For most people, martial arts are like horses. We have all seen them in the
movies and on TV, but, in reality, most of us couldn't tell a $500 horse
from a $5000 horse, nor could we furnish very much specific horse
information.
Most people know that belt ranking in martial arts is related to skill
level and they have their own ideas of the meaning they attach to their
personal definition. That's fine; because a belt rank is just that: a
subjective evaluation given by one person; and that's what it should be.
Let me explain.
A belt rank is a teacher's acknowledgment and recognition of a student's
accomplishments. Many people view a rank as defining a place in a
hierarchy; in other words, in relation to someone else. People with this
type of attitude eventually degenerate into petty ego conflicts. You study
martial arts to make yourself a better person. Your teacher recognizes and
acknowledges this step by step.
Therefore, the value of the belt (recognition) is directly tied to 1) the
person who gives it, and 2) the effort it took to obtain it. This involves
personal, subjective judgments and evaluations on the parts of both the
teacher and the student.
The criteria for awarding a rank follow in a similar vein. That means skill
level, attitude, effort, and conduct do not have precise definitions and
guidelines. It also means the judgments made by the teacher reflect his
age, experience, and the kinds of things he is ultimately trying to teach
the student.
Be aware that ranking is a fairly recent phenomenon, within the past 100
years, originating in modern Japanese martial arts, specifically judo. It
has gained a great deal of emphasis and popularity in America, bringing
with it problems and misconceptions.
As far as problems go, I have seen ranks given for money, sex, kinship,
political reasons, and for other ranks in return; needless to say, this is
a different beast than the ideal one I defined, one several de-generations
removed. What this shows us is that (as with many political constructs) it
looks good on paper, but the reality of it is quite different.
Along with these very purposeful problems for the insiders are the
misconceptions of the general public; perhaps the greatest of these is the
definition of the highly coveted and much sought after black belt. Everyone
has his or her own definition, and that is exactly the state of things; by
this I mean that there is little standardization and continuity within any
one art, let alone any relationship in terms of knowledge and ability among
different arts. I'm not saying this is bad; it is as it is, and it is as it
should be. I am saying that people in general need to understand this fact
in order to dispel some of the myths associated with martial arts--no, not
every black belt can put his hand through your ribcage and rip out your
beating heart, and I don't care what your cousin told you--and instead
focus on the positive aspects of studying martial arts. Through education,
we can end generations that have spoken from ignorance instead of from
knowledge. Any part you play in this only makes the art better.
Can these problems and misconceptions be eliminated? I don't think so. Can
ranking itself be eliminated? Again, the short answer, at least for
Japanese and Korean styles, is no. However, this does lead us to look at
the Chinese example; again, keep in mind that this is an ideal, and the
Chinese reality has its own pitfalls and problems.
When you ask a classical Chinese martial artist about his martial arts
background, his response should have four components:
1. the style he studied;
2. the length of time he studied;
3. with whom he studied; and
4. an offer to step onto the mat.
These are points to keep in mind no matter what art you study. If you ever
have the opportunity to watch an older, experienced, quality martial artist
in a new and unfamiliar environment, you will notice that he will be
forthcoming with the aforementioned four elements, but you will have to
drag his rank out of him. The first thing a bullshitmeister will tell you
is his rank.
There are many lessons to be learned by the study of martial arts; the
progress you are making in traveling this path is indicated by the
signposts (ranks) that those traveling before you (your teachers) give to
you.
If you ever have questions about ranking, please feel free to discuss them
with me. If you ever want to know why someone (you?) didn't receive a
particular rank while another student did, look in the mirror and work
harder.
Remember, martial arts are about learning and making yourself a better
person. It's an activity you do for yourself, not for anyone else, not for
any external award or reward. As long as you feel good about yourself and
feel you are learning, your practice is worthwhile and its own reward. With
this attitude, you are on the right path.
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