What does a black belt mean?

[Ti]

Ti, are you familar with the San Jose, CA area?

Yeh, I know some of the people in that area.

[Dobbersky]

Back to the topic at hand

Black belt is Idolised as something that is all mighty as in the Old days in the UK atleast "Black Belts" had to register themselves at the local Police Station as a dangerous weapon. We had plenty of Wrestlers with the "BlackBelt" tag in the Character's Name.

I think its just a bit of cloth with holds my Gi together, puts me in a different line and means that I know a few more techniques than a "Coloured" Belt holder. Who decided that "Black Belt" was the "top" colour, why was it not "Midnight Blue", "Brown" "Purple" etc.

I always tell my students this - "...the only difference between them and myself is that I've practiced longer........." nothing more nothing less. As a KarateKa you get you Blackbelt then you begin to make Karate "yours"

Funakoshi stated ......Karate "begins" and "ends" with "REI" - REI translated means either "to bow" it also can be translated to mean "nothing" so in principle Karate begins with nothing and ends with nothing meaning it is a forever learning journey which is never mastered

[Wa-No-Michi]

Black belt is Idolised as something that is all mighty as in the Old days in the UK atleast "Black Belts" had to register themselves at the local Police Station as a dangerous weapon.

Urban Myth #2719 - Never been the case in the UK and it appears the US either (not surprising considering they are based on the same legal constitution)

https://www.blackbeltmag.com/archives/452?print=1

Funakoshi stated ......Karate "begins" and "ends" with "REI" - REI translated means either "to bow" it also can be translated to mean "nothing"

Different terminology / kanji. Rei as romaji can mean command, it can also mean zero and servant etc, its how it’s written and in what context it is spoken that defines its meaning.

In terms of Karate it is "礼" which means to bow out of courtesy as thanks/respect.

WNM