Does anyone here have a black belt in Go-Moku?

[Kevin Walker]

The Japanese consider the board game GO a martial art, and give out dan ranks for tournament wins! Does anyone here have a black belt in Go-moku?

 

[Shogun]

No.

 

[Blindside]

The Japanese consider the board game GO a martial art, and give out dan ranks for tournament wins! Does anyone here have a black belt in Go-moku?

The kyu/dan ranking system is used for more than just martial arts, it is simply a ranking system. You can also achieve kyu/dan rank in calligraphy and flower arranging. And no, you don't get a "black belt."

Lamont

 

[Kevin Walker]

The kyu/dan ranking system is used for more than just martial arts, it is simply a ranking system. You can also achieve kyu/dan rank in calligraphy and flower arranging. And no, you don't get a "black belt."

Lamont

The Japanese 9th dan GO players are the best in the world, with the Koreans a close second, and they do consider themselves 'blackbelts' though they might not wear them during a game.

The reason I am asking this question regarding the board game of GO is that I strongly feel that some form of mind improving game must be part of the curriculum of martial art training, particularly as instructed here in America.

In America, a lot of the martial arts have been reduced to a sport, or a spring board to professional bouts, i.e. just another job to make money. Then after the martial artist is injured or too old to compete, they simply walk away from the art itself instead of practicing the concepts in a day-to-day routine.

In today's Shaolin temple for example, any monk who devotes himself strictly to martial training would be considered a little weird, and short changing himself. Wei-chi, i.e. GO, is part of the curriculum of being a fully ordained Shaolin monk (and also part of the regmine for being a Taoist Priest).

 

[Blindside]

Yes, I understand that a 9th dan go player is one of the best in the world, but my point is that they don't award a "black belt" any more than Kasparov gets one for being a chess grandmaster.

Shodan is simply a rank, it doesn't mean "black belt" it is simply a mark of a certain level of proficiency.

Lamont

 

[Kevin Walker]

Yes, I understand that a 9th dan go player is one of the best in the world, but my point is that they don't award a "black belt" any more than Kasparov gets one for being a chess grandmaster.

Shodan is simply a rank, it doesn't mean "black belt" it is simply a mark of a certain level of proficiency.

Lamont

Gotcha

Yes dan is just simply a rank, but yes they do actually award a physical black belt to a Go player, though, again, they usually do not wear them.

While the expert level in Chess is equivalent to a shodan in Go, chess is not graduated into dan levels as in Go, and never has been, poor analogy.

 

[Kevin Walker]

Hi,

Just a reminder that the Japanese (and Koreans) do consider the board game of GO a Martial Art, and a very serious martial art at that. So they award a black belt to a Go player with the same solemnity as to a karate, kendo, Judo player.

 

[tshadowchaser]

I can not answere your question. All I can say is i have tried to play the game for years but have never found anyone else interested in it and there for I have never played more than a couple games. It looks simple but is far from it.
I wish there where people in my area that knew the game for I would love to learn it. My weak atemps at learning the game have given me much respect for those that do know how to play.

 

[Kevin Walker]

I can not answere your question. All I can say is i have tried to play the game for years but have never found anyone else interested in it and there for I have never played more than a couple games. It looks simple but is far from it.
I wish there where people in my area that knew the game for I would love to learn it. My weak atemps at learning the game have given me much respect for those that do know how to play.

Hi,

Unfortunately, everybody plays GO on the internet, and there are several excellent sites where you can play all day.

I joined a GO club here in Boston, with a few sandan and godan instructors, yet almost all of the 120 members stay home and play GO on the computer, and use the club just for tournaments.

Again, I think GO should be added to a dojo, dojang, or kwoon's martial arts curriculum, simply because 1. it is recognized as a martial art in Asia; and, 2.) it instructs, or even forces, the martial art student to use their mind in a different capacity than from the body techniques of self-defense or kata. This is an important aspect of martial arts training lacking in American dojos., that education or philosophy is an important component of the Martial Arts.

 

[Zepp]

Could anyone provide us a link to site with good info. on GO for those of us in the dark?

 

[dearnis.com]

Could anyone provide us a link to site with good info. on GO for those of us in the dark?

Second that. I have tried through the years, but never had anyone else around me really show an interest.

 

[Zepp]

A quick Yahoo search found this neat little Go game in JAVA. http://lejuan.eresmas.com/0gomoku.htm

But if anyone knows of a more informational site, maybe with history as well as strategy, I'd be curious to see it.

 

[Kevin Walker]

Could anyone provide us a link to site with good info. on GO for those of us in the dark?

Hi Zepp,

Give these sites a Go:

http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?GameOfGo

http://www.oat.com/massgo

http://www.gogameworld.com/


These should allow you to visit other sites and get the idea of a very interesting and addictive mind game.

 

[tshadowchaser]

Kevin,
Would you give me the address of the club in Boston, also do you know if they have any farther west in Ma.?
If you do not wish to post it here (or whatever reason) email or PM me.
thanks
Sheldon