What Does a Black Belt Mean? - - Chief Instructor's Blog November 29, 2008

As defined by: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary [1]”

black belt (n): one who holds the rating of expert in various arts of self-defense (as judo and karate); also: the rating itself

The color belt system is a modern day introduction to martial arts and is attributed to Kano Jigoro, the founder of judo [2, 3] and the moved to other martial arts including karate, aikido, tae kwon do, etc.

In reality, each school and system has a different measuring stick to determine the ranking. A black belt in Tae Kwon Do from one school, for example, may or may not equate to the same color from a different school.

In Han Moo Kwan, we talk about reaching Black Belt as being the start of the journey. For our club, reaching the rank of First Degree Black Belt implies you have reached a certain level of proficiency in the art form and can demonstrate the physical style of Han Moo Kwan and its philosophy. But as it states, it is a First Degree, a first step on the journey.

So one may ask oneself – if you have gained proficiency, what is left after the first step on the journey?

Translated literally, tae means "foot"; kwon means "fist"; and do means "the way". The journey is discovering “the way” and yourself along the way.

If one studies martial arts and its history and the biographies of many martial arts masters, one finds that martial arts were meant to ultimately improve the spirit, mind, and body. It was a way of life. The concept of a fighting system defining a way of life has been around for centuries.

In Bushido, The Soul of Japan, Inazo Nitobe describes the code of conduct of the Samurai warrior. Nitobe explains: “Bu-shi-do means literally Military-Knight-Way – the ways which fighting nobles should observe in their daily life as well as their vocation…” [4]

In The Zen Way to the Martial Arts, Taisen Deshimaru writes: “Do, the way, is the method, the teaching that enables you to understand perfectly the nature of your own mind and self”. [5]

In Karate-Do My Way of Life, Gichin Funakoshi writes “I often tell my young colleagues that no one can attain perfection in Karate-do until he finally comes to realize that it is, above all else, a faith, a way of life”. [6]

The true essence of martial arts is to cultivate mind, body, and spirit – it is a means ( a way) of improving one character in every aspect through a journey that will take each individual on a different path and provides different obstacles to overcome.

What is important is the journey (“the way”) not a rank. I value where my journey has taken me to date and I look forward to continuing my journey as I learn more about the art form and through that study, continuing to improve myself.

I encourage you to study hard, train hard, and enjoy your journey and the path it takes you on.

Regards,
Kelly

“When you look at life, think in terms of karate. But remember that karate is not only karate -- it is life."” ~ Gichin Funakoshi

References:
1. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20belt[2]
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_belt_(martial_arts)
3. http://tkdtutor.com/02Taekwondo/Belts/BeltHistory.htm
4. Buishido, The Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe
5. The Zen Way to the Martial Arts by Taisen Deshimaru
6. Karate-Do My Way of Life by Gichin Funakoshi