Black belt status
There is no greater pride than having the Grand Master or Master tie your First Dan Black Belt around your waist. You have persevered and conquered great personal challenges. You have passed the test for this coveted Tang Soo Do belt. "Black Belt" has a new meaning for you. But how did all this start?
One common “legend” concerning the tradition of belts claims that early martial artists began their training with a white belt, which eventually became stained black from years of sweat, dirt, and blood.
However, there is no real evidence for this story, so it should be relegated to the status of myth. In fact, given the standard of cleanliness common in the traditional Judo or Karate dojo, a student arriving with a bloodied or dirty uniform would probably not have been allowed to train.
In some arts and schools there is the opinion that the belt should not be washed; by doing that one would "wash away the knowledge" or "wash one's ki away."
Another common misbelief is the "black belt as master" stereotype,. In reality, a black belt indicates the wearer is competent in a style's basic technique. Since in Tang Soo Do a black belt takes approximately 3 to 4 years of training to achieve, a good intuitive analogy would be a 1st Dan Black Belt is equivalent to a college degree. The 1st Dan black belt is thus seen not so much as an end, but rather as a beginning, a doorway to advanced learning.
Originally, the white belt was simply dyed to a new color. This repeated dying process dictated the type of belt color and the order of the colors.
Due to the dying process, it was only practical to increasingly use darker colors. All of this came about shortly after the Second World War, when Korea and Japan were very poor countries. Dying the belts to a new color was a cheap way to have a visible, simple and effective ranking system.
- An Urban Legend
One common “legend” concerning the tradition of belts claims that early martial artists began their training with a white belt, which eventually became stained black from years of sweat, dirt, and blood.
However, there is no real evidence for this story, so it should be relegated to the status of myth. In fact, given the standard of cleanliness common in the traditional Judo or Karate dojo, a student arriving with a bloodied or dirty uniform would probably not have been allowed to train.
In some arts and schools there is the opinion that the belt should not be washed; by doing that one would "wash away the knowledge" or "wash one's ki away."
- Levels of Advancement
Another common misbelief is the "black belt as master" stereotype,. In reality, a black belt indicates the wearer is competent in a style's basic technique. Since in Tang Soo Do a black belt takes approximately 3 to 4 years of training to achieve, a good intuitive analogy would be a 1st Dan Black Belt is equivalent to a college degree. The 1st Dan black belt is thus seen not so much as an end, but rather as a beginning, a doorway to advanced learning.
Originally, the white belt was simply dyed to a new color. This repeated dying process dictated the type of belt color and the order of the colors.
Due to the dying process, it was only practical to increasingly use darker colors. All of this came about shortly after the Second World War, when Korea and Japan were very poor countries. Dying the belts to a new color was a cheap way to have a visible, simple and effective ranking system.
Cho Dan meaning
Meaning Chodan
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let's look at the term "Chodan", and more specifically "Cho". Sure, it means first degree black belt. But let's look deeper at this Chinese character. It's made up of two symbols, "a Knife" (刀) and "Clothing" (衣). The idea behind this symbol is at the beginning of making a garment of clothing, you must first cut the fabric. Thinking of this, the Chodan rank of black belt is not mastery at all. It's the beginning of creating the martial artist.
You see, as colored belts, you are being taught the basics of the martial art. How to walk, how to breathe, how to move efficiently within the techniques of the art. As a First degree Black Belt, you should now be proficient enough with the basics that you can begin to explore the art more deeply, without the need to be instructed on how to perform basic stances, steps, blocks, strikes, kicks, etc... If told to perform a technique, there should be no thought, no question, just the correct demonstration of that technique. |
Having a black belt is about starting a new cycle, do not get so full of yourself....
Once upon a time, there lived a wise Zen master in Japan. People from far and near would visit him to ask for wisdom about life.
One day, a famous samurai came to visit the master.
"I am a great warrior. I have come today to ask you to teach me wisdom. Open my mind to enlightenment, master."
The Zen master smiled and said that they should discuss it over a cup of tea.
As they sat down, the master poured the samurai a cup.
He poured and he poured, but didn't stop. As the tea rose to the rim, it began to spill over the table.
The samurai shouted "Stop! You are spilling the tea everywhere. Can't you see the cup is full, old man?"
The Zen master stopped pouring, and smiled at his guest.
"You are like this tea cup. So full of yourself that nothing more can be added. Come back to me when your cup is empty, because there is nothing I can teach you."
The samurai ran out and never returned.
Now, here's my question:
Are you like this samurai? Is your cup full?
Do you have a mindset that holds you back from knowledge?
Once upon a time, there lived a wise Zen master in Japan. People from far and near would visit him to ask for wisdom about life.
One day, a famous samurai came to visit the master.
"I am a great warrior. I have come today to ask you to teach me wisdom. Open my mind to enlightenment, master."
The Zen master smiled and said that they should discuss it over a cup of tea.
As they sat down, the master poured the samurai a cup.
He poured and he poured, but didn't stop. As the tea rose to the rim, it began to spill over the table.
The samurai shouted "Stop! You are spilling the tea everywhere. Can't you see the cup is full, old man?"
The Zen master stopped pouring, and smiled at his guest.
"You are like this tea cup. So full of yourself that nothing more can be added. Come back to me when your cup is empty, because there is nothing I can teach you."
The samurai ran out and never returned.
Now, here's my question:
Are you like this samurai? Is your cup full?
Do you have a mindset that holds you back from knowledge?