The Black Belt Myth

[@KARATEbyJesse]

🥋 Question: What does a black belt mean to you? 🤔 Overrated? The ”Holy Grail”? Comment below! 👇

[@MrDSM72]

I can't speak for Karate, but I am a Judoka and have trained for 15 years and I'm currently a 1st Dan in the BJA. My dad ran the club I grew up in, and I've since gone on to run my own in university, but his words will always stick with me: "When you get your black belt is when you learn to make it your own." Similar in a way to what you guys were saying. The coloured belts give you the basics or the foundation, they give you the "textbook" style of how to perform a technique. It is when you get to your black belt when you have "completed" all of that, that you go back, relearn, and make it your own style to work for you. We start as white belts to show innocence, purity, naivety; the black belt is meant to symbolise that through the years you have gained experience, you are no longer that naive student (if I recall correctly, the black belt was originally just a white belt that got dirty through the years?). So to prove my point I will pose a question. If black belt supposedly means "all knowing", why do our Gi always remain white? To me, the answer is to prove that we are all still learning, and you can truly never know everything in your art!

[@SkanDoZ284]

@@MrDSM72 can I use that questions to win arguments? 😂 Joking aside, that was well said

[@MrDSM72]

@@SkanDoZ284 Why of course! haha! Thank you :) I always feel that at the moment you *think* you know it all is the moment you stop improving

[@macybulman4833]

For me it’s a goal I want to achieve

[@nekilikizhrvatske3336]

expirience, years of hard work and dedication, knowledge of real karate and ability to hold your anger (knowing when to stop when you throw a punch or a kick)

[@tonioyendis4464]

I was at a karate tournament and this lady was bragging to me that her husband was so good that he achieved his black-belt in one year. I was listening to her and thinking, lady, I’ve been training very hard in kyokushin for 5 years and I’m still 1st kyu (brown-belt) - those microwave McDojo belts don’t make one an expert in martial arts!

[@tonioyendis4464]

P M B - Where did this comment come from? Try to stay on topic

[@shadowhunter9810]

A black belt is simply a rank and doesn't mean ur skilled fighter . So don't listen to people who brag about getting black belt In short time

[@TeodorKubena]

@P M B You probably don't know anything about kyokushin then. Boxer with 5 years of training would get demolished by a kyokushin karateka with 5 years of training. Someone who has never experienced a kick in their live has no idea what it feels like. The kyokushin practitioner would kick the boxer twice in the leg before he could close the distance for a single jab. Two kicks in the same leg from someone who's doing kyokushin for 5 years? Yea, good luck walking straight for the next two days.

[@Onishiro1976]

P M B Respectfully.... that’s not exactly accurate. Many years ago, my Kyokushin instructor hosted the local Boxing Gym fighters for a combined training weekend where we trained together, exchanged techniques, and compared the strengths and weaknesses of both styles, with the aim of improving both style’s fighters. While it was very apparent that the Boxers stamina and hand skills were superior to Kyokushin’s (so much that I began training in boxing to learn them, and many of them came to train with us), it was painful obvious that boxing “fell down hard” (literally) when it came to dealing with Kyokushin’s low strikes and kicks. Boxing’s “seated” stances leaves their lead legs extremely vulnerable to thigh kicks, and it was unanimously agreed by both schools that in a “real fight”, 4/5 times the boxer will fall because of leg kicks... and if knees were targeted... it would go out to 9/10. Muhammad Ali was once asked if he’d fight a match against Jim Kelly to which he replied “Hell no, I don’t want no one kicking me!” Now I’m in no way “dissing” boxing or boxers! I loved my time in boxing and the punching skills I learned from boxing are second to none (I’ve studied Chinese, Korean, Thai, Japanese and Okinawan styles) but if faced with a real altercation against a legitimate opponent from a system like Kyokushin, Muay Thai etc that trains heavy contact.... a boxer will struggle against low kicks. My advice is lean them both. A boxer armed with Kyokushin’s kicks (or vice versa) is an opponent that will destroy most attackers... and with BJJ thrown in... you get one really badass mofo. Peace.

[@ssaiahiimmons]

@P M B yo it’s nearly impossible to say which style beats which style it’s about the individual who where is in better shape is tougher has better fight iq and has trained harder and fought more will win and it can be anyone a TKD guy against a wrestler a muaythai fight against a capoieresta a boxer against a karate or kungfu guy it’s all about how hard you train and how good you can fight when I started martial arts I had been training for years In boxing so naturally I could out punch the lower belts who were t confrontational and aggressive but the people who had been practicing martial arts as long as I had been boxing had me either equally matched or they where just better fighters I was better than some but the skill gap was because of training not style application

[@AdobeCADman]

A black belt is a like a visual diploma; a degree of knowledge. But a real black belt is in the heart. It is what you do with that knowledge that defines a person. Learning is a form of humility. It is a lifelong journey.

[@billc.4584]

Very nice take.

[@hirorop5367]

So beautifully said!

[@billc.4584]

@Mister Guy Respectfully, I disagree. While a brown belt in karate would certainly defeat a white, yellow or green belt (for example) there comes a point where heart and practice meets and surprising things may happen. My point being that a trained fighter versus an untrained or inexperienced fighter is a sucker's bet. I regard 'belts' a indicative of someone's commitment to their practice and not a measure of their quality. Maybe I've misunderstood you, my apology if I have, just resisting the focus on rank.

[@RoninYoshimasa]

That is so profound.

[@prkchp9200i]

A black belt is simply a white belt that refused to give up.

[@mirifried8908]

When I got my black belt, my sensei really emphasized that it’s a Shodan-level belt (first degree). Instead of hearing “Congratulations on your black belt,” I heard, “Congratulations Shodan.” That really emphasized that this is the beginning of my journey, no where near the end.

