Traditionally, promotion to black belt was only about combative skills, proficiency in an art and contribution to the dojo or organization where you learned your style. Since the late 1990s, however, the martial arts community has moved to place greater emphasis on personal growth as part of training. For many dojos, black belt certification requires a project similar to the service project requirement of an Eagle Scout.
Governing Body
There is no centralized authority that governs who qualifies for black belt or what is required to do so. Instead, individual martial arts organizations, schools and teachers set their own criteria for promotion. This creates a wide variety in the criteria for black belt certification projects. However, many promotion projects include one or more of three general categories: personal challenges, service projects and scholarship.
Personal Challenges
If martial arts is about personal growth, overcoming a personal challenge can reflect that growth in a palpable and measurable way. Some examples of personal growth projects include facing a phobia, long practice in a skill at which the student might lack confidence or completing a personal goal the student has been putting off for years. Tom Callos, leader of the Ultimate Black Belt Test, includes making amends with three people you've hurt among the personal challenges in his curriculum.
Community Service
Traditional martial artists including Gichin Funakoshi and Miyamoto Musashi have taught that a warrior must contribute to the society in which he lives. Modern martial arts academies have built on that tradition by asking students to participate in service projects within their own communities. For a black belt project, a candidate might be asked to log a set number of service hours, or even be required to come up with and organize a project of his own.
Scholarship
Scholarship projects are most common in highly traditional programs. These projects focus on the academic aspects of martial arts training, including anatomy, biology, history and philosophy. The research a black belt candidate does for promotion may culminate in a written exam, an oral test or written thesis.
References
- The Ultimate Black Belt Test
- Dave Coffman; Martial Arts Instructor; Hillsboro, Oregon
- Jason Brick; Martial Arts Instructor; Browncoat Enterprises; Hillsboro, Oregon
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