Question on belts....

[JumpDaddy]

Where I train, all the belts are on display on the wall. I notice above white belt is a solid yellow. Yet I see fellow students with solid yellow belts as well as yellow belts with a solid black horizontal stripe running the length of it. I have also seen white belts with a yellow stripe. What are these? Which is yellow, and which is high yellow?

 

Thanks!

[ZeRo]

im not sure but have you thought about asking your instructor or fellow student?

[kchenault]

Usually a striped belt is the higher rank.

[SBN Doug]

Depends on your art, and sometimes even the school.

 

For ours, it's white belt, then white /w yellow stripe, then solid yellow belt, etc.

[JaseP]

A color belt with a sold stripe through it is generally some sort of marketing thing.

 

Traditionally, the only striped belts in the Korean arts are the Ko Dan Ja rankings (senior Dan holders, otherwise known as Masters). they have a solid red stripe running the length of the black (or in Tang Soo Do/Soo Bahk Do, midnight blue) belt. The use of stripes through a Gup or color belt usually denote some sort of marketing plan that the students have signed up for ("Black Belt Clubs" when the members of the club aren't Black Belts). Sometimes, schools have taken to using them for numbered gup promotions that don't denote a change of belt color, rather than using simple stripes on the belt (many students and parents feel slighted that every test does not result in a new piece of cloth).

[ForeverTheArt]

yep, sounds like a mcdojo to me...more belts for more money..

[JumpDaddy]

This is no McDojo. Students spend 5 years on a black belt. The instructor trains DEA agents, and is a police academy instructor, and he comes highly recommended. He knows his stuff. He teaches classes along with his staff. I'm not even sure that I understand the whole McDojo thing, anyway. The black belts at this school have attained a level of skill, fitness and ability that is beyond whatever I thought I'd aspire to. I'm sure there are martial artists who are better, but I don't aspire to be a world class competitor.

 

My thought is perhaps these are belts that were earned elsewhere since they are not on the wall? For example, if you have a black belt with a red stripe in it earned elsewhere, can you wear it if you transfer to a new school? I suppose I could ask other folks these questions but I'm new there and don't want to look like I care about the belts. I focus on training.

[SBN Doug]

A color belt with a sold stripe through it is generally some sort of marketing thing.

 

Traditionally, the only striped belts in the Korean arts are the Ko Dan Ja rankings (senior Dan holders, otherwise known as Masters). they have a solid red stripe running the length of the black (or in Tang Soo Do/Soo Bahk Do, midnight blue) belt. The use of stripes through a Gup or color belt usually denote some sort of marketing plan that the students have signed up for ("Black Belt Clubs" when the members of the club aren't Black Belts). Sometimes, schools have taken to using them for numbered gup promotions that don't denote a change of belt color, rather than using simple stripes on the belt (many students and parents feel slighted that every test does not result in a new piece of cloth).

 

Not totally accurate. As I said, we have stripes, and Kuk Sool Won is a huge world wide organization that every school instructor must conform to our Grandmaster's curriculum. The stripes are used as an intermediate testing step where the cost of a new belt is not required, but still allows those short sighted student to see their progress and not get discouraged.

[ZeRo]

thats a good idea KSN its good to see something to work for.

[JaseP]

For example, if you have a black belt with a red stripe in it earned elsewhere, can you wear it if you transfer to a new school? I suppose I could ask other folks these questions but I'm new there and don't want to look like I care about the belts. I focus on training.

 

Once you reach Master's ranking, there really is not of that BS about going through some probation period to be recognized at that level. I know of no school that would not recognize a legitimate Ko Dan Ja at their existing rank in the same style. If there is one, I would suspect that they would get a bad rep very fast. Junior Dan rankings are one thing. Senior Dan rankings are quite another. In fact, I really know of no Tae Kwon Do school that wouldn't recognize a Tang Soo Do or Soo Bahk Do master at their rank either (at tournaments and what-not), given the common heritage of the styles, and vice-versa. If a Tae Kwon Do Master wanted to train with me, for example, I would not insist that they go to white belt, but I would treat them as a special case, and until they were ranked in Tang Soo Do at the same level, they would probably wear their old school's uniform (except maybe for testing).

 

I've heard of people cross training in other nationality's arts and not being recongnized at their senior dan level, but not really within the Korean arts. For instance I know of people who train in Okinawan or Japanese arts that are really different, and do not assume to be tranfered in at their Dan ranking.