[@lukel7505]

There is no end

[@benjaminlemoine11]

A bit of elaboration. In shoudan, Dan means the level, and shou means the beginning. (初段)

[@colinmacrae3959]

Daniel: Hey, what kind of belt do you have? Mr. Miyagi: Canvas. J.C. Penney. $3.98. You like? [laughs] Daniel: No, I meant... Mr. Miyagi: In Okinawa, belt mean no need rope to hold up pants. [laughs; then, seriously] Daniel-san, karate here. [taps his head] Karate here. [taps his heart] Karate never here. [points to his belt] Understand? Daniel: I think so.

[@subhrajitdey5513]

Colin Macrae my favorite quote. Thanks

[@etienne2069]

Thank you

[@Ailigean]

The reason I got started in karate is... Mr. Miyagi.

[@sanseiryu]

Cobra Kai now on Netflix. It is a wonderful return to the the spirit of the original Karate Kid.

[@paulkwan4624]

Colin : The belt is very important . When the power busted out from the body outward , it could busted the muscles out of their proper position , ie. around the lower back area , & shoulder blade area , etc . If the belt was tighten up , it could prevented lower back muscles busted out . There is relationship between martial artist & the belt , including boxing , & wrestling , etc .

[@arnotiele3251]

I am myself a brown belt in japanese jiu jitsu. And see it like driving lessons. Black belt means you have your driving licence, it means you got the basics down. Nothing more nothing less

[@KARATEbyJesse]

That’s a nice way to put it 👊

[@lcs5637]

What is different between BJJ and japanese jiu jitsu

[@otakuakut]

@@lcs5637 The easiest way to put it is jujitsu is a predecessor art which the user's specialty derives several other style such as judo and Aikido. whereas bjj basicly is gracie style judo which eventually becomes a a martial art style of its own.

[@michaelstout7955]

@@lcs5637 BJJ is just the ground aspect of Judo. Gi BJJ and Kosen Judo are pretty much indistinguishable. Japanese Jujutsu is the art from which Jigoro Kano derived Judo.

[@blackwingdragonmasta]

In jujitsu I feel it is different because unlike other martial arts you are able to compete in sparring from white belt and you are practicing the use of these things much more than you can with striking. I think most purple or brown belts in jujitsu would have had more experience in using their training against equally skilled opponents than a karate or tkd practitioner because it's possible to have white belts in jujitsu do live sparring. A white belt in karate probably shouldn't be sparring because they're too inexperienced to do so without hurting eachother.

[@ChiragTheCuber]

At my dojo, my sensei told me the moment i recieved my black belt that my journey begins from there.

[@imjustaneutralguy10yearsag85]

R

[@sandipanbiswas671]

My sensei told me the exact same thing.

[@DysmasTheGoodThief]

Yuh

[@horukye]

Mine said that too, but I was 7 years into multiple arts at that time. It was frustrating because I was disrespected for having training outside of the dojo, and the black belts were allowed to do some unsavory things because they earned their belts. It angered me every time I beat them in competitions because as much as i was taught to bow down to them, none of them had so much skill or presenece that they deserved to be honored while I had to be dishonored.

[@horukye]

@Dave Lee Most martial artists never earn a black belt. Does that mean they never started their martial arts journey?

[@mikenelson5903]

I started training in 1972 I was 7, had to be 18 to get shodan,sat on that for 8 years, 4 years later got my 3rd,another 4 years got my yodan,after 30 years of training I became a sensei. ALL these years later I am still learning and enjoying traditional karate.

[@stefantom4]

@P M B A boxing match is for boxers. A Karate match is for Karate practitioners. An MMA fight is for mma fighters. If you are in the danger of a real life fight then you do whatever you can (or avoid a conflict entirely if theres no need to subdue anyone). What Mike said suggests that the journey of learning and self improvement is lifelong. Commenting about how great boxers are at knockouts (which is well known already) isn't that relevant.

[@stefantom4]

@P M B For sure some marrial arts teach you good practical and usable stuff really quickly! And heavy contact sports likely are much better at conditioning you for taking blows haha, especially to the head. Of course that's a part of a lot of sports and martial arts but in some its a great focus. Theres always more than that though, in boxing too for sure. Be like water yo 😁

[@stefantom4]

Regardless, you didnt need to be like "youd be out in 2 minutes bro" haha. You dont know Mike yo! He could have been beast after just 3 years 👌👌 (actually he would have been 10 years old... so a little beast at least.)

[@onyxgan9923]

@P M B Funny that you are judging the whole system with just your experience of McDojos in the West.

[@MajinGaijin]

To me, black belt is simply an indicator that one is, or at least should be, proficient in the basics and core concepts. By the way, I love these casual conversation videos. I hope you do more of them!

[@blaircarnegie2738]

This changed my perspective. Thank you.

[@MahardikaMatika]

if the whole reason of learning karate is just to get a black belt, then buying it online would be the wisest decision

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Haha for sure!

[@rollo2011]

That's what I told always my students for years. They often ask how long does it take to get a black belt. My answer is always 30 minutes, go to a shop and buy one. Online takes to long, could take 2 days before it will be delivered 😁

[@reidiford5444]

You nailed it. I have friends who actually apologize when they admit they have a black belt in Tai Kwan Do. They explain that was when they were young, and subsequently they earned a black belt in a "real style."

[@miyu_myu21]

I only learn karate cause I like punching people and get puch

[@SkanDoZ284]

We have a little saying at my Dojo, "A Black Belt isn't something you wear, it is something you become." This is the point where the learning can really begin, yes you learn things leading up to black belt, but it opens new doors to opportunities, whether that be a better perspective on your journey or the desire to start a new one.

