From what I know, the whole system of belt ranks started with Judo. Originally a person would simply wear a uniform with a white belt and the same belt would be worn through their entire career. The purpose of the belt was simply to hold the jacket of the uniform closed. Then, sometime in the late 1800s, a Judo instructor gave black belts to his more advanced students to help tell them apart from the less advanced students. Other arts followed up on that and soon a whole colored belt system was created. Judo started it all though.
So this is how the belt system started
- Thread starter PhotonGuy
- Start date
The color had been used for ranking existed in ancient China for a long time. The government official were divided into 9 ranks (1st rank is the highest and 9th rank is the lowest). Only the emperor was allow to use the "gold/yellow" color. Below the emperor, the color rank were red, purple, ..., blue. The black color was only used by normal human being (non-government official).
The colored belt system was modeled after the Ballroom Dance levels. 
Chris Parker
Grandmaster
Oh boy. No. There's not a lot there that's really correct.
The part you got right is that it started with Judo... from there, uh... nope.
The form of obi (belt) worn in martial training is actually designed to be similar to the obi worn in armour... which was white, and was wrapped around the cords attaching the kusazuri to the do (the "skirt" to the chest plate/body armour). It was used to hold some weapons, as well as to protect (to a degree) the more vulnerable area at your waist (when you see do giri [body cuts] in many Kenjutsu systems, this is where they're aiming... Kendo aims a bit higher for safety). When it comes to wearing it with a keikogi (training uniform), that's a relatively modern training wear itself... dating from the mid-to-late Edo period. Initially, it was simply the under-kimono (almost what might be considered a form of underwear, really), which you would wear to protect the more delicate kimono itself. Different obi would be worn, depending on the group/art itself, and it's needs. Many weapon arts continued (and continue) to wear hakama and a more durable uwagi (jacket), these days simply referred to as a keikogi itself. With the keikogi/hakama combination, a different form of obi would be worn, a kaku obi or similar, which is much wider, stiffer, and tied differently in order to support a sword.
From there, we need to look at ranking systems. The most common traditional ranking system in Japanese arts is known as the Menkyo system (literally: "licence" system), where students would be awarded licences based on their experience and understanding of the art they're learning... often corresponding to particular areas of the syllabus (many Menkyo include lists of the waza [techniques] associated with that licence, called a Mokuroku [catalogue]). These licences might simply say that you've achieved a particular level, or might confer some authority to you to teach some or all of what you know (the same way a driving licence doesn't enable you to be a driving teacher, but does give you authority to drive a car). Although many arts have/had their own particular sequence and licencing forms, a rough "typical" (if we can use that term....) form might be: Kirigami ("cutting paper", an initial licence saying you've essentially been accepted, but with no authority in the Ryu yet), Shoden Menkyo (Initial Transmission Licence... you've learnt the first section of the tradition), Chuden Menkyo (Middle Transmission Licence... the second, or middle section), Okuden Menkyo (Inner Transmission Licence... a more advanced licence, often implying knowledge of a section held back from those lower licenced), Menkyo Kaiden (Full Transmission Licence... the highest rank, indicating that you've learnt the entire system). There would sometimes be licencing beyond Menkyo Kaiden, such as Betsuden Mokuroku ("Additional Transmission Catalogue"), or specific licencing to confer specific authority (such as a teaching licence... in other words, you might be Menkyo Kaiden, but not licenced as a teacher, or a lower licence holder, with a teaching authority). These licences might be to do with specialist knowledge, or might be to do with anything else, depending on the art itself.
Typically, there would be no outward signs of rank (such as coloured belts, patches, or anything similar), as the conferring of rank was done through the certificates/licences themselves. Additionally, each system would commonly only have one teacher/school (location), and everyone knew their place in the hierarchy of the dojo (the key was, if someone was there before you, they were senior... if they joined after you, they were junior)... so there was no such need. However, when Kano Jigoro began spreading Judo to the Universities and schools of Japan (through his association with the Ministry of Education), he found that he was being asked to teach at large gatherings of students that he had never met before. He needed a way to immediately look at a student and know (approximately) what their level of skill was. As a result, he developed a form of ranking not based on Menkyo licencing, but gradiated based on skills developed and demonstrated. He adopted an old ranking system that was used in the game of Go, known as Dan-i, which gave rank based on skills, divided up into Kyu (student) and Dan (level)... depending on the group, there would be thirty or more Kyu grades in Go, however Kano decided on 9 (or 10, depending on how you look at it). The Go form of Dan ranks distinguished between amateur and professional ranking, however Kano's Dan ranks simply covered a single grouping.
As time went on, other systems began to adopt similar approaches, based in very much the same ideas, but with each given their own interpretation. It should be noted that there was no "upper limit" to the Dan grades that Kano applied... it just happened that it petered out from 9th or so, so many assume that's the limit. Theoretically, there isn't a limit... and each art is free to come up with their own application themselves. Some arts I know of have 3 Kyu grades... some have 6... some 10... some 9... and some simply forgo it completely to start at Shodan (First Level). After Judo, Karate was the next to apply the Dan-i rankings, and really took the coloured belts and ran with it. Aikido was next, with Ueshiba deciding that his most senior students (who had been awarded Menkyo Kaiden, for the record) should be awarded 8th Dan. Many Aikido schools only use a white belt, then a black one (often coupled with a hakama), some use a few others (it's a little more common with kids, keeping their interest, and preventing them from attaining a "black belt" too quickly). It's since spread to be fairly common... to the point that it's often mistaken to be "standard", or "standardized". It's not. Realistically, there isn't a single approach, despite commonalities.
