Sports the other press Black Belt Definitions... fi. Michael Ahmadzai OP Contributor How do you define a black belt? How do you classify someone as a “black belt ranking” in a martial art? These questions seem to raise a whole series of other questions. Way back, I used to say that anyone could be a black belt in Hapkido as long as they kept trying, kept working, and didn’t give up, anyone who took the classes for enough time would, after three to five years, earn a black belt in Hapkido. My thinking at the time was that everyone can learn to defend them- selves adequately against 95 percent of the people out there, and Hapkido teaches self-defense, so anyone can earn a black belt in Hapkido”. Hapkido may indeed teach self- defense, but that isn’t all. And this log- ical train of thought (if you can digni- fy it that much) just doesn’t hok under an entire martial art. So what became of my basis for believing everyone could become a black belt in Hapkido—as long as they kept trying? The definition of a black belt for some people is defined by whether you can effectively perform the techniques during your testing, and if you spent the time-in-grade, you are black belt. So it is based on what you can do? Let’s take Taekwondo as an example. TKD has a number ‘of jumping/spin- ning kicks. I know a 7th dan TKD practitioner who no longer can do those jump-spinning heel kicks. His body simply won't do them anymore. By one definition, he wouldn't be able to pass a Ist dan test. Should he still be considered a black belt? Higher rankings have different requirements that state that you just have to know how to do the tech- niques. But does this mean you can get a black belt from reading books and watching videos? You don’t think so? Okay, so what is the criterion? For some people, it is the ability to compete and win, that gives them the “points” necessary to advance to the next rank. (Pardon me for errors in this thinking, I’ve never actually prac- ticed an art where this was true, LH —- Ve i vei And yet, they are ra eee sorry for dont thigk so. I think t though I hear a number of Taekwondo and Judoka practice this way.) So, if you can do the techniques, show the kata, teach the art—but can’t win, do you qualify? What if you consistently win, using two techniques? (Bill Wallace comes to mind here.) You can’t do (okay, now we aren’t tal Wallace anymore) but and after t ER emonstrate fs: ere are a number @ ot 7 out are aikido .¢ ‘are black can rt mean # depending on d a blind quad plegicus belt somehg ie h: no, I don’t mean to pick on ail just read an article about hand martial artists and self-defense, example came to mind.) There was a blind person who had a black belt in TKD (or karate, ’'m not certain). I read about him, and once saw him demonstrate a kata and some breaking techniques. He was impres- sive. He broke two boards at head height with a jumping back kick, did several kata with power and control, and overall, was very technically ori- ented. On the other hand, his sparring was pathetic. He had no distance game (for obvious reasons) and as such, he'd never win a tournament in sparring. 1s an ' : Z , hi by Similarly, he'd never be able to teach. A teacher could use him for demon- stration, but he could never evaluate students in any meaningful way. And yet, he is ranked as a black belt. The term black belt obviously means different things to us all, and yet, there are certain things we expect of a per- son we call “black belt”. Our require- ments, while obviously different for ch style, seem to also change based op hom we are dealing wet, we seem to expect e same things from our / Piha those things should be. gf ‘course, people eet in argu- I think of mshinatctor who bove the waist anymore, ce would her self- ed during that particular test. one. She didn’t break her bricks, her hand techniques didn’t break the ba@ards, and she bruised her heel badly on her spinning heel break. By some testing criteria, if you don’t break (if you even miss one) you don’t pass— yet another argument for the defini- tion. After hours of discussion, I finally came up with a tortured, mangled, alterable-but-working definition of a black belt. september 18, 2002 Black belt: Someone who has a thor- ough, proficient grounding in the basic techniques of an art, such that they can effectively demonstrate and/or those techniques. Additionally, someone who has the mental, emotional and physical con- trol to both use those techniques effec- tively and appropriately in society. That seems to cover just about everyone I know that I consider to be a black belt, and disqualifies everyone that has some knowledge but whom I do not consider black belt material. Some might think I am being subjec- tive, but hey—this is my definition, after all. That blind man—he may not be able to teach, but he certainly can That wheel-chaired black belt—she may not be able to demonstrate footwork, but of all peo- ple, she understands the concept of effective distance, and can teach it. That woman who couldn’ break that day—I’ve seen her break before, and teach demonstrate. I’m sure she'll be able to do it again. erful teacher, and an titioner. It just wasn’t a reak day. They are all black eles, and should be. The definition of a black belt differs reatly from art to art, and yet, when “black sash,” or atever term reflects that particular rank, we expect the practitioner to know certain things, to act certain ways, and to be an example for lower ranks, We don’t always get it. I’ve seen black belts that I would not let get anywhere near my students, and oth- ers that I think need remedial emo- tional control practice. However, that doesn't change what I expect. Therefore, I feel a person with emo- tional, mental, and physical control, teaching, or technical ability, and above all, the capacity to be an exam- ple of a good martial artist to lower ranks is a Black Belt. In conclusion, being a true black Belt is a matter of psychological necessity. e say “dan rank,” page 25 ©