[@markcuiffitellijr1629]

That has been my favorite quote since I was 10 years old

[@maskedfishing7168]

I have always been taught that black belt is a practitioner who has “mastered” the basics. Because in our style after first degree you still have up to 60 years of curriculum to learn. It is a lifetime pursuit. Thank you

[@fonz6466]

“A white belt is just as important as a black belt. Just cause I can swing the stick a little bit better doesn’t mean I can be arrogant about it” -Grandmaster Dieter Knuttel

[@bulletvivace]

A friend uses the expression: "A Black-belt is a White-belt that didn't give up". A black belt means your instructors and those holding the test thinks you're good enough to wear it. That's what all the belts mean actually, so the black is no different than the others. A stepping stone on a path of fun and sweat.

[@TeodorKubena]

I think it's a quote by Mas Oyama.

[@paulkwan4624]

The meaning of KARATE is empty hand Tao , so the journey is to find out the truth ( Tao ) by the hands , the body , & the mind . Right .

[@PeterSmith-or3pq]

Also the pile of Gi,s that hang to dry 🤪🇨🇦

[@Jusangen]

“White belt turns black through training. Black belt turns white through experience.” - Roland Crawford 5dan. That phrase and when I heard that black belt is just the beginning, as in if you were learning a language and can now get through a conversation and manage basic phrasing with ways to address areas outside your knowledge base, have impacted me deeply. Thanks for posting guys! Keep it up!

[@SenseiSeth]

I had such a great time! Thanks for chatting with me my friend! Hope to meet up in person soon!

[@davidnorth-martino]

To my mind, a black belt should be able to perform everything they've learned up and until that point under stress. That means everything learned is installed in "muscle memory." The black belt should have a reasonable knowledge of the history of the art, style, and school and or organization. The black belt should be able to show the basics to a new student. And should be able to stand in front of the class as a role model. A psychological change should eventually happen after the black belt ranking is achieved, including a new level of confidence and command presence that sets the black belt apart from the under ranks.

[@shredgod6394]

@@nagyzoli Fighting moves that have never been pressure tested might as well be as useful as dancing or choreography.

[@joostdriesens3984]

I think should be as well, although in practice it is a bit less. I don't mind though, it is the idealistic outlook :-)

[@ecologiaenlacultura]

Is not common to find a person so much wise and so young. Again express my admiration and your capacity to teach.

[@SenseiSeth]

marcela paz obando torres he’s a smart dude for SURE!!

[@gildorian7964]

I received my 1st Dan Black Belt in 1987 from Sensei Enoeda (JKA), and at the time we were told that it simply meant that you were now considered a 'serious student'! that is how I still think of it to this day.

[@joostdriesens3984]

I agree 100%, ah the black belts, the serious students. Let's see what they can (because there still can be many individual differences).

[@amcconnell6730]

7:17 "You train a lot, what's your nutrition like?" "Paleo." Two cavemen chatting, 100,000 years ago: "You know, I'm going to move to this "Modern Man" diet ... apparently some of those guys live past 50!" :D

[@Kamingo170]

My instructor always says "A black belt is just someone who is an expert at the basics"

[@Crowd_Surfer5.0]

Same

[@ethanmaranto8063]

But my instructor said that fights were won with basics. Food for thought...

[@Crowd_Surfer5.0]

@@ethanmaranto8063 fights may be won with basics... but a true master knows how to avoid a fight altogether

[@Kamingo170]

@@Crowd_Surfer5.0 avoiding fights shows how good of a smooth talker you can be.

[@joostdriesens3984]

I like this one!

[@stevenhenry7862]

I found in my experience that in Karate, there's two types of Student. One that focuses on their Kata and one that focuses their Fighting skills. I feel personally that a Student who has earnt a Black Belt, should be a Fighter first and foremost, and develop their Fighting System. I have taught many classes and had an accomplished Career, becoming National Champion. I was, as many other Instructors are given the respectful title of Sensi. That to me is what it is, a sign if respect to the Art. Other than that, some would just call me Champ, a title earnt. I would also like to add that Leg Sweeps are seriously underrated and hardly seen these days.!? Luckily, I had the foresight to mix my Martial Arts up when I was younger, before MMA was about. It saved my Life in Unarmed Combat many times. Once I knew what worked for me, I had no issues in my capabilities and developed my own Working System, which I will allways develop to the end of my days. Karate for balance and precision. Boxing for development of body conditioning, head movements and footwork. Wrestling for Stamina, strength and locks that breaks Limbes. Ju-Jitsu for submission and having good control of the aggressor. WhyTy, for power kicks and leg conditioning. Grappling for further Skills on the ground, including Judo. I took away some systems from Jeet-quando and Kung-Fu. Then I.learnt some really not so nice moves in the Armed Forces, when a threat had to be neutralized with your bare hands. A good Psychological Mindset, especially in regards to completing your moves through to its fullest effect. The main thing is a Will to learn and open your Mind to other Fighting Systems. I have thought decent Fighters who have only encompassed one or two other (FS) and I was therefore able to utilise a variety of FS, which gave me the edge. I went to many Competitions, full and semi contact before I Won a Title. I was knocked down, hurt, dazed, but still I went back for more. I NEEDED to know if it really works!? Not only did it work when I found my own FS, but it engulfed me further.. I personally feel that if you want to be a Fighrer, you can't learn if you don't actually go out there and put it to the test! That's how you learn what works and what doesn't. Then you will discover a hidden Powerful Friend that will guide you away from harm. Experience goes a long way.. From a British War Veteran God Bless America!

