Super Fitness Health BlogTell me about the Martial Arts Belt
The Martial arts belt is one of the most common pieces of the martial arts uniform. While different arts may have different types and styles of uniforms – From the commonly seen tops and pants of karate uniforms to the more elaborate jackets, shorts and shirts of different styles, most disciplines will wear a belt, sash or something around the waist. While definitely having a functional aspect, like a karate beltholding up one’s pants or keeping your gi top in place, the belt can also be used as a weapon. I have seen the belt used to wrap around and choke an opponent and in some cases it has been used to entangle an enemies weapons. But there is a deeper meaning to the belt as well.
The belt is more importantly used to show a student’s level of achievement. There are very few disciplines that do not use the white belt to signify a novice and a black belt to identify a master. This is where most agreements end. I have been to numerous schools and not one of them agrees upon meaning or the progression of colors, beyond white and black. Some schools even use multi-colored, or partially colored belts to show achievement.
Schools have many different ideas on what the symbolism of the belt color is. Here is one example from a nearby school that uses karate uniforms:
White – Birth. Absence of all colors. Uncolored by anything.
Yellow- Earth. The starting point of growth.
Green- Continued Growth. The student grows in their skills.
Red- Heat. Refining their skills in the heat of training
Black- Open Door. The door to knowledge has been opened. It is dark, but by stepping through, one can begin to learn the true meaning of the martial art in which they are training.
Achievement of the black belt is usually understood that the practitioner has only begun to attain real knowledge. The black belt signifies a completion of the steps necessary and an acquisition of the information that the discipline is trying to teach. However, the true mastery of this knowledge is only just starting. In fact, most students who reach black belt never actually reach mastery. They simply have the knowledge and information to begin their journey. Uniforms, weapons and the like are important to the practitioner of martial arts, but martial arts belts (although seemingly insignificant at first glance), rank right there with the others in importance and significance in the grand scheme of things.
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