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The further differentiation of belt rank is an Americanization of the art - it's equivalent to handing out Participant medals once every few months. When I lea
by stephengillie 12y ago
The further differentiation of belt rank is an Americanization of the art - it's equivalent to handing out Participant medals once every few months.
When I learned, we had 9 ranks. Today, most studios have more than 27, so every form and throw and move has its own test and belt. It's maddening, but it's not unlike unit testing. (Should we apply principles of software development to martial arts education?)
- coryl 12y agoThis depends entirely on the art though. Arts like Tae Kwan Do or Karate have gone free for all, with many belt systems and rankings thanks to bastardization via profit motive. Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu however have been a lot more successful at keeping its bar high. In general, the skill level of a purple belt in any population of purple belts will fall in a tighter spectrum.