The History of Belt Colors in Martial Arts

[Kungfumastertraining]

I have a very old white belt and I trained very hard and it got dirty and it looks Yellow and now is turning brown, I still have it and I have not thrown it away. I used the belt once to see how people were going to respond to me wearing it and people just made fun of how dirty my belt was. They id not see the message the belt had which was hard work and dedication. Once I start posting my videos I will show you that belt.

[1banryukyu]

@robinwhale Sir

The use of the Karate Belt Ranking System is Japanese, even though the art comes from the Ryukyu Okuni (1372CE-1879CE). The Ryukyuans did not use the Belt Ranking System but when the Rykyuan Kingdom ended and the Okinawan 1st Prefectual time period started, the Okinawans would use Dr. Kano's Judo Belt Ranking System and his Dogi to Japanize their art. In Okinawa it is still a common practice not to wash you obi, but you must always wash your dogi. Osu

[endlessmartialdrills]

Thanks for your opinion. My opinion was specific to Taekwondo and backed by several Taekwondo/Korean history books. There isn't much out there on this subject and I don't know anyone who was alive at that time. I guess it could possibly be an urban myth, but who knows?

[robinwhale]

The Japanese are quite fastidious when it comes to cleanliness. The idea that a Japanese karateka would allow his belt to get so dirty that it it turns from white to brown/black is almost obscene in their culture. If it is OK to let your belt get so dirty that it turns brown (showing your vast experience) why not let your whole gi remain unwashed for years? Would you permit a student to train in a filthy gi? So why a filthy belt? Sorry, but the dirty belt story is an urban myth.

[scottpettit1]

Very nice example of a "mat chat". Your explanation of the tattered black belt is a fun fact / story that will impress students however, quite honestly, I always thought that a worn, thread bare belt was disrespectful.

Keep up the videos...I really enjoy them.

[endlessmartialdrills]

@scottpettit1 Thanks! Honestly I don't like the look of the tattered belt either. I wouldn't consider it disrespectful, but every style's philosophy, and even instructor's philosophy, is different.

[1banryukyu]

@endlessmartialdrills Sir

In the Japanese Martial Arts an old worn Black Belt is called a Sabi. It is a honor to have a Sabi because it states that you have been working hard for many years in Bujutsu. Osu