Rank stripes on Black Belt Like or dislike?

[WireFrame]

I think stripes or tags cheapen the look of a black belt.

Any dan grades in a club will more than likely have trained with each other for years and know who is 1st dan, 2nd, 3rd etc. I only see a small potential issue in massive training courses or competitions. Not much of one though.

[sensei8]

I can answer this. It is because few use it to boast ego and status thus letting skill and experience fall below par.

If you knew me then you'd know that I'm not part of this crowd in which you speak about!

In essence, of many martial art "by laws", the title soke is extremely rare.

Yes it is rare. Yet, it does exist in our By-Laws and I'm trying to put an end to the use of the Soke title within my style because Shindokan had one Soke and one Dai-Soke, therefore, that's enough.

Indeed, such insignia and "title" could be considered as accomplishments, however, within martial arts and no standards thereof, by laws are subjected to those who are recognised by their peers, outside of their orgs.

Simply one who ranks 8th in one org-art, is not to be seen as having double the skill or knowledge of another who ranks 4th in another org-art.

Sure! BUT, I'm not subjected to any other organization than that of the Shindokan, just as you're not subjected to any other organization other than the one your associated with. I don't give a bent pins about who approves or who doesn't approve anything and everything concerning myself and/or the Shindokan Hombu. This is nothing new from me, and people here at KF can bare this true of me.

This is widely known that one rank from organization "A" isn't the same rank in organization "B"! And this goes along with my statement in the previous paragraph. IMHO, this is why there will NEVER be one governing body of the martial arts because of differing standards and the like.

AGAIN...Proof is on the floor, not within any organization, not within any By-Laws, not within any rank/title, not within any other person, whether or not someones a practitioner of the martial arts or not, BUT, proof is FOUND on the floor and nowhere else, imho!

IMHO The proof is no longer on the floor if one has to acquire stripes and title.

IMEO The proof is actually in the streets under real fisticuffs.

When I say "On the floor", it's just an expression and nothing more! The intent of the meaning should be understood.

[RichardZ]

I think stripes or tags cheapen the look of a black belt.

Any dan grades in a club will more than likely have trained with each other for years and know who is 1st dan, 2nd, 3rd etc. I only see a small potential issue in massive training courses or competitions. Not much of one though.

Great point.

So, it maybe in part of a fuel to self-ego?

[DWx]

I think stripes or tags cheapen the look of a black belt.

Any dan grades in a club will more than likely have trained with each other for years and know who is 1st dan, 2nd, 3rd etc. I only see a small potential issue in massive training courses or competitions. Not much of one though.

Not necessarily just for massive training courses or competitions. For example, our club is quite a large one and we have just under 50 active blackbelts. So if I turn up to a session I don't usually attend there may be blackbelt students I don't know or don't see regularly enough to instantly know their grade. Especially if I teach that particular session it helps to have a visual indication of grade straight away. I see stripes on the blackbelt in the same way that I see different coloured belts; stripes denote which dan grade you're at just as the different colours/stripes denote which kyu/gup grade you're at.

Of course this issue probably doesn't arise in smaller schools so then I guess its up to personal choice how you want your belt to look.

[WireFrame]

Fair point. There are about 12 or so dan grades where I train. I wouldnt say it's for ego RichardZ, just kind of makes things obvious and/or official. I personally prefer the look of a plain black belt.

[RichardZ]

Fair point. There are about 12 or so dan grades where I train. I wouldnt say it's for ego RichardZ, just kind of makes things obvious and/or official. I personally prefer the look of a plain black belt.

It cannot be conmcluded that any part of it for some, is self-ego.

I met a Buddhist monk having close to the same discussion.

[sensei8]

I see stripes on the blackbelt in the same way that I see different coloured belts; stripes denote which dan grade you're at just as the different colours/stripes denote which kyu/gup grade you're at.

Excellent point!

[RichardZ]

So, if a at stopped its stripes, say at 5th, does this make the wearer less knowledgible than an art does stop its stripes at 8, or even an art which doesnt have stripes?

[DWx]

So, if a at stopped its stripes, say at 5th, does this make the wearer less knowledgible than an art does stop its stripes at 8, or even an art which doesnt have stripes?

No of course not. You can't really compare ranking systems across different styles. The majority don't even have the same coloured system. Red in my style would be 2nd gup (so 2nd kyu level) but in a number of styles red is a beginner level belt or even in some it denotes the highest levels.

However within the same style, where all practitioners wear the same ranking system and stripes, then I think you could make the assumption that someone who has 8 stripes is more advanced than someone with 5.

[sensei8]

Again...the stripes and/or the belt don't indentify whom I am as a person and/or as a martial artist. No! I'm defined by my inner-content not by my exterior-context!

For as crude as I can put it, and I'm speaking of myself...I'm not a clown who wears costumes and the like. NO! I'm a person first, a martial artist second, and in that, I'm a person who wears a belt with rank stripes.