[@fizzels6690]

What style of karate did you practice?

[@wayneholmes637]

Originally Kata was purely about real fighting texhniques being practically just a way of memorising the movements (not techniques) of the combative use. Karate Kumite was just a limited rules based sport that has little to do with fighting outside the dojo.

[@Von_D]

When I did taekwondo, I was able to continue right where I left off after moving and switching schools. It felt so awkward to be a red belt and yet knowing nothing of the school's curriculum aside from the patterns I'm supposed to know according to the Kukkiwon. Then I went from WTF to ITF style. It was nice to be able to go back to the absolute basics.

[@jwest8298]

In Tang Soo Do, we say the Gup ranks are the beginning of learning, the black belt is the beginning of understanding. And I do subscribe to the fact that not all ranks are created equal. A first degree black belt in karate is different from school to school. Comprehension of the techniques and sequencing varies from person to person. Great video!

[@minauran6152]

As someone who is in the process in earning my first degree black belt in what is known as Americanized Taekwondo, I needed this. You say that the belts don’t mean anything outside of the martial arts school, but it shows how much hard work you've put in. As much as I want my black belt, I don’t want it to show off, but I want it because I just love this sport so much.

[@DmitryRonin]

Respect from Russia! I thought for a long time that people in the United States do not quite understand budo correctly. I thought that in america karate is something like mcdonald's. Perhaps this is due to popular culture, as well as the multitude of non-orthodox American kempo styles. But thanks to this channel, I realized that there are followers of the true spirit of Bushido in America.

[@vladicamitic2286]

I earned my first black belt when I was 13, and I thought that I would be so much better in karate, but actually, I was still not good enough! And then, at the age of 15, I started MMA, and all the stretching, drilling, and training karate, that opened a whole new world for me! I was so much better at kicking and throwing than anyone else at training in MMA! So I came to a conclusion, that I was only bad at karate, but when u want to start any type of fighting art that involves kicking and throwing and punching, even grappling! Karate opens up a whole new world for you, cause you will be able to kick, and throw, much better than anyone else! That has happened to me, in karate, youre not allowed to hit someone, which makes it so much harder, but then when you can, in full contact fighting, you can really see the effectiveness of those hits used in karate! Karate is a beautiful martial art, and takes years and years of practice to become good at it, I was amazed by this discovery myself, I was able to learn new kicks punches and throws, much easier, cause karate allowed me that, I am grateful to karate, cause it made me the fighter I am today, the black belt is only the beginning...

[@robbboto]

I progressed to nidan last year and at times I still feel like I know nothing. It's that feeling I think, that keeps people motivated and uninterested in the idea of rank. At least for me. I'm not a black belt. I'm a student, and it'll stay that way until I'm pushing up daisies!

[@opiskelu6097]

And again, "Mr. Karate Nerd", you spoke well about black belt. It seems that this channel is the best source of karate information...

[@danite620]

I am overwhelmed by all this modesty . I have been under the impression that something like 2 or maybe 3% of those who start a martial art continue to achieve the rank of black belt . I believe those who consider the rank of Black Belt of no significance are among those who would do anything to have one except to spend the hours and years to earn the rank . I'm 73 years old and still train . And when I go under I would be proud to go down wearing my Black Belt .

[@bas9233]

When you live in a world where kids get black belts(While having no real ability to defend themselves at all vs even an untrained teenager/early adult) , and there are adults that have 2-3 dans and still would be knocked out by the first punk they would see When you see the black belt gradings of big national/international organizations and see them being sloppier and less effective than the white /yellow belts at our smaller organization. then the value of a black belt diminishes quickly. I do respect the black belts in my school, since I know they don't get them for free. (Although I still believe that kids who turn adult should start at white again.) but for many schools, especially of those of the bigger associations I cannot have any respect. Most of the people in my Dojo burned their black belt when this school broke off from the big association for this exact reason.

[@urofan]

@@bas9233 A lot of the kids are going to taekwondo dojos and getting 3 black belts before they are 18 years old. Also a lot of taekwondo masters have got some of their black belts when they were kids. They want us to call kids Mister or Miss and they are also wanting us to call them by their last name but not by their first name when they become black belts.

[@joep3525]

I practiced Hapkido for many years and my teacher (Korean Grandmaster) always said that everything up to black belt was just exercise. We were also taught to never ask what "degree" someone has, but rather ask how many years they've been practicing. Another thing was that if, for some reason, you wore your uniform outside (perhaps going from the car to a building), to never wear your belt.

[@TheSouldead1]

It’s the quality of what you know not quantity. Mr. Miyagi was spot on.

[@LADvaitV]

this was my Question on Seth's stream! Love what you do Jesse!

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Thanks for asking! I love good questions 🤗

[@SenseiSeth]

adveit great job!

[@Sensei_Gaz]

I'm a 3rd degree black belt in Kenpo (Chinese, NOT american kenpo-karate/Paker/Mitose) I fully agree with your philosophy on this - a belt means nothing outside of your own school and I visit other schools to expand my own knowledge base and bring it into my art. I love the open minded approach. I cross train in Japanese Jujitsu and BJJ at the moment as I love grappling.

[@ct-9932]

I'm so glad I'm taking this approach to karate. I'm learning the history, what behavior is acceptable in the dojo and cultural aspects before even stepping foot in a dojo.

[@VincentMMALife]

Loved to see you guys online together, big fan of you both! You guys also inspired me to upload videos of my own too!

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Awesome, good luck! 🙏

[@VincentMMALife]

@@KARATEbyJesse Thank you sir!