It also gets a little more complicated when Shogo titles are used... these are titles used within an organization (begun with the Dai Nippon Butoku-kai) for distinctions of the roles played by different members. These titles include Renshi, Kyoshi, and Hanshi (each distinct affectations of teachers, in ascending order). There may be rank requirements (6th Dan for Renshi, 7th for Kyoshi, 8th for Hanshi), but that doesn't mean that all 6th Dan holders are Renshi, for example. Finally, there are the specific titles held regardless of rank, or even separate from it, such as Kancho ("Hall Chief", President, or the head of an organization), Sensei (often taken as "teacher", but it really refers to someone of greater experience, and is not exclusive or unique to martial arts), Shihan (again, often given as "Master", or "Master Teacher", this actually pretty simply means "teacher"... but often refers to the most senior of a group of teachers, if there is one), Soke (a traditional title passed from the previous Soke [in other words, you can't become Soke by deciding to call yourself that, or by being "awarded" the title by a council or similar] which means "head of the family". This is probably the most mis-used title around, and many who are not the heads of traditional arts who use it should be given a wide berth), Shidoshi (a Bujinkan title for a teacher, similar to the Katori Shinto Ryu Shidosha teaching licence... the term "Shidoshi" was coined by Hatsumi. Schools outside of the Bujinkan using it is just, well... not right), Sempai (Senpai, both are correct) and Kohai (senior and junior respectively).
Jameswhelan
Yellow Belt
Nice and succinctly put. The belt also needs to be there in jujutsu and judo as a target to grip, which was important in earlier styles of Japanese grappling.
I read before that the idea of coloured belts in the kyu levels came from French judo (Kawaishi Mikinosuke), but that could be just as apocryphal as every other story you hear about the origin of the keikogi+obi.
Interesting feedback I've gotten on how the whole belts of rank system got started. I did read that with the modern belts of rank Kano Jigoro started it all with Judo, but I've also read that with some of the Chinese systems, they would wear a sash which was usually white in color and it would be the same sash you would wear the whole time. Since the sash was never washed, it would over time become black with dirt which would make it easier to tell apart the more experienced students without watching them perform as they would have darker sashes.
With this ranking system, from what I've heard white and black were originally the only colors used. Before long they added in the brown belt and then all the different colors in between. That makes sense as going from white to black is a big jump. It would be like trying to teach calculus to a preschooler who is just learning how to add and subtract. That is why white belts don't test for black belt. In a good system, though, going from one belt to another in all the different colors and levels should not be a big jump.
With this ranking system, from what I've heard white and black were originally the only colors used. Before long they added in the brown belt and then all the different colors in between. That makes sense as going from white to black is a big jump. It would be like trying to teach calculus to a preschooler who is just learning how to add and subtract. That is why white belts don't test for black belt. In a good system, though, going from one belt to another in all the different colors and levels should not be a big jump.
No, that is an apocryphal tale, and usually attributed to the Japanese rather than the Chinese. But think about how long you would have to wear a white t-shirt for it to become regularly dark enough that someone would think you were wearing a brown shirt? Then think just how nasty that piece of clothing would be. Same thing for the sash, these people took baths and washed clothes.
By the same token, a white shirt or sash would not all of a sudden turn black one day after so much use. Rather, if it was not washed it would gradually gain dirt and darken more and more and would eventually be really dark. You are not going to have a brown shirt or sash that doesn't get any darker for a long time. Now, clothes and uniforms were washed including shirts but I did once read that the sash was not washed. Just like a modern Judo or Karate uniform, the uniform is washed after every use but the belt isn't washed.
Is there anybody who really believes this foolishness? Although considering how the belt would smell, it might be considered an effective weapon.
ballen0351
Sr. Grandmaster
I wash my belt all the time those not washing is a great way to spread germs.
I once went to a dojo where students were told not to wash their belts. You were told to wash the uniform but not the belt. If you get dirt, blood, ect. on your belt in the course of your training that is supposed to be a sign of your progress and experience so you don't wash it off.
Nasty. Science should inform your training.
Some clubs and some arts have a tradition of not washing the belt. Many of them rarely train outside...
We discourage it -- but expect reasonable common sense, too. If we've been training outside and it gets filthy... clean it. If you've got blood or other similar concerns -- wash it.
frank raud
Master of Arts
Did they get a new colored belt at each level of progress, or did they keep the same belt and train until the belt changed colours? Gross either way, and as others have said, the story is based on folklore or old wives tales,not historical fact.
We neither encourage or discourage it. We simply expect students to be clean.
Uniforms need to be washed after every class, obviously. Belts less often, but when they're dirty, they're dirty, and they need to be washed. While I can see how machine washing would be rough on embroidered belts, a sink and a little soap will work just fine.
They had colored belts for each level.
We don't usually wash out belts either, the only time mine gets a wash is after beach training and even then it is only to rinse the salt out. We do occasionally train outside on the grass. The belt is usually protected from sweat by the uniform underneath it so it does not usually get dirty.
When I first started we would by a new belt for each color level but we had the option of dyeing the belts as we went from white to brown - one of the reasons the belt colors get progressively darker as the rank increases.
