| When someone tells you they study karate, or | | | | and a black belt was the amount of years you |
| any Japanese martial art, your first question | | | | spent sweating in the dojo, paying your dues |
| is probably, "What belt are you?" If they say | | | | and how much knowledge you attained through |
| black belt, then no doubt you're thoroughly | | | | your training. |
| impressed. However, if they say white belt, | | | | |
| you might simply nod, tell them that's very | | | | In the Japanese martial art, the only thing a |
| interesting and wish them luck with their | | | | black belt represents is that you have |
| martial art training. What many people tend | | | | mastered the basics and now the real work |
| to forget is that those impressive black | | | | begins. Once you have reached this level, you |
| belts had to start somewhere. | | | | start to learn the moves behind the moves. |
| | | | |
| What does the white belt really mean, though? | | | | The white belt in martial arts training |
| Did you know that in traditional martial art | | | | represents innocence, birth and beginning. |
| training, the practitioners had no ranking | | | | After many years of use, your white belt gets |
| system? Sure, there was a certain hierarchy | | | | dirty from all your hard work (you never wash |
| within the dojo (formal karate training | | | | your belt!). It turns from white to brown and |
| school): there were the beginning, | | | | eventually black. |
| intermediate and advanced students, the | | | | |
| senior instructors and the Sensei (head | | | | The funny thing is, that if you wear a black |
| instructor), but they had no colored belts. | | | | belt long enough, it will start to fray and |
| | | | you'll notice that it's turning to a white |
| Everyone had a white belt. The orthodox | | | | belt again. This, too, is symbolic: you never |
| Japanese martial art of karate didn't start | | | | fully master everything in your martial arts |
| with a colored ranking system until it came | | | | training. A true master knows that learning |
| to America. As this author's Sensei | | | | is a never-ending cycle. |
| explained, the American student needed a | | | | |
| measurement of progress, unlike the Japanese | | | | Your white belt is a symbol that you are |
| students. | | | | trying to be a better person through the |
| | | | Japanese martial art of karate. Martial arts |
| Today, there are some schools that keep to | | | | training has always been considered an ideal |
| the bare minimum of white, green, brown and | | | | way to discipline yourself and reap some |
| black belts. Other schools like a little more | | | | physical rewards at the same time. |
| flash and incorporate yellow, orange, blue | | | | |
| and red. It all boils down to the same thing: | | | | Rather than being embarrassed of what your |
| something to keep your gi (karate uniform) | | | | white belt signifies, look at it as a new |
| closed. | | | | pathway to a better life. Remember, a black |
| | | | belt is not far off if you continue to |
| Seriously though, in traditional martial art | | | | discipline yourself and work hard with your |
| training, the difference between a white belt | | | | martial arts training program. |