[@thedukeofskull1383]

Thank you for this video!! I have gotten tired of asking martial artist I met, "what belt are you?" years ago. I finally started asking, "How many years have you studyed?" I learned back in the 1980's that in Japan some dojos, everyone wears a white belt. So people don't get defeated before they even start. You go by the abilitys not by the color of their belt.

[@Dan_Hill43]

This was a great video, I attended one school that had me doing heian shodan to godan, along with tekki shodan or nahanchi shodan as a green belt. I attended other schools that didn’t do tekki shodan until Black Belt. Your videos are awesome by the way you made me brush the dust off my Gi.

[@lastofmykind2020]

My first martial art, back in the late 70s, early 80s was very traditional, old school Tae Kwon Do. It was a Ji Do Kwan school -that taught the original Ji Do Kwan curriculum. Unfortunately, eventually they got sucked into the WTF. The Sabumnim was former Korean military, so the training was extraordinarily tough. It took no less than 5 years to make it to 1st Dan, sometimes 6 years. There was a mandatory 2 year waiting period between brown (later red) belt to first Dan. On your 1st Dan test day you'd spend 8 hrs or more testing. Breaking, demonstrating technique, demonstrating you forms ( Hyungs/Poomsae/Tul) and then fighting full contact every black belt and brown (red) belt in the school -or until you got injured enough that you couldn't go on. It was in that dojang that was the first time I got my jaw broken. We sparred medium contact on every Tuesday and full contact every Thursday. Training Monday through Saturday was expected. Our Sabumnim also brought in Judo, Hapkido, Western Boxing, Muay Thai techniques and military knife and rifle and bayonet curriculum. We did a hell of a lot of conditioning. 50% hands, 50% kicking. If you had a sweep or throw you took it - especially when sparring. Our Sabumnim focused on teaching adults, 99% were male. I took that training with me everywhere I went in my extremely varied marital arts journey of 42 years now. I'm not any kind of badass or any bullshit like that but I am very experienced. That original training was my core and I expanded it with extensive training (and eventually other Dan and/or Instructor ranks) in other martial arts. It has saved my now 55 year old ass on many occasions. I learned one main thing from that old school Tae Kwon Do -which was really an eclectic Shotokan with additional Korean kicks thrown in with Boxing, Judo and Hapkido -that is, how to hit reeeeeeally hard and how to take strong hits and not buckle under (unless you get knocked out, lol). So, don't judge al Tae Kwon Do the same way. There are still schools and people that teach and train like that. I don't make my living with the martial arts but I still train regularly. That and 50 Cents will get you a cup of coffee but I found the training invaluable. Those old Koreans taught you to hit hard as hell!

[@robertmitcham2427]

Black Belt is just a rank, and only has any meaning within your dojo, and if someone's looking for rank, then rank means absolutely nothing; search for knowledge and experience, and not for any rank!!

[@prkchp9200i]

Robert Mitcham one of the other black belts in our dojo asked me one time why I hadn’t had my belt embroidered to reflect my third degree. I replied “for the same reason I didn’t do it when I attained my second degree. I know what I’m capable of and what I have achieved,Sensei knows what I am capable of otherwise o wouldn’t be listed as a third degree. Why do I need some thread on my belt to tell me that. I like my belt like it is. Plain and simple.

[@karaoke6207]

i love the new format pls do more of this intresting disscussions

[@FabioSilva-zh4hh]

Karate for me is eternity learning news things about how fight and survive . The black belt it is not the end, but it is the new stage where we start give lessons for other people.

[@AdamBGames]

I got to meet Shihan Leo Lipinski before he passed in 2018, lovely man, but I got to meet him at the end of his life, it would have been amazing to see him in his prime. He didn't care what grade you were, black belt all the way to white, if you made a mistake, you made a mistake and he would call you out. We spent an hour on basic stances and he went through and fixed everyone's no matter what grade, he was even fixing the other Senseis who we Sempai looked up to. When I saw that I knew that grade doesn't matter, knowledge and experience does.

[@kentbyron7608]

“Congratulations on getting a black belt. You are now officially a beginner.” I love the humility about that! And my Shihan says that after black belt, I will be able to teach and correct myself, which is pretty cool. I have decided not to cling or be attached to my belt color, right now a green belt. in my mind and heart, I let go of belt color, I don’t cling to it. To me the beauty is that karate is a way of life and a way to conquer myself and to get in touch with the laws of nature on so many levels, which our society has lost. If we don’t get in touch with the laws of nature, we are going to destroy ourselves. The martial arts mixed with wisdom and compassion, is a win-win situation. It’s a way to age gracefully, have good health, have fun, be challenged and get deeply in touch with Mother Nature. It’s all so interesting! Gratitude! 🙏thank you so much Jesse!

[@edwardbaker4012]

Great video guys! Loved all the answers from both perspectives! I especially loved the pink belt at seminars 😁since I was always taught a belt has nothing to do with how good you are or how much you know. It's just a place in line to bow in. I've always loved the quoat by the late J. C. Shin saying 'we wear our belts in our hearts not on our waists. Hope to see a few more collaborations !

[@mikevaldez7684]

I love it! You sound like my good friend,1st U.S. World Kick boxing Champion Joe Lewis--he never wore his belt training, just karate pants & t-shirt. I loved him like a brother! Rip Joe

[@itz_just_me594]

These interviews Was awesome 😍😍😍

[@michaelhubbard4023]

For me after getting my black belt in shotokan karate, I felt that I have a good grasp of the basics. It's less for me to really worry about as far as moving up the ranking systems and I can focus on really training. It's a great accomplishment for me but training consistently and living the lifestyle means so much more to me than my black belt.

[@timlinator]

My style is really a hybrid of Karate, Judo and Jujitsu (Japanese) and I personally have also trained in BJJ, Muay Thai, TKD, Boxing and Aikido.

