Ask a Kyōshi (教師, Teacher).
Hello everyone! I am Jascha Espley, the Head Instructor at PoCo Karate, which is a member of Satoha Shito-Ryu International Federation, with deep ties to Japan.
I wanted to start a series of posts to engage with the community and allow members to ask any respectful questions they may have about Karate or martial arts in general. Over the past week, I've had a few questions from interested readers. Today we will be addressing the question:
"What does it mean to be a Black Belt?"
I will start by clarifying that depending on the art, style, or association, the standards for acquiring a Black Belt can be very different. I will speak to my 38 years of experience in traditional Karate, which represents a classical interpretation and measure of what it takes to be a Black Belt.
Generally, being a Black Belt is a measure of a basic level of competence and fitness, and more importantly, a significant level of dedication and personal sacrifice.
Your very first Black Belt (1st degree) is called Shodan (初段) which literally means "Beginner Level". You have acquired the necessary prerequisites and demonstrated the level of dedication and personal sacrifice necessary to begin learning the actual lessons of Karate. Many people think of getting a Black Belt as their final goal of training in Martial Arts, but it is really just crossing the starting line.
A Black Belt is not something that you achieve for life, it is a responsibility that you must maintain. Much like various professional certifications, you must continue to train, study, and learn to keep it going. As the saying goes: Use it or lose it.
Beyond 1st degree is where we really start to get into higher levels of competency in Karate. By 3rd degree (Sandan 三段), it is customary to refer to the person as Sensei (Teacher), as they typically have acquired enough knowledge and experience to teach others by this point.
How long it takes to get your Black Belt (1st degree) really depends on the individual and their level of dedication. This typically can range between 6 to 10 years in our traditional Karate style (Shito-Ryu). In other arts, it may be much quicker to get a Black Belt, but that doesn't mean that it is as meaningful.
Fun fact: The modern system of belts in Karate was adopted from Judo shortly after their founder, Jigaro Kano, created the grading system. Before 1926, Karate practitioners did not have a standardized system of grades/levels.
Got a question about Karate or Martial Arts in general? Feel free to post it below.
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