Black belt (martial arts)

: See Black Belt (disambiguation) for other uses of the term Black Belt

Origin

The black belt was "invented" by Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo, who first devised the colored belt system and awarded the first black belts in the 1880s. He only used white and black belts, and it wasn't until the early 1900s that the colored belt system of awarding rank was created. Many modern martial artists, however, mistakenly believe that the belt ranking system is an ancient aspect of traditional martial arts. (Koryu instructors in fact tended to provide certain certificates to advanced students, as proof of their authorization to teach the art.) The most common colors other than white and black are orange, yellow, green and brown; blue, purple and red are less common. In some schools, a red belt signifies a child who has achieved dan ranking, but does not grant the same responsibilities and privileges of the adult black belt. In other schools, a red belt signifies ninth or tenth degree black belt - tenth degree usually being the highest rank attainable.

Related Topics:
Jigoro Kano - Judo - 1880s - White - 1900s - Koryu

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