What Are the Implications of Martial Arts Belt Ranks?

Martial arts belt colors and ranks identify a specific level of expertise within the art. White means beginner and black is for advanced. While each martial arts system is different, the implications for belt ranks are relatively similar. For example, the tang soo do style has a red belt directly under black, while tae kwon do has the color brown, but both indicate the same level of expertise at that level.

  1. Legend

    • Traditionally, students are not allowed to wash their belts. This is based on the belief that the belt starts as white and becomes dirtier with experience and practice. This is why belt colors go from white to yellow to blue to green to red to brown, then finally to black.

    New Rank

    • In most cases, a martial arts skill test is needed to advance. This test can be physically and mentally demanding and increase in difficulty as the student gets closer to getting a black belt. At higher levels, panels of other black belt martial artists might be present to judge the student's progress and worthiness of a higher rank.

    Numbering

    • In most martial arts systems, every rank counts down toward the first-degree black belt. For example, a tang soo do student goes through a third-, then second- and finally first-degree red belt before receiving a black belt.

    Black Belt

    • After the student has received his black belt, he is awarded a first degree. Numbers go up from there to indicate higher ranking. Advancement is based on expertise and time spent in the martial art. There could be years between a first- and a second-degree black belt.

    Master

    • The black belt test is thought of as the culmination of a martial artist's career, but receiving a black belt indicates only that the student has mastered the basics. There is still a lifetime of studying before she becomes a master of the martial art. It typically occurs around the fifth-degree black belt and is based on merit.

    Honorary Rankings

    • After many years as a black belt, some systems will award degrees based on merit and contributions to the art instead of testing for skills. Some things that earn these high rankings are winning world tournaments, starting a school for the art, or just dedicating years of time and energy to practice.