The Significance of Belt Color
by Jill Davidson
Unbeknownst to me, when I started
this whole martial arts thing, there was a hierarchy of belt systems
in one of our arts: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I mean, I guess if you asked
me, I would have known martial arts had belts – I might even have
known that black represented a high rank and white was low... but
really, I might not have even known these basics of black and white.
Even now, I'm not even sure how extensive the parallels are of white
and black within all of these martial arts.
But as a person experiences these
tangible metaphors of who is “above” and who is “below”,
he/she can be assured that it will be just that – an experience.
Those who now come to our gym, and perhaps those that are dutifully
informed before their debut seem to take this belt thing in stride.
It's expected. There are subtle nuances, but there's an expected
pattern – no one is freaking out about what is happening.
Well, not for me. I found the entire
process flabbergasting and unnerving.
I was told there are two ways to move
up in rank. One is to be really good, and the other is to be loyal.
So, you can continually kick ass and then they have to promote you...
or, I suppose, they'd have to kick you out of the gym. Unfortunately
for some, you really must have some talent for this first option. It
helps to be younger, and you have to follow protocol and live the
life of continuous learning. Relax, you can also be a really good
student and decide that this is your gym – this is the place that
you want to support and move up slowly as you learn the gym's style
and beliefs. You can socially network, learn the history of the gym
and find a place to utilize your specific talents for the team.
Then, there is a third option of
moving up in belt rank – one I unknowingly stumbled into – when
they don't really know what the hell else to do with you and it
becomes apparent that you are not leaving – when you are not an
alpha.
In other words, you do not have the
drive to succeed nor are you an extremely dutiful student. Maybe you
are exceptionally bad at following all protocol whatsoever. You
improve because you are there all the time with lots of passion –
so they put up with you rather than risk having you cause serious
havoc to society if you were elsewhere. Essentially, you are the
gym's public service project. You are a refugee. Your demons haven't
quite burned enough bridges for them to throw you out and you are
trainable with a lot of persistence and continual repetition, have a
good heart and love the gym.
So basically, there are people on the
mat with all sorts of colored belts for many different reasons and
when it comes down to it, you are supposed to respect “rank” –
unless of course, you have a hard time with “artificial
hierarchies” placed on people... and then what? I recommend that
you try to be skilled. Be prepared to dodge and weave, duck and
parry, run fast and know how to hide!
