| When someone tells you they study karate, or | | | | difference between a white belt and a black belt |
| any Japanese martial art, your first question is | | | | was the amount of years you spent sweating in |
| probably, "What belt are you?" If they say black | | | | the dojo, paying your dues and how much |
| belt, then no doubt you're thoroughly impressed. | | | | knowledge you attained through your training. |
| However, if they say white belt, you might simply | | | | In the Japanese karate, the only thing a black belt |
| nod, tell them that's very interesting and wish | | | | represents is that you have mastered the basics |
| them luck with their martial art training. What | | | | and now the real work begins. Once you have |
| many people tend to forget is that those | | | | reached this level, you start to learn the moves |
| impressive black belts had to start somewhere. | | | | behind the moves. |
| What does the white belt really mean, though? | | | | The white belt in martial arts training represents |
| Did you know that in traditional martial art training, | | | | innocence, birth and beginning. After many years |
| the practitioners had no ranking system? Sure, | | | | of use, your white belt gets dirty from all your |
| there was a certain hierarchy within the dojo | | | | hard work (you never wash your belt!). It turns |
| (formal karate training school): there were the | | | | from white to brown and eventually black. |
| beginning, intermediate and advanced students, | | | | The funny thing is, that if you wear a black belt |
| the senior instructors and the Sensei (head | | | | long enough, it will start to fray and you'll notice |
| instructor), but they had no colored belts. | | | | that it's turning to a white belt again. This, too, is |
| Everyone had a white belt. The orthodox | | | | symbolic: you never fully master everything in |
| Japanese martial art of karate didn't start with a | | | | your martial arts training. A true master knows |
| colored ranking system until it came to America. | | | | that learning is a never-ending cycle. |
| As this author's Sensei explained, the American | | | | Your white belt is a symbol that you are trying to |
| student needed a measurement of progress, | | | | be a better person through the Japanese martial |
| unlike the Japanese students. | | | | art of karate. Martial arts training has always been |
| Today, there are some schools that keep to the | | | | considered an ideal way to discipline yourself and |
| bare minimum of white, green, brown and black | | | | reap some physical rewards at the same time. |
| belts. Other schools like a little more flash and | | | | Rather than being embarrassed of what your |
| incorporate yellow, orange, blue and red. It all boils | | | | white belt signifies, look at it as a new pathway |
| down to the same thing: something to keep your | | | | to a better life. Remember, a black belt is not far |
| gi (karate uniform) closed. | | | | off if you continue to discipline yourself and work |
| Seriously though, in traditional karate training, the | | | | hard with your martial arts training program. |