[@SenseiSeth]

Bob Scott good mix!

[@hongkongcantonese501]

Jesse, each video you put out makes Japanese martial history and culture more attractive. Great perspectives, information, and approach.

[@gamoraxandar6674]

Yes I totally agree! This kind of talk is really important as there is lot of misconception regarding belt system. I very much appreciated your idea of pink belt and I really appreciate the topic in this video. And your views about diet are also very realistic as not one diet works for everyone, very true.

[@SenseiSeth]

Gamora Xandar exactly 👍

[@stevebaldwin6904]

This is a GREAT conversation!

[@otisbeck5327]

A black belt to me is mastering the physical basics and a beginning of the journey into the Void. The ultimate goal of a martial artist is to have no technique; we must learn to be beyond everything we have learned in the previous journey to get to a black belt and become one with the Tao/Way (not being labeled as this or that). Everything comes together and this is where the real learning and creativity begins.

[@warrenchu6319]

I felt my black belt was a weight in the dojo. I felt pressure for not making mistakes in front of lower belts. We all make mistakes and should learn from them.

[@damonteforney8076]

The problem with the Western Perspective of martial arts is the lack of understanding behind belts and the purpose of martial arts. Your belt doesn’t mean anything. You can be a black belt and still have a poor skill level or not understand the concepts of the art that your learning. The last school I was at they always talked about Repping your form. Just basically go through the form and move on to the next. They don’t give understanding on the purpose of the moves in the Kata. It’s difficult to find a martial artist that can give in-depth teaching.

[@daksheshpareek9852]

Hii jesse sir I watch this live sention Instagram and I thank u for teaching me so much good stuff

[@ricochete5875]

Coach said "all the belts can do the same thing no matter the color, they can keep our gi closed." 😂

[@woodysguitarlounge2908]

Jesse Enkamp, I was very pleased to hear your beliefs and knowledge about belts and what they really mean, I was taught a belt is nothing more than a tool to hold your pants up. I too train in a dojo where the name includes "martial arts center", we train multiple disciplines as well, Shuri Ryu Karate, Shinto Yoshin Kia Jiu Jitsu, and weapons, thanks again for explaining and reinforcing truth.

[@peterkhew7414]

"Sensei" just mean teacher in the Japanese context, while "senpai" is your senior classmate, and "kohai" is your junior classmate. In fact, that's how they call each other in mainstream Japanese education. The Dan Belt system was invented by Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, and he was also a Japanese educator. The purpose of it is purely a grading method for both teachers and students to track progress. Jigoro Kano was the first Asian that I know in history, who modernized an Eastern martial art.

[@guitargeek57]

Peter Khew Sensei is even more than just teacher. It’s called an “honorific” which is something we don’t really have in English. It’s kid of like saying “your honor” to a judge. It just is an honorable thing you say to someone. You could say it to a doctor, lawyer, etc. It means “the one who came before” and It is not exclusive to the martial arts at all

[@peterkhew7414]

@@guitargeek57 No, I'm pretty sure 先生 or sensei, literally means "firstborn". For Chinese, it's like a "mister", while in the Japanese context, it means "teacher". Let's take my surname for example. I'm a Chinese Singaporean, so 丘先生 is Mr Khew. Assuming I am a Japanese teacher, 丘先生 would be translated as Oka Sensei. So really, it's just the language and cultural usage in Asia, and not unique to Japanese martial arts.

[@peterkhew7414]

@@clausanders2886 I wouldn't say he's accurate, especially within the Asian context.

[@Crowd_Surfer5.0]

When I got my black belt I was told “congratulations you’re now a master.... of the basics”

[@davidwilliams4837]

Sensei Seth! Great video and topic. Would love to hear more discussions between the both of you.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Maybe we should start a podcast 😜

[@SenseiSeth]

Jesse Enkamp I’m in! “Karate Squared”

[@gabrielsierra865]

I stopped studying Shotokan Karate at 19 y.o. because of an accident I had. I was green belt at the time. One of the things I noticed during my tenure was that I sparred with with TKD 3 and 4th grade black belts and they were never able to defeat me. Fast forward 30 years. I had my kid in a TKD school ran by an Olympic TKD champion (the closest thing available in the burbs) and they invited parents to participate for one month. I was pretty much out of shape, but when it came the time for me to spar....the same; I connected him more than ten times while he was unable to score a single point. So yes, I believe the belt grading system make no sense out of the dojo. My sensei used to tell us that belts were there to hold the uniform neatly, nothing more.

[@TNTTestificate]

Yoooooooo sensei seth collab thats so epic you should collab with icy mike that would be cool

[@SenseiSeth]

Thaqib Fiyyad thanks boss! 🙏

[@jakecowan4321]

Jesse-san - I really appreciate the points you brought up in this video! Even within my karate organization the knowledge base among different kyu and dan ranks varies so widely between dojo, they're almost meaningless. There is also a "sensei" certification within our organization that I disagree with, but it is a very western thing to want to have certifications for darn near everything. Additionally, I've had multiple years of training in other martial arts (primarily Kwan Nyam Hapkido) and I see it all as "karate" - it may not be traditional Okinawan Karate, but I think I'm following the same principle that Toyama Kanken Dai-Shihan followed and proposed in his training and instruction. Everything is Karate to me, and while that's making it difficult to have an identity as a karate-ka, especially within my organization, it has been so incredibly fulfilling for my own martial arts and instruction. Thank you for another wonderful video!

[@frankp5117]

My Aikido Sensei used to tell newly minted black belt "Now that you've put up the frame, it's time to start building the rest of the house".

