Martial arts belts are a common piece of equipment that serve a couple of purposes for the martial artist. From a practical standpoint, martial arts belts serve as something to hold your pants up and hold your uniform top in place. The way that a belt is tied can vary depending on the length of the belt and the tradition of the school in which you are practicing. Some schools do not use belts at all, or use a substitute. Sashes are a popular substitute and can serve the same purpose while giving the discipline a unique look.
The belt is more importantly used to show a student’s level of achievement. There are very few disciplines that do not use the white belt to signify a novice and a black belt to identify a master. This is where most agreements end. I have been to numerous schools and not one of them agrees upon meaning or the progression of colors, beyond white and black. Some schools even use multi-colored, or partially colored belts to show achievement.
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- Continued Growth. The student grows in their skills.
Red- Fire. The student begins to hone their knowledge in refining fire.
Black- A new beginning. The combination of all the colors. The student has achieved a level in which they can train themselves and others.
Most martial arts disciplines agree that the black belt is really just the beginning of understanding the art. Once a black belt is reached, the student has a true understanding of the meaning and fundamentals, but is only just starting their quest for mastery. As a matter of fact, mastery may never be achieved, but it is something to be strived for. As has been discussed, whether it is a belt of sash, one of the most basic pieces of almost all martial arts uniforms is the belt. Its use and meaning is quite important to the world to practitioners of almost every discipline.
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