The black belt in martial arts has an extensive history with many different stories, old myths and modern practices.
In most traditional martial arts styles, a black belt signifies a high level of proficiency, dedication and skill. But where did the black belt tradition come from?
It’s unclear where exactly the black belt came from, but some theories point to feudal Japan in the late 1700s as the source of this ranking system. It’s said that samurai used white cloth around their waist as a sign of their rank in the military hierarchy, and when their sashes became dirty over time, they would dye them to look darker. From this it is thought that those who trained more intensely for longer periods of time began wearing darker belts as a mark of distinction between those who had attained higher levels of martial arts proficiency.
Other stories about the origins of the black belt tell tales about Zen Buddhist monks using different coloured obi (the Japanese word for belt) as symbols representing a certain rank within their order or level of spiritual attainment.
No matter which story is true, it’s clear that martial artists began to associate different levels of accomplishment with particular-coloured belts, resulting in today’s modern-day scheme.
The current system typically consists of 10 grades:
white, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, red, brown and black belts – with each one having specific requirements that must be achieved before advancing to the next rank.
![The current martial arts belt system typically consists of 10 grades](https://sfma.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/267/2023/03/Belts.png)