With a legion of 12 year old dan grades who can't even tie their own belts, one-week intensive "Black Belt" courses and McDojo's is there any prrestige left in obtaining a "Black Belt"?

IMO, not as much as there used to be.

The real value of a belt is to the wearer and the knowledge he or she has learned.

To a starving man a stale moldy cracker would look and taste like a thanksgiving feast.

To a healthy well fed individual it is merely going into the trash.

IMO, not as much as there used to be.

The real value of a belt is to the wearer and the knowledge he or she has learned.

To a starving man a stale moldy cracker would look and taste like a thanksgiving feast.

To a healthy well fed individual it is merely going into the trash.

You sir, have put it in a way that I have never thought of.

I don't believe so. Perhaps a black belt from one school may have more worth than another, but when there's schools out there that will test students regardless of their ability then I'd say no.

I sort of look at it this way:

Yeah, it saddens me to see 8-year-old BB's that have no idea what they're doing...but that has no effect on me or the personal value of my rank. I don't really worry about outside opinion confirming that I deserve to be called a Black Belt, or that a Black Belt is something to be proud of. I proved it to myself over the course of tournaments and meeting other talented MA, and seeing how I matched up. I worked hard and overcame a lot of obstacles on my way to black, and that's good enough for me.

People who have heard about my training usually take one look at me and say "no way". I'm 5'2", 100 or so lbs, and usually don't have much cause to seem agressive. (I say usually because, being a person of such small build, people think it's hilarious to pick me up and try to fling me around...and sometimes I have to stop them.) Some of those people taunt and challenge me, trying to make me "prove it". A few years ago I felt like I had to...now I realize it's neither necessary nor worth it. Nothing is ever good enough for people like that, and someone could get hurt in the process. Basically, I feel that an idea of "prestige" (or rather, being concerned with others' ideas of this prestige) contradicts the black belt attitude I believe in: humility, respect, self-control. It's not about impressing others. Just my two cents.

There are always people out there that seem to get an easy ride in life, not just in the martial arts. However , in no way does that demean my own triumphs or victories. There's nothing sweeter than a reward for something you've worked hard to get!

I dont care what othyer people think my belt is worth. To me, MY BB is of underterminable value. Who cares how other people see it? I got it for me, not them.

I dont care what othyer people think my belt is worth. To me, MY BB is of underterminable value. Who cares how other people see it? I got it for me, not them.

My kind of karateka

Thank You

I agree. I'm not a BB yet, and I agree that the value of BB has gone way down. I've seen it many times. But I know when I get my BB, I will know that I earned it. If it means that I will be a red belt (2nd gup and 1st gup) for a while, so be it.