Belt Auction

When did they start using colored belts in martial arts?

What martial arts do not use colored belts? How do they determine mastery?

Public Comments

1. too many
2. The coloured belt system was made in the 19th century by Kano Jigoro who was the founder of judo. Before that they usually only had the white and black belt, once you had done so many years you would be handed a black belt. There is a myth that goes round that the belt system of colours was inspired by the training with the white belt, since you would have years till you get your black belt the white belt would get dirtier going from lighter to darker colours. That's why the colours were like what they were to determine rank, the darker they were the more likely the more years you had done. Systems that do not use coloured belts are more likely to be self defence martial arts e.g. krav maga.
3. Hi Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo is the one commonly thought to be the inventor of the colored belts system in the martial arts. It is however also commonly accepted that he adapted this system from other ranking schemes already in place in Japan. One such was most likely the game of 'Go!'. No doubt was Kano sensei the first to use belt (called 'obi' in Japan) colors to show the individual rank. He was definitely the first to invent the black belt to denote the dan rank. The older schools in Japan do not (in general) use the kyu/dan ranking system. I would guess they just knew, or was told somehow the position of the individual student within the 'ryu' (simplified: school or art). They had written documentation about the "license" to teach, but that is another matter all together. In some arts they don't use belts, but rather a sash in place of the belt. Other arts outside of Japan do not use belt systems at all. This is very typical of the Chinese arts of kung fu/wushu. The have names and titles for 'master' and such. But again I suppose that's another matter :-) Torbjorn
4. The belt system was developed by a Jujitsu teacher named Jigoro Kano who also modified his art to create Judo by taking out many of the more deadly techniques so that it could be taught in an academic environment. His primary purpose for the belt system was to establish a separation from beginner, intermediate student and advanced students. In the beginning he had the following structure: White - New Student / Novice Green - Intermediate Student Brown - Advanced Student Black - Instructor Over the years other belts have been added in but the meaning has been lost. The only purpose was to separate students based on their levels of understanding and expertise in the art they were studying. Today it is commercialized heavily in many systems. Systems that do not use belt systems still have a ranking order though called the Menkyo system which predates the belt, or Kyu/Dan system. Some of them are: Aikido Aikijutsu Iaido Kendo Kenjutsu and various forms of Jujitsu The Menkyo system was to classify students into groups based on their knowledge and expertise in their art. It was where the belt system developed from.
5. The belt ranking system most know was created by Jigoro Kano, a jujitsu master. In the early 1900's. I have read he borrowed the idea from the Japanese high school swim teams. I don't what belts would have to with swimming. Maybe the color of swim trunks used? Anyway, Kano was the originator of the belt system that has been expanded to what we know today. Kung-fu and Okinawan karate did not originally have belts or sashes like you see today. Sashes were possibly first used to help keep your "guts" in place while executing waist power. The stories about belts changing color while training are just myths.
6. the origin of belt: When a person starts martial arts they are given a white belt (purity). as the fighter trains his belt gets dark through stains of dirt, blood, and sweat. the more the person trains the more stains on the belt, the darker it gets. when a belt gets as dirty as it will get, it is black. alot of martial arts use belts usually combat sports lke muay thai and boxing dont.