“The one who fully understands his own abilities and skills
realizes he has obtained these abilities and skill through his hard work and dedication,
and further more has the capacity to cherish what he has done
for himself and not for the sake of those that may judge him,
is a thousand times more enlightened
than a man who relies on a certificate of achievement,
or a worthless rag around his waist,
awarded to tell him what he has gained or accomplished in the eyes of others.”
Yachigusa, Hiroshi Sensei
I recorded that quote when I was about 16 years old. My teacher, who barely spoke comprehendible English, had to repeat it to me several times, but I think I captured the essence of what he was trying to convey.
This quote is one of the few things he said that I wrote down verbatim, though at the time I don’t believe it meant as much to me as it does now. Of course I now agree totally with this philosophy.
Maybe I’m old-old-school, but I think the colored belt system and many of their associated ranks were a disastrous innovation in the martial arts. Some systems, such as those that have numerous 15th degree black belts, clearly make me feel as if the once-prized “black belt” is basically a meaningless symbol.
Worst yet are schools that give 10 year olds, or younger, a black belt. I’m sorry I just think that is so wrong, for so many reasons. I simply don’t care how gifted you feel the youngster may happen to be.
I come from a system with no belts or ranks. Never had them. Never had a need for them. My teacher, his father, and their ancestors didn’t train to impress others, and if the need arose to show/prove their abilities I’m sure a belt around their waist or piece of paper on the wall wouldn’t have been enough to deter or settle the dispute.
The system I was taught was intended for warfare, and certificates, belts, ranks, and awards have little meaning on a battlefield.
Over the years I have been asked countless times how long it takes to get a “black belt” at my school. Sometimes I’m asked how much it will cost. My answer has always been it takes a few hours, and about $7.00.
No, I don’t offer an accelerated course, that’s simply how long it takes me to go to the store and buy one, and the actual amount of money it takes to cover my expenses.
To date no one has taken me up on my offer.
I’m sure that when Jigoro Kano, (Founder of Judo), and Gichin Funakoshi, (Father of Modern Karate), adopted a colored belt system they had the best of intentions. However, I’m also sure they would be appalled to see the current state of belt systems today. More importantly, I doubt it was ever their intentions that such a major significance would be placed on such a material object.
Now don’t get me wrong, I once used a belt ranking system in my school. Only for kids though, and only because they went to tournaments and tournament officials needed some way to place them in the proper divisions. (I teach kids very differently than adults.)
Even with a belt system in place, I never once promoted any teen to black belt, I never asked for test fees, and my testing schedule was only twice a year. To get promoted by me, meant you worked your butt off, had to maintain at least a “C” average in school, and helped out the school in various ways (help teach, come for cleaning days, demo team, etc). You could be 100% technically proficient during the test, but if you failed the other two requirements I would not promote you.
Because I had belts, I studied their “evolutionary history,” (or lack of history) and as much I would like to deny it, I was even once guilty of propagating several myths regarding them. However, I made sure never to emphasize the belt system for my students, or make it sound as if they had any historical merit. They are after all a modern innovation.
The story I love the most regarding the various colors of karate belts and how one became a “black belt” in the old days goes as follows:
The story starts off with a novice ,who of course wears a white belt.
Since, in the old days, many martial art practitioners trained outdoors, the belt would get soaked with sweat and soiled with dirt. The mixture of continuous dirt and sweat caused the belt to become discolored. Over time the belt would turn green, the color of mildew.
A few more years would pass, and the decaying mildew, combined with more dirt and sweat would cause the belt to turn brown.
More training, more time, more decaying mildew, sweat, and dirt would eventually turn the belt black.
But the story doesn’t end here.
Further training would cause the belt to fall apart, until one day it opened and the practitioner was once again a white belt. Not just a plain white belt, a double white belt. A true symbol to show the world he had mastered his art.
The above story is a very romantic notion, and I can see how it can captivate the imagination of many people. Most martial art legends and myths are designed to instill a “supernatural/spiritual association” to one’s training.
However, that story doesn’t cover why we now have yellow, orange, blue, purple, red, striped, and various mixed color belts today.
I trained for many years at the beach, covered in salt water and sand. While my obi (a white belt designed for Iaido training) did get dirty and ultimately rot away, it never went through any color phases, except dirty beige. Maybe a little red when I bled, but nothing else. I guess with that said when people ask me what belt I am; I should be obligated to say beige with crimson spots. I can just imagine the odd looks of confusion if I would actually do that.
Now please don’t think I’m naïve about why there are so many colored belts today, and why such an emphasis has been placed on obtaining them. I know exactly why, it’s great business. Not only is it a good motivational tool, but it is a great means for generating extra income.
