Martial arts have been around for thousands of years and the many different styles continue to gain popularity all over the world. In martial arts, the belt color separates the beginners from the masters, but the belt has not always been a part of history. Most schools of martial arts have rankings and belt colors that were adopted from Japan, according to North Austin Tae Kwon Do.
Founder
Kodokan Judo was founded in Tokyo in 1882. Dr. Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, introduced the black belt to rank his students. Although Dr. Kano utilized belts, there is no documented reason for the various colors, so the origin of the belt color remains unknown, according to e-budokai.com. Kano began using the black belt when he awarded shodan status to two students in 1883.
Ranks
The ranks involve menkyo, dan and kyu. Before Judo was invented, there was no kyu or dan ranking system; instead most martial art schools used the menkyo ranking system. Students were first licensed as shodan and ended as menkyo, meaning "license of total transmission," according to e-budokai.com. The dan ranking system was invented by Honinbo Dosaku. Dan ranks are considered master levels from first-degree black belts up to ninth-degree black belts; however, the degree of how high the rank depends on the style of martial arts. Kyu ranking allows fighters some flexibility in choosing their rank; however, dan ranks must be awarded through tournaments and exams.
Colors
Martial arts students begin with a white belt, which symbolizes the fighter having no previous knowledge or training. Students then receive an orange belt followed by a yellow belt before advancing to an intermediate level. As intermediate students progress through the belts; the color transitions from green to blue and then to purple. Advanced students earn a brown belt and then a red belt. Once the student masters the basics of the martial art he practices, he receives a black belt.
Theories
One theory of the martial arts belt color is that the belt began as white and then transitioned to brown and finally black over years of being soiled from training; however, there are no colored belts in ancient martial arts tradition so this theory has been proven invalid, according to e-budokai.com. Another possible theory is that Kano adopted the black belt concept from Japanese high school sports since competitors were separated by a black ribbon worn around their waist, according to e-budokai.com.
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