Did you know a black belt is merely the start of your journey, not the end?
The famous martial arts ‘black belt’ standard has been referenced across many other areas from business to sports and time management to productivity, being described as the pinnacle of achievement associated with the few, not the many. However, the black belt should be viewed as a measure of core competency, not excellence and be a base to continue your learning journey.
History of the black belt
In Japanese culture the term ‘black belt’ was used to denote a level of attainment in a given discipline.
You would start your martial arts training with a white belt. This symbolised your level as being empty, open and ready to receive.
After three to six years of training you would then receive your black belt, which indicated the wearer was competent in the style’s basic technique and principles. A complete contrast to the stereotype ‘black belt as master’ we have in today’s society. It is analogous to achieving a bachelor degree at university, commonly called a first degree, which means the student has a good understanding of the fundamental concepts and ability, but has not yet perfected their skills.
This concept links to terms commonly used in Japanese arts:
- Shodan – holder of a first degree black belt, literally means beginning step
- Nidan – second degree black belt or second step
- Sandan – third degree black belt, third step and so on
So the shodan black belt is not the end of training, rather the beginning of advanced learning. You know how to walk, so you can now begin your journey.
What about the coloured belts?
Originally, there were only the two coloured belts, white and black.
The coloured system of belts that we know today originated in the early 1900s with the introduction of the Judo uniform, and was probably created for western minds who needed more frequent steps to hold their interest and see their progress.
Despite the ‘black belt’ being used as a symbol of prestige for marketing purposes, the truth is that attaining a black belt is not the end of your journey, merely an indication that you have mastered the basics.
Gordon explained: “I’ve trained with some truly great athletes and martial artists over the years, and the one thing they have all stressed is the importance of learning and repeatedly going back to the basics. These early skills are not simply your basics but your essentials, without them everything else fails. They are the foundations of all the complex, sophisticated skills you acquire later and you cannot practice the basics enough. I like to think of attaining the black belt as passing your driving test, you master the basics to pass the test but it’s only afterwards you really master the art of driving.”
If you would like more information on the importance of this way of training in your daily life, and for more details about our 1-to-1, small group training and new 6-week introduction to combat arts contact us.
