An Overview of Belts

In most types of martial arts, the color of the belt that you wear will signify your rank within your specific style of martial arts.  The belts that are used with martial arts signify your rank within that style, although they have no international means or ranking within the martial arts world.  More or less, they tell others how much you know about your specific martial art.

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The use of colord belts in martial arts is an old practice, dating back centuries.  Belts and their use in martial arts all started by a man called Jigoro Kano, who created the style known as Kodokan Judo.  Kano started out by using only white and black belts to signify rank within his style of martial arts.  His reason for using belts, was to specify which students could compete in different activities.  As an example, those with white belts could not compete in the same activities as those that had black belts.

Not long after Kano introduced his idea of using belts, other belt colors were introduced in the world of martial arts.  Over the years, it became a excellent way of telling what experience a student had in his style - simply by looking at his belt.  Other styles including Karate and Taekwondo began to use this system as well over the years, as well as several others.

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The only problem with using belts to signify ranking, is the fact that one school of martial arts may have different requirements from another school.  Although they both may teach the same style of martial arts, their ranking system and requirements to get a certain ranking may be completely different.  This can result in confusion in ranks, especially if a black belt from one school isnít as versed in the style as a black belt from another school.  Although most schools stick to the same ranking system, there are schools that choose to combine their own unique style as well.

Although most martial arts styles use belts to signify rank and, there are some martial arts out there such as Shootfighting that donít use belts at all.  The styles that choose not to use belts donít go by rankings either, as they are, in any case, for self defense purposes.  Pitfighting is another style that do not use belts either. These styles are great to learn for protecting one's own self - although they differ from the traditional sense of martial arts.

All things aside, belts are an innovation to martial arts.  They give students something to aim for and a purpose , and a reason to keep practicing.  Most students that study martial arts aim for getting the black belt, which is the most prestige belt in martial arts.  A black belt takes years of practice to obtain, as the student will move through many lower ranked belts before getting the opportunity to try and earn the black belt.