Understanding The Karate Belts Spot In The Tale Of Martial Arts

One of the more interesting aspects of the way martial arts are taught these days is the unique ranking system they use in which different colored karate belts known as obis are worn to mark the skill level of each student in the dojo. Though the belt may not look like much, just a simple swath of cloth, it is the one portion of the outfit that differentiates a fresh young trainee from an experience master of the art.

Every color of the obi represents hours of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears, it is not an easy feat to move up the ranks in martial arts and doing so is something of great honor and pride, a triumph that demands respect. In order to transition from one rank to the next, students are challenged to perform predetermined tests of strength and skill or could even be demanded to combat another student that is considered their equal or even their superior; there is no set rule for how to achieve the next rank.

The most important thing to know regarding the obi is the fact that it is specifically used as a way to rank each martial artist and let everyone know how proficient and skilled they are with their particular art, and this was actually the exact purpose of its creation. In the beginning the belt did serve a functional purpose, but many years ago, a master known as Jigoro Kano determined that there should be a better way of marking practitioners by their rank and skill set and so he developed the colored obi practice at his dojo and it eventually spread to encompass the sport as a whole.

Officially, in modern Karate, a dojo leader is responsible for determining what colors will mean what with regard to ranking. Although no specific rules may exist, it is generally accepted that black belts are the highest level of training and white belts are new recruits who have not yet earned any significant achievements.

There are many myths out there that claim in years past, practitioners would only be provided one belt and as training went on the karate belts of these artists would get dirtier and dirtier, therefore a black belt was one that had been trained in for years. Though there is probably some truth to the dirt-stained belt story, overall they are simply strips of colored cloth that show off an ever-increasing skill set.

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