Related Sites:
www.gojuryu.ne
www.shotokai.com
www.clubsoc.dit.ie
www.fightingarts.com

"Professor Geary,

I want to congratulate you on your endeavor to share your knowledge and information with other martial artists through your website. You truly have the martial spirit and I am proud to have a martial artist like yourself in the NCMA."

Hanshi Lou Angel

"Professor Geary,

I read your report (History of Martial Art Belt Rankings and Titles) in depth, and found it to be EXCELLENT and accurate. I have been in the martial arts for 40 years, with Hanshi Angel being my first instructor, and the one who first certified me as an instructor in 1965. Being myself a 10th Dan in Kempo, I cannot find anything that I would correct in your essay. As a matter of fact, with your permission, I would like to take your essay and make copies of it for my own black belts in Kempo.

"Keep up the good work, obviously you are an asset to the martial arts community."

Professor Gary Dill
March 5, 2003

Sensei Steiner receiving his Yondan (4th degree black belt) in Christopher N. Geary's Shaolin Ch'uan Fa on June 29, 2003. Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey witnessed the ceremony at the Nine Year Anniversary Celebration.

History of Belt Ranks and Titles

In the early days of martial arts, all students started wearing a white belt. In time spring would come about and with it green grass and dust. Because the belt was never washed as a symbol of hard work put forth into ones training (as is today), spring could leave behind a tinge of green on your white belt. With the coming of fall and winter the muck of nature would further stain the once white belt. After several seasons, and the heat of repeated summers baked and darkened the colors, the belt eventually turned Black! Thus explaining the origin of the Black Belt.

Great story and highly romantic, yet it is only a story. Students of Martial Arts in China, Okinawa and Japan, did not wear specified uniforms let alone a belt to hold it together. In reality Chinese stylist of old as many of today had no ranking/belt system at all. Chinese practitioners have recently started to incorporate a belt type ranking system using a sash instead of a belt (obi). It wasn't until after the establishment of the Judo Gi and the later adoption by the early organizers of Japanese Karate organizations that official Gis were implemented.

In 1882 Jigoro Kano, Oct. 28 1860-May 4 1938, founded his Kodokan Judo school in Tokyo. In 1883 with an adaptation of the Japanese school swimming rank system he developed the beginnings of the Kyu/Dan (pronounced: q / don) ranking system popular today. He awarded his top two students with a Dan rating, three years later black sashes were awarded to be worn with a practice top kimono, pants were shorts above the knee or loincloths. The full uniform recognized today was adopted later. The black sashes were replaced by black belts (Kuri Obi) around 1907.

The transfer of ranking/belts from Judo to Karate came later when Gichin Funakoshi visited Dr. Kano and decided to adopt his system of Kyu/Dan for his own Shotokan system. Funakoshi gave the first Dans in 1924 to seven students. Master Funakoshi died with a fifth degree black belt (Godan) and no one in his style was promoted higher until after his passing.

Belt colors were very simple in those days. It is generally accepted that students started out as white belts signifying purity and equality among beginners. Next students would receive a brown belt and then a black upon Dan ranking. This signified their readiness to begin serious training. Some records also show a green belt between the white and brown ranks.

Before karate practitioners of Okinawa and Japan adopted the Kyu/Dan ranking system, there was a certification system in place, but it did not involve the use of belts at all. The system was a very intricate system called Menkyo. Prior to the black belt, many styles of the time used the complicated Menkyo ranking system as a method of licensing their students to practice the higher technical skill levels of the specific art and sometimes license them to teach.

This ranking system was not limited to only martial arts but also, such things as traditional tea ceremony and calligraphy. The culmination in this system of ranking was the Menkyo Kaiden, or 'license of total transmission'. Many of these licenses were in the form of certificates or handwritten letters from the teacher or the founder. The higher ranked certificates were usually accompanied with the presentation of a Densho, scrolls of instructions or records of secrets of the system and advanced techniques.

The wearing of black belts as symbols of Dan grade did not take place in the Kodokan until around 1886 or 1887. Eleven years after the Dan grading, the Kodokan issued certificates or diplomas. Eventually, the ability of rank came to be denoted by different colored belts being worn around the waist. The blue, yellow, orange, green, and purple belts that intermediate students wear in the Kyu levels, are thought to have originated in Europe and were imported into the United States martial arts systems at some point during the 1950's.

Fast forward to modern day Martial arts ranking. Most styles have some form of recognition in belts. The number of belts available and the way they are denoted in color is relative to the style. Some things haven't changed; beginners generally start out as white belts. The order after that has no given order. The colors generally are yellow, orange, purple, blue, green, and then we get back to brown. Some systems don't use all of these colors, and others use colored tape to mark degrees of rank. Whatever the belt system it is important to keep in mind that the belts are there for motivation and establishment of hierarchy. Once a person achieves a rank it cannot be taken away from them. That would be as ludicrous as a person earning a degree from a university and then the faculty coming to take it back.