[@tennesseecopperhead7874]

When I started Martial Arts in the 80s, I went to class around 30 hours a week. Almost going 4 to 5 times a week. Sometimes all-day Saturday. (Our school was open all the time and teaching). It took me 8 years at 30 plus hours a week to earn my black belt. Tests where hard and if you didn't pass you didn't pass. Different times. Getting a black belt in our school was truly something to be proud of. Very few made it that far.

[@cesarandres1793]

I train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and have been training for over 10 years, currently a 4th degree purple. For me a Blackbelt in BJJ is definitely a Holy Grail for me, the student becomes the master through hard work, dedication, and perseverance. It doesnt mean learning stops, but you have built a wealth of knowledge,wisdom, and self realization that can only be experienced through that long and difficult journey. It is a unique accomplishment in martial art that is pretty tough.

[@billc.4584]

Great discussion. Thanks to Jessie and Seth.

[@SenseiSeth]

Bill Cashion thanks for watching Bill!

[@jamespierce1189]

Awesome content as usual! Keep rocking you too.

[@KaySakaue]

Great talk. Another issue in the US... people tend to see attaining your black belt as the goal, not understanding that your journey starts when you have obtained the tools (kihon) which is signified in your dojo by being awarded a black belt.

[@scooterbois4177]

I do shotokan karate and I am a jr black belt going for my shodan(first level black belt) and I am very excited for the new experience and to progressively improve

[@walterhough4587]

Very well explained. Especially Sensei and senpai. Arigato, Sensei

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Glad to hear you liked it 😄

[@ChadTower]

That set the tone for the entire rest of the conversation. Guy on the left didn't enjoy that very much but that context had to be laid up front or the rest of the conversation would not have been worthwhile. I have that conversation with the students at our dojo all the time. Yes, I'm an instructor. No, I'm not a sensei and most especially I am not *your* sensei. I am senpai. They don't listen and maybe use the term senpai once before reverting to sensei. Only the Japanese students, for obvious reasons, seem to get it.

[@ikokox]

I had brown belt for 7 years, I attempted to get black belt and failed, took 7 year break and coming back in a month to start training again and attempt to get my black belt. I got my brown belt in summer 2005.

[@TheKraigo]

I got to purple and white belt in shotokan when I was 9, then went into boxing then kick boxing. I'm studying Wing chun and Brazilian jui jitsu. I love all the arts, always something to learn.

[@rockerdrake]

Jesse, you're doing an amazing work getting everything as down to earth and as true to historical facts as possible. This is what I've been expecting to see for so long. Sensei (the i being a reduplication of the e, so in fact read sense'e) comes from Chinese 先生 xiansheng, it means "Sir". It's the same term of respect you use to address to teachers at school, ranks above you at the military, and experienced skilled and knowledgable older men, like factory owners, artisans etc. just the way we say "Mister". And just as you've mentioned, it's nonesense to use it to refer to oneself as an instructor, bc in fact you'd be saying nothing more than: "I'm a Mister".

[@waynesantos28]

I know this is 4 years later, but it intrigued me to offer a view. The black belt and any belts or rank for that matter is an accomplishment of a level of achievement in whatever style you may study. I think there should be great pride if the belts are earned. However, to compare this to let's say a high school diploma we would be talking about the same format. Throughout our learning we work to achieve the ultimate goal in basic education. This is a proud thing. It is however not the end all. We can now take a foundation and make it us. All high school graduates or black belts from the same curriculum are not equal but all have an opportunity to advance with more hard work. There's just the reality that some blackbelts and some high school graduates are A to D students, but all should have pride in the common accomplishment. In closing, Jesse...Seth, be proud of your belts, you earned them. This is too long now but I have a view of kata maybe I'll explain some day.

[@michaelhubbard4023]

When I earned my black belt after 11 years I was told that my journey was just beginning. I believe this.

[@Branziman]

I agree with your take on belts, very insightful video. I trained in Taekwondo for 15 years and taught for well over 5 years. I reached 3rd Dan then I tore my ACL twice the first time from a sparring kick to the knee. I also Trained some Kung Fu, Modern Arnis & Karate. When anyone would ask my "belt" when they heard I did martial arts id normally ask does it matter? I feel like the guest was a bit disingenuous towards other arts especially Taekwondo. Sure do some Taekwondo schools give away belts? Yes.... I am sure some Karate do the same. Also in my years of Taekwondo we did, forms, sparring, One steps, weapons & constant drills on kicks and hand techniques passed downed from my Korean Grand master.

[@mykulpierce]

The thing is disappointing about the belt system in general is how it's been used as a marketing gimmick associated with how schools charge for training. Typically in the US you'll see fees associated with every belt rank.

[@JJSwole]

The real ultimate goal of being a black belt, is the person you become with that black belt

[@zachburns6556]

Getting my black boat is a honor and a big achievement but it was just the beginning of a long road that I learned would never stop you never stop learning it's a ever-growing field

[@deepwavez]

So nice to see both of you, keep it up guys

[@morganspeck1747]

You are an intelligent guy, it comes across in your body language and your speaking skills, keep it up!

[@suasponte6002]

Outstanding discussion on "blackbelt".

[@spockvskhan4561]

Most Japanese/Okinawan traditional schools require 3-5 years to earn Shodan. There are other "training centers" that hand out black belts like french fries. Also, take into consideration how many time a week that you train at your dojo.

