What if the white belt replaced the black belt as the top belt?

GojuTommy

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I find that a little patronising!

Then why give them out? Why? Avoid the misunderstanding and don’t give them out.

Are you good at ikebana? 🌺🌹🌷
Belts are given out as a motivational thing by and large. They create a goal for students to strive for. Are they necessary? No, they’re just something that has been around in some martial arts for roughly a century now.

The help create simple and easy goals for students to visualize, and help instructors to build a curriculum.
 

Denoaikido

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In many competition based schools a belt only means so much and I've seen lower ranks beat higher ones all the time or know more period but you have to remember the final belt in some arts is red or other colors so it's just a matter of that systems rank black isn't always best but don't let the belt rankings get you caught up do martial arts for better greater things just my opinion
 

Hyoho

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In theory y
What if the white belt took over as the top belt from the black belt?


As a black, your techniques would be considered dirty and disorganized, whereas as a white, it would represent that your techniques are considered polished and clean.
Would you be motivated in the same way?
How it goes is: Your old white belt got dirtier almost black. A sign of experience as you never wash your belt. Then somebody decided to dye it black! The Kano Sensei added colours for kids as by the time you left school you would rise to black anyway. Them some other groups that are not even Japanese decided to use the same system with how can I put it? Changes in color and values?. Don't ask me wher gold tabs came from. The ideas got more ridiculous by the day as did the titles. o_O

I have even had a shodan student who is now "Grand Master"
 
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drop bear

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In many competition based schools a belt only means so much and I've seen lower ranks beat higher ones all the time or know more period but you have to remember the final belt in some arts is red or other colors so it's just a matter of that systems rank black isn't always best but don't let the belt rankings get you caught up do martial arts for better greater things just my opinion

In regards to competition you also have sand bagging. Where people will put off getting belts to win competitions.
 

tkdroamer

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In regards to competition you also have sand bagging. Where people will put off getting belts to win competitions.
I would say what happens more often is people continue to train and advance in rank, then just show up at the competition wearing a color belt.
 

Dirty Dog

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In many competition based schools a belt only means so much and I've seen lower ranks beat higher ones all the time or know more period but you have to remember the final belt in some arts is red or other colors so it's just a matter of that systems rank black isn't always best but don't let the belt rankings get you caught up do martial arts for better greater things just my opinion
Holy run on sentence, Batman!
 

Hyoho

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In many competition based schools a belt only means so much and I've seen lower ranks beat higher ones all the time or know more period but you have to remember the final belt in some arts is red or other colors so it's just a matter of that systems rank black isn't always best but don't let the belt rankings get you caught up do martial arts for better greater things just my opinion
When asking seniors in Japan what attitude was required for gradings the answer is: The same as daily practice and competition.

A grade up is a mark of achievement. You might be good at competition but it doesn't say anything for quality of kata or teaching skills. You say belt ranking is not the best but that would depend on grading panel examiners.

But I did abandon the system at 42 to concentrate on classical arts after seeing the, "Its not what you know but who you know" creep in.
 

Denoaikido

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When asking seniors in Japan what attitude was required for gradings the answer is: The same as daily practice and competition.

A grade up is a mark of achievement. You might be good at competition but it doesn't say anything for quality of kata or teaching skills. You say belt ranking is not the best but that would depend on grading panel examiners.

But I did abandon the system at 42 to concentrate on classical arts after seeing the, "Its not what you know but who you know" creep in.
Yes I might have no competition so as far as that goes there are lower ranks that sometimes might know more than the higher ranks a lot of it is based on time not on like I said how necessarily good you are that competing or kata it merely a ranking system that started with jigro kano the guy who started judo in my Aikido dojo your white until black usually 5 years deep I think lol
 

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