Reorganized Rank Structure!!

[RW]

In sport karate/kickboxing. I have seen them having tons of belts. This is what I remember:

1.White

2.Yellow

3.High yellow

4.Orange

5.High orange

6.Green

7.High green

8.Blue

9.High blue

10.Brown

11.High brown

12.Low black

13.Black belt

These dojos are not bad in terms of technique but they do love to get that paper. As I get older, I am oddly becoming more alright with it because I know how tough it is to make a living. As long as they are learning proper technique then it wont bother me if they have some cash money marketing tactics.

When I was a kid I saw being a white belt as something embarrassing. Not every martial artist has the right mindset for martial arts, especially kids, and some orange or green belts would indeed look down on white belts I felt like I had to get out of white belt as soon as I could, and even yellow belt too. It wasn't until orange belt (following a white-yellow-orange sequence) when I could feel comfortable with my rank and therefore enjoy my dojo experience.

I can see how in a western setting people (especially kids) would not want to be a white belt until they reach the equivalent to green or brown belt.

It really takes a mature person with the right mindset for marital arts to realize it's ok to be a white belt and that if you choose to get into this journey you will be a "lowly" white belt for so many years, you may have the equivalent knowledge to a green belt but in everybody's eyes, you're just as good or knowledgeable as a dude who has been doing karate for a month.

Ironically, having such a mature mindset and clarity comes with... being a martial artist for a while, so it's a bit of a dillema

[bushido_man96]

Those are good points. I think it's incumbent upon the instructor to make sure students understand that it is a learning process, and to not worry about what others in the world may think. It's also incumbent upon the instructor to make sure that the white belts feel comfortable in the classes, impressing upon the intermediate and higher ranks the importance of treating the white belts in such a way.

[sensei8]

I've stated this belief many times here, and that is, of all of the ranks there might be, white belt is the most important belt because without it, no other rank is possible whatsoever.

Imho.

[bushido_man96]

Agreed. The old adage, "a black belt is a white belt that never quit" rings true. Without the beginning, there is no journey.