[@cmn2509]

The reason that BJJ still has a "tight grip" on rank and grading standards is because it remains much more "monolithic" than karate ever was. It started in one place with one person, and has remained somewhat intact. Even so, you can find stories about how some BJJ organizations or schools don't recognize rank from any others. Similarly, if you look at Judo (Kodokan) and Kendo (IKF) generally Dan ranks are centrally controlled and tightly regulated. Karate though was never monolithic. It's always been fragmented, and has become increasingly so as organizations fracture and dissociate. In the Shotokan world, there are still pretty consistent standards of performance up to sandan amongst the major international organizations, or at least the ones originating with JKA (ISKF, IKD, ITKF, etc.). Here, differences exist, but are generally minor, and overall expectations are similar - what you can ask of a JKA 3 Kyu, you can easily expect from the same rank in ITKF or IKD. Now, that consistency can't go across styles, because the degree of shared history ends before (or shortly after) the adoption of Kyu/Dan ranks, and the taught syllabi differ radically (no full contact sparring in Shotokan tests for instance, can't expect Tsuki-no-kata from a Wado practitioner). Moreover, the proliferation of unaffiliated dojos leads to innovation, differentiation, and in some cases commercialization, all of which cause them to drift away from their origins.

[@nadeemuddin9070]

without going in to too much details to my understandings word Sensei means Ahead in life, or who came first, Sensei is not specially used in Japanese budo but also in all other professions in Japanese society for example A senior Lawyer is Sensei of a new comer along with other associates working under him, in general we can say Sensei is person who saw and experience things before you he could tell you better that how to do,and Of course there is just one sensei in a Dojo.or in a firm or company, sorry for my poor English

[@214warzone]

Savat uses Glove Color instead of Belt Color. But in my opinion, those Colors are not important. Your level of Readiness is important. Including Situational Awareness, not Overtraining, etc.

[@carlosmagallanes4203]

Belts are just thick cloth with color, it is nothing, but, your knowledge, and wisdom on the art, is the real heart of what you really become and how you reach the perfection of your character

[@Msosbog]

GREAT conversation!!! I hope America is paying attention! 🙏

[@GordonBraicks]

My sensei mentiones the black belt as a driving license (or cooking license). When you receive one you are supposed to know how to drive (or how ingredients work). After receiving the black belt you start driving (or cooking). It’s a start of the rest of your path.

[@Tehz1359]

I honestly like comparing the criteria that different dojos have for black belts. It's not necessarily to say that one criteria is better then the other, I'm just fascinated by the differences and thought-processes behind them. It's also interesting to see the different combination of styles each dojo teaches. Because for my dojo we didn't train just one style dogmatically, we took certain things from many and made it our own. My dojo that I trained at expected a certain level of not only proficiency, but also maturity and commitment out of aspiring black belts. And at baseline, I thought this was a good criteria. I won't get into specifics, but they laid out more specific requirements that would demonstrate these qualities. And after I got mine, I trained there for a few more years, and I certainly was held to a higher standard, way more was expected of me, I had to act as an example for the other students. And my training only got harder from there. Which is exactly as it should be in my opinion. Before I got my black belt I wanted it so bad, and was extremely happy when I got it. I'm still proud of it, but it's not something I like to tell people necessarily. Usually when people ask me if I've done any martial arts, I just say "yeah, I've trained here for 10 years now". Rather then mentioning anything about belts.

[@prkchp9200i]

I started realizing exactly how much I didn’t know when I achieved my black belt.

[@walterhough4587]

Oh the end made even more sense to me. In my early years I was taught to be brutal and fight and tournament. And Martial arts mean so much more to me now because I'm a warhorse if I learned the mechanics first. I still might be competing but it would be for fun to me. Even now the little I do even like teaching it hurts. Yes the bunkai and kata. Or vice a versa I could have preserved my body better. Thank you again sensei.

[@USARMY1682]

I really enjoy both your guys's pages and when you guys team up it's really fun because both have a lot of knowledge and a lot of respect for the other person's knowledge. I love a good transfer of knowledge between two people who have a great amount of it but are also smart enough to know that they don't know it all. Well done guys

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Awesome, thank you!

[@USARMY1682]

@@KARATEbyJesse also I really enjoyed your metaphor about the mountain top. The higher you go the more it all seems to melt. Also man it's really fun to learn about the more traditional side of things really enjoy that. I always felt not just knowing the traditions but why they happened how they came about and why they were useful is also really interesting.

[@evanhardin]

Black belt simply means you know all the material that your dojo teaches. It only means something in *that* dojo. When I enter a different dojo, school, or gym I consider myself a beginner again because I don't know what is taught there.

[@AverageGabriel]

That's how I treat every place I go to learn too. I think it's the most respectful way to be and it helps us stay humble. It reminds us that even with all the styles we learn, on the streets, we react with instinct. Training and experience don't come into play so quickly, in a small reaction window moment. Instinct of your most basic flight or fight kicks in and chooses a muscle reaction.

[@Gutisusa]

❤️this interview!

[@SenseiSeth]

Susan G 👏👏

[@juancarlosshannonmelendez538]

this is a good video.. thanks. I would love to hear another discussion about the black belt. when did it start? what was the original intention, etc? what are the truths or myths, etc? when I trained in Shotokan for like 6 months, they said you were a white belt (kyu if I seem to remember) until brown belt and then black belt; they said it was like wearing a white belt, which kept getting dirtier with time. they said that they only reached until 5th dan. I remember a guest teacher was Sensei Sada Honda, who was a 5th dan.. this should be an interesting topic..

[@BudoTraining]

Nice discussion. Thank you. Karate belts have become a challenging irrelevance beyond our own circle of control. Early days for Bjj. The control of belt quality was relatively strong in the first 30 or so years of karate. So in that respect, BJJ is still in its infancy. Yet already we are starting to see a wide range of quality sneaking in.

[@BudoTraining]

I edited a typo in my comment which seemed to delete yours. My apologies.

[@arnie1005]

Now that was the best answer for black belts, means nothing!