What Is A Black Belt?

The Black Belt rank is pretty much the same in all systems of martial arts.  It means the
practitioner has achieved a mastery of the fundamentals of the art in which they are studying.  A common myth associated with this rank is that the holder is said to be an expert in their art.  This is not to say that the student is unskilled by any means but in my opinion from my own experiences the practitioner is just beginning to be proficient in what they have learned.

One clear point I would like to make is that all black belts are not created equal.  There our schools that make sure the student has met the requirements for the certain belt level and I'm proud to say that Tracy's kenpo karate has always maintained their high level of standards, they will never "sell a rank".  But there are schools that promote ranks judging by class attendance, tournament success etc.  Class attendance and practice are very important and are a necessity, but the knowledge and performance of the techniques must be met before awarding a rank.

I ran a Shaolin Kempo school for about a year, I had to close it because of an injury I received, but I maintained the same standards and I turned out some very good students because of it.  I have known plenty of people, black belts included that don't have the skill level of some orange and purple belts (beginner levels) and that is sad because they are being given a false sense of security.

There is no better feeling than receiving that first black belt and knowing in your heart and by your skills that you earned it and deserve it.  I earned my first black belt in Shaolin Kempo in 1992 after 5 years of persistent training.  In 1998 I earned my 3rd Brown in Tracy's kenpo and I have been in this system since the summer of 1994 and I still have at least another year to go.  In spite of my skills and training I will be the first one to admit that I am no expert, although I feel I can successfully defend myself if needed. I am always pushing myself to be better and that is what it is all about.

A Black Belt is judged by their attitude, skills, discipline and if you don't have those attributes then it is just a worthless piece of cloth.
 
 
 


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