What martial art has these two belts?

[RW]

I walked past a karate club (you don't see many of those nowadays!) today and I noticed the instructor had a belt like this one:

http://www.upcycledhound.indiemade.com/sites/upcycledhound.indiemade.com/files/imagecache/im_clientsite_product_detail/dsc_0002.jpg

Yes, it's a black belt with a white bar in the center, all along the belt. Then I saw another guy with the same belt, but the line was red instead of white.

Both were instructors.

What does this mean?

[Wastelander]

I walked past a karate club (you don't see many of those nowadays!) today and I noticed the instructor had a belt like this one:

http://www.upcycledhound.indiemade.com/sites/upcycledhound.indiemade.com/files/imagecache/im_clientsite_product_detail/dsc_0002.jpg

Yes, it's a black belt with a white bar in the center, all along the belt. Then I saw another guy with the same belt, but the line was red instead of white.

Both were instructors.

What does this mean?

Usually, the black belt with the white bar is a Jun-Shodan or Shodan-Ho ranking, which would be a "Junior Black Belt." Sometimes, though, I have seen that used to denote a "Shidoin" title. The black belt with the red bar I have also seen used for people with a "Shidoin" title, but some people also use it to denote "Renshi" level instructors.

[RW]

I walked past a karate club (you don't see many of those nowadays!) today and I noticed the instructor had a belt like this one:

http://www.upcycledhound.indiemade.com/sites/upcycledhound.indiemade.com/files/imagecache/im_clientsite_product_detail/dsc_0002.jpg

Yes, it's a black belt with a white bar in the center, all along the belt. Then I saw another guy with the same belt, but the line was red instead of white.

Both were instructors.

What does this mean?

Usually, the black belt with the white bar is a Jun-Shodan or Shodan-Ho ranking, which would be a "Junior Black Belt." Sometimes, though, I have seen that used to denote a "Shidoin" title. The black belt with the red bar I have also seen used for people with a "Shidoin" title, but some people also use it to denote "Renshi" level instructors.

Thanks!

[andym]

Or, it could be a Go Kan Ryu Karate 'franchise' The black and white belt is used by it's 'trainee' instructors (!?!). Either overly ambitious kyu grades, with a matter of months training. Or , worse, people activity recruited form outside, to work as Karate instructors - paid on a commission basis - NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY !

Can you tell I have a problem with GKR ?

So basically they use the black and white belt as a disguise, to hide the fact they are not true black belts. That they lack the genuine skill it requires to be both a black belt and most importantly - needed to teach Karate.

[Harkon72]

In our Club, a Black Belt with a white stripe is a Pre-Dan student, this is a student training to take his first Dan grading. They are in reality 1 Kyu students, but they have passed a Pre-Dan grading to show they are training for the Dan grading. They can be assistant instructors or Sempai only. Usually you wear a Pre-Dan belt in our club for at least a year. I have never seen a black and red belt; so I don't know what it means.

In some other associations, as you say enterprising Kyu grades wear a Black and White belt to teach, thus it represents an "Instructor". I find this very strange; in our club, you must be at least a full Dan grade to take a class. I know of one instructor of Lau Gar that taught from green sash on his own wearing such a color. So basically he trained only for 9 months before having his own class. I have no strong criticism; but as a good friend says; "The proof is on the Floor."

[Kusotare]

I'll be honest, the cynic in me thinks that it's just another belt to charge money for.

But than I'm old - and grumpy

k.

[Harkon72]

There is truth in that, but for us it is seen as a motivational tool.

[sensei8]

ALso...

"Women generally wear the same colour belts as men, although some prefer a white stripe on the length of the belt. This distinction was initiated by the Kodokan so that women would be differentiated from male competitors. But with the increasing number of women actively involved in national and international competition, the tradition of the white-striped belt seems to be vanishing."

http://www.judocanada.org/system/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/National-Kyu-Grading.pdf

Within Shindokan's Junior BB's identifiers, all karateaka's of this distinguishment are required to wear the black belt with a white stripe down its entire center length. It's been this way for as long as I can remember.

Kind of like when a driver gets there learners permit and/or they're under 18 years of age respectively, their's are vertically up and down, instead of a 'regular' license is horizontally side to side. Easier for LEO's and the like, as well as others to decern them from those who are over 18 years of age.

I've also seen the Renshi BB myself as noted with the red stripe down the center of said BB in many different styles of the MA.

[RW]

Thanks guys.

These 2 guys looked really senior. The red & black was like, 85, the red & white was like 50. I hope they were not trainees