At Christopher N. Geary's Shaolin Kempo Karate the belt system has been established as follows; White (9th kyu), yellow, yellow/orange (8th kyu), orange, orange/purple (7th kyu), purple, purple/blue (6th kyu), blue, blue/green (5th kyu), green (4th kyu), 3rd brown (3rd kyu), 2nd brown (2nd kyu), 1st Brown (1st kyu) and then 1st degree black (Shodan), 2nd degree black (Nidan), 3rd degree black (Sandan), 4th degree black (Yondan), 5th degree black (Godan), 6th degree black (Rokudan), 7th degree black (Shichidan), 8th degree black (Hachidan), 9th degree black (Kudan) and 10th degree black (Judan). For most Kempo systems this is the baseline ranking system, and it is generally the most common seen in the Kempo world. Maestro Peter Urban in his book The Karate Dojo states, "The requirements for each level vary in each Karate style and in each dojo according to the sensei's standards, which reflect the degree of perfection which he demands of himself." The standards at Christopher N. Geary's Shaolin Kempo Karate schools are indeed high, this produces a superior caliber of students who then carry themselves and the school reputation proudly.

Once a person reaches the ranks of 6th degree and above promotions are mostly administrative. At this stage in martial artist's career there is not much more to be done physically.

Along with belts and ranks there are titles that sometimes go hand in hand with the rank. These are not necessarily a given at any specific rank. Rank and title are two separate items and should be treated as such. Just because a person attains the rank of black belt (Shodan), it does not necessarily make them a teacher. Generally, titles are related to teaching status. For the most part titles include Sensei-Teacher or instructor (A qualified black belt teacher), Shihan-Master, Teacher of Teachers, Professor-Senior Master, Hanshi- Grandmaster, Headmaster or President and Sijo-'Grandfather' or older and wiser. There is no literal translation. The term has been around since the 1940s and used mostly by the Hawaiian stylists. It's a term meaning respect to the higest ranking in the system. (From Professor Michael Rash, Membership Director, Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu Black Belt Society 2003)

Many martial arts masters and grandmasters belong to an association made up by their peers from different styles. The most prestigious of all, the World Head of Family Sokeship Council (soke: head of family/style) has a very strict process for the recognition of a master and for their induction to the association. For the World Head of Family Sokeship Council one must first be recognized and nominated by a member of the Council. The nomination goes before the governing board, which then makes the final determination by a collective vote. At any point during the nomination/induction process a person can be vetoed and membership denied. Numerous martial artists hold induction to the World Head of Family Sokeship Council as a pinnacle of their martial arts career. One of the greatest accomplishments to be had by a martial artist is to be recognized as a 10th Dan Head of Family by their colleagues, and become part of 'royalty' in the martial arts world.

Hanshi Lou Angel (center) one of very few 10th Dan black belt Grand Masters to visit Omaha, NE, is shown here giving a seminar to some adult students at the Corporate HQ. November 2002.

In the end it needs to be understood that different styles and founders have changed the system to meet their own needs and desires over the years. The fact is that a Shodan in one school may only be equivalent to a purple belt in another school and vice versa. Keep in mind that ranks and titles can and have been self-appointed and probably will continue to be. One of the most famous proponents of Kenpo, Grand Master Edmund Parker was self-appointed to the rank of 10th Dan, but keep in mind he created his own style of Kenpo and could back his claim with technique, years of experience, as well as recognition by the World Head of Family Sokeship Council.

The safest way to verify someone's rank and title is to look over their certificates and confirm the people that presented them. It is generally accepted that a certified instructor can promote people to a Dan rank just below the current rank they hold themselves. A certificate presented from a world recognized 10th Dan should carry more weight then one from a mail order system or a self-appointment. For example Professor Christopher N. Geary has been promoted to high ranking black belt degrees by Hanshi Lou Angel who has over 50 years experience. He was recognized as the Grandmaster of the Year by the World Head of Family Sokeship Council in 1996, and in 2002 his National College of Martial Arts was recognized as the organization of the year by the World Head of Family Sokeship Council.

Never forget the martial arts are not a 'college course', but they are passed on from person to person. Overall belts and titles are a way to help define a schools hierarchy and to motivate students to greater achievement. However, the only true testament of a person's skill is the person's ability and knowledge, not the piece of material wrapped around their waist.

Sensei Shawn M. Steiner
Sandan, 3rd Degree Black Belt
November 18, 2002