Phoenix44]

I agree with Terryl965...except the size 44 jeans part...

 

[Steve]

I agree with those who have said that it depends upon the style, school, etc.

Several people have said that a black belt is an understanding of the basics. In BJJ, that is a blue belt. A black belt is considered to be an expert in the art. Different scales.

What I think is kind of interesting is how out of sync are common, lay perception of what a black belt means and what most styles internally promote. What I mean is, if you survey non-martial artists, I'd wager good money that 9 out of 10 would say that a black belt is an expert in that art.

That, in most styles, a 1st dan can open his/her own school just, in my opinion, furthers these misconceptions.

 

[Grenadier]

Most schools make it so that a black belt means that someone has a decent proficiency in the fundamentals.

The way I see it, if someone has demonstrated such a command of the fundamentals, then the age really doesn't matter, as to whether or not someone should be awarded a black belt. There are many kids who are mentally mature, and can handle the advanced training, and if they just happen to be 10 years old, the so be it.

Where I would certainly disagree, though, is making a 10 year old an official instructor in charge of classes. Leave that for the adults.

I have no objections to using polished 10 year old black belt kids as good examples in class, and I wouldn't hesitate to assign one of them to help other kids by placing them besides, or partnering them with, a struggling student. In doing so, you help the struggling student, as well as making sure that the young black belt keeps the techniques sharp.


If someone wants a "universal black belt ranking," he can test for one with the USA-NKF, or the WKF. The requirements are on the pages, and of course, you cannot test for a rank higher than the one you hold in your practiced system.

 

[pesilat]

As others have said, it means you have met certain criteria within your own school/system/art. In some schools this means you've paid X amount of money and attended Y number of classes. In other schools it means you have exhibited a basic proficiency with the material. In other schools it means you have the basic proficiency with the material and can teach it.

Here's my personal take, though.

A black belt is equivalent to a high school diploma. Some schools hold their students to higher standards than other schools. The value of your diploma depends on what school you graduated from and when you graduated (when I graduated from HS the school I attended was considered one of the top in the state if not the nation - now, from what I understand, it has slid a bit down the scale).

The dan ranking (or equivalent) can be equated to college.
So, for instance, a 2nd dan might be considered equal to an Associates degree. A 4th might be equated to a Bachelors, etc.

Again, though, the quality of these degrees / diplomas vary from school to school & time of attendance.

Mike

 

[Semper Fi]

Mike, Well said.

 

[KELLYG]

I agree with pesilat's post. I think that most people think that Black Belt is the epitome of Martial Arts. These guy's are missing the boat. We were taught that BB is just the beginning of martial arts training, that you revert back to white belt so to speak. In my case I have learned more about TKD after first Dan than I did through colored belts, and continue to learn something every time I train.

 

[bowser666]

I have also heard the same . In my style my Sifu is currently a 3rd degree. I have heard that in order to attain 4 and 5th degree he has to Master what he knows as well as teach it to others. I think he needs to train 2-3 black belts, and also teach a few 2nd degrees and so on. I am shooting for my black belt in my style and I believe it to be true that 1st Degree is really were your training starts. All the COlored belts are just the "basics" to prepare you for you real training. I truly can not wait !

 

[Shicomm]

...that you're at least a shodan ( assuming that you're in a Japanese style )
...that after something happend you went to the store and bought it
...that you have had your share of fear, thrill and adrenaline ...

but it's also the end of stage 1 , with the beginning of stage 2 ...

You will continue to follow the path , only now the vehicle has a different color.

 

[Pyrock]

A BLACK belt means that the belt absorbs all the colors of the visible light spectrum and therefore does not reflect any color. This results in the color we know as black. In a sense, black is the absense of color. That is the true meaning of a "Black" belt. A "white" belt on the other hand absorbs none of the colors of the visible spectrum thus reflecting it all. This is what we see as white or....all the colors of the visible spectrum all mashed together.

Sorry, I had to, I'm a scientist!:ultracool