Just a fun hypothetical question

[Vito]

belts these days are mostly just tools for more money. wow look how many ive gone through, and look how many belt tests ive payed for... etc etc. if there were just a few that were far inbetween (like years worth) such as bjj's system id say its cool- but usually its just a waste of time. also, in the old days, from what i understand you werent even considered a STUDENT until you earned your black belt. these days you can usually teach with one. maybe this is why those chinese guys used to refuse to teach to us whitey americans. (and just for the record, muay thai and boxing and such styles dont have belts, and it doesnt seem to hurt them at all.)

[Shorin Ryuu]

also, in the old days, from what i understand you werent even considered a STUDENT until you earned your black belt.

 

Heh, in the old days, they didn't have black belts...Jigoro Kano introduced the ranking system to judo in the late 1880s I believe. Funakoshi promoted the first black belts in the year 1927 (or around there). In Okinawan karate, they really didn't get into the belt system in full force until around the 50s or the 60s...

[kay]

just for fun... get rid of the belt colors. I've seen too many black belts that couldn't throw a side kick, a punch, do a kata... grrrrrrrrrrr... I hate when people can buy their damn belts.

 

I'll take knowledge over a belt color.

[sansoouser]

I don't think a belt means anything except you learned a few moves in sequence. It may boost esteem, but for fighting, I don't think it means anything.