I know one school in the city that has 17 belts (eight colored belts, seven striped colored belts, and two levels of brown belt). Each test is $40.00, and the instructor tests every two months. One student testing 17 times brings in an extra $680.00 into the school, on top of his monthly fee, and other associated training costs (uniforms, equipment, tournament fees, association fees, etc.).
And don’t forget the black belt test. That’s an additional $500.00. That’s a total of $1,180.00 per student who makes it to black belt level.
I figure that this instructor has about 40 to 60 students at any given time. If just twenty students test during each testing date, he makes an extra $800.00 every two months. That’s pretty good money for a few hours of work.
I guess if one can find students willing to pay such fees, then more power to them. I on the other hand can’t imagine why a black belt should ever cost $500.00: unless it comes framed in 14karat gold.
I know what you may be thinking at this point. I have something personal against this instructor. You would be wrong. I like the guy. I also think he has some excellent martial skills. I also realize he has a rent to pay and a family to provide for. I know he works very hard to be successful at what he does, and that the school is his only source of income.
I also realize he is not the only teacher out there that does such things.
The sad thing is he and others like him have sacrificed their arts in order to run a successful business. They have changed the curriculum they were taught, watered it down, and placed an emphasis on symbolism in order to meet their business needs. Instead of teaching as they were taught (for those who were taught older traditions in a traditional manner) they now follow plans set by financial planning companies such as EFC (Educational Funding Company).
Their schools have become a belt mills.
Unfortunately in the case of my friend these changes have had a direct impact on his students, and the art he says he propagating. Many of his old timers left him years ago, when they witnessed these changes, and the decline of emphasizing real work ethics.
Gone were the days when hard work and sweat were rewarded. Now promotions are based on a formula, and given to people just to keep them motivated. Now a student can earn a black belt in three years, instead of the ten it took most of the guys to earn one twenty years ago when he first started teaching.
While I know his students work as hard as their teacher expects them to, many of their technical abilities are really poor. There are upper level black belts there who can’t perform basics, or who don’t have any real grasp on the materials they are responsible to teach. They go through the motions, but there is nothing of merit behind any of their movements. It’s more performance art than martial art.
Sure some of them can break bricks, do cartwheels, and perform aerial highflying kicks that wow audiences, but they couldn’t fight or defend themselves against a little old lady. Unfortunately, for traditional martial artists, these practitioners pass these circus acts off as martial arts, since the public isn’t really martial art savvy enough to know the difference between what is real and what is fantasy.
What is even more unfortunate is the fact that, because these students can do these flashy techniques and have been awarded rank, they believe they possess real martial skill and get very insulted when one questions their abilities. Distressingly, many of these individuals have an inflated ego to go with their inflated rank.
Yes, it’s clear I’m anti-belt. Not because I think it was bad idea, it did once have a specific purpose, I just dislike the way belt systems are utilized in many school today.
There is an old African proverb that states:
“I pointed out the stars
And all you saw was the tip of my finger”
In a nutshell, this quote sums up my opinion on how the value of obtaining a black belt has diminished. So many martial art practitioners are looking at the tip of the finger, rather than the stars. They would rather have a symbol to stroke their ego and/or show their friends, than ever take the time to learn the true meaning of what the martial arts are all about.
The truth is that a black belt is nothing more than a symbol that you have some understanding of the basics and are now ready, maybe even worthy, to start learning.
However, belts or no belts, true mastery comes when one can acknowledges they don’t know everything, have the resolve to seek out that knowledge, and come to the realization that more than one life time would be required to master it all.
“There are people who, instead of listening to what is being said to them,
are already listening to what they are going to say themselves.”
Albert Guinon
Labels: Essays, The Martial Arts
We teach students the "mountain knot" (page 2; p1 transl; p2 transl.) This is relatively easy to tie, and has the advantage for jujutsu that it is flat and thus doesn't hurt when you fall on it. (Note, this is the 2nd obi knot pictured)
I myself prefer the"clamshell knot" (transl.), which is a little tighter of a knot and is still pretty flat if you tie it correctly. Note that the beginning steps are the same as for the mountain knot. (Note, this is the 1st obi knot pictured)
For tying hakama, we teach the "jumonji" (cross-shaped) knot (p2. p3. p4. p5.; trans 1 trans 2 trans 3 trans 4 trans 5) It's like a bowtie for your hara. 
However, the main thing I have learned is that no matter how good I think I am, there is always somebody just a little better, a little quicker, and/or a little stronger than me--even among those individuals that have no martial art training.
Mr. Don Cunningham has over thirty years of martial arts experience, studying both contemporary and ancient martial art systems. He holds advanced ranks in judo, jujutsu, and kendo. Besides the two books mentioned above, Mr. Cunningham has also written numerous articles for various martial art publications.
About the Instructor:
