For most disciplines, a martial arts belt is an important part of the uniform. The belt does far more than hold up your pants. Don’t get me wrong, it does do just that as well as hold the top or jacket in place if needed. However, some belts are used as weapons to choke or disarm an opponent. Also, more important than the purely functional aspect of the belt, it has a far deeper and more significant purpose.

The other purpose is to signify rank. Almost all schools and traditions agree that the White Belt is for beginners and the Black Belt is for the master. Other than that, belt colors and markings can have more meanings than you could possibly imagine. Normally, students start out as a white belt and work their way up to the much coveted black belt. Some think the idea of the white/black belt came from ancient practitioners who started with a white belt and through training ended up with a black belt. That is also why some martial arts schools do not want you to wash your belt.

Schools have many different ideas on what the symbolism of the belt color is. Here is one example from a nearby school that uses karate uniforms:

White - Purity. New and clean.

Yellow- Action. Beginning of movements.

Green- Growth. Student is taking form with the new knowledge

Red- Heat. Refining their skills in the heat of training

Black- A new beginning. The combination of all the colors. The student has achieved a level in which they can train themselves and others.

Achievement of the black belt is usually understood that the practitioner has only begun to attain real knowledge. The black belt signifies a completion of the steps necessary and an acquisition of the information that the discipline is trying to teach. However, the true mastery of this knowledge is only just starting. In fact, most students who reach black belt never actually reach mastery. They simply have the knowledge and information to begin their journey. Uniforms, weapons and the like are important to the practitioner of martial arts, but martial arts belts (although seemingly insignificant at first glance), rank right there with the others in importance and significance in the grand scheme of things.

MonthlyArticlesDirect.com