Most people in the western world know martial arts but don't know a great deal about them apart from the colored belts. They all know the belts are utilized to establish ranking but that's about all they know. Many do not know where the various colors rank in the belt system. Individuals who are actual students of a martial art are quite familiar with the colors and in many cases are working hard to attain a certain rank. When people look at color of your belt, they will know how much you understand about that specific martial art form.
For many centuries, the color of the belt has been used to suggest ranking in martial arts. The belt system first started in Japan by the creator of Kodokan Judo, Jigoro Kano, for him to rank his own students. He was able to separate his students more quickly so that he could train students of various levels of skill and different times. This system enabled individuals who were not yet ready to learn skills vital to their level. Belt Martial Arts is such a wide field of study, and you do have to decide which of the overall pieces of the puzzle are more relevant to you. But in the final analysis you are the only person who can accurately make that call. Of course there is quite a lot more to be learned. We are keeping the best for last, and you will be delighted at what you will find out. Even after what is next, we will not quit there because the best is yet to come. It became so effective that it was adapted into other types of martial arts and more colors were added. Now, any person studying a martial art will have a good idea on how skilled and knowledgeable another student is. Favorite martial art types including Karate and Tae Kwon Do use the belt system extensively.
Even though all martial arts incorporate some kind of belt system, how the rankings are determined will be different from one school to the next. This is true for anything because standards may very well be different from one place to the next. This could be confusing especially if a student from one school switches to another school only to find the rankings do not translate over. This can cause problems, when a black belt from one school can be different than a black belt from another school. Nearly all schools follow a general standard however, they may make changes based on the area they are located.
There are specific martial arts, including Shootfighting, that don't use belts whatsoever, but nearly all martial arts types use the ranking system of belts. Even though there are still others that don't use any ranking system as their focus is self defense. Pitfighting is a type of self defense that concentrates on protecting yourself so it also doesn't have a ranking system.
Belt system has become a great help for martial arts. It's a good way for teachers to see how well their school is progressing and it gives students a goal to attain. Each and every student desires to reach black belt but it can take several years to achieve it. By using a belt system, a student can easily see how they are working up the rankings and will know not to skip steps. You won't ever progress unless you have mastered a rank.
