Dear
all, welcome to the Taichido Newsletter. Because we were so
late with January’s one, we managed to slip into March
from February before we realised so we come back to the beginning
of the month as the March Edition. We always manage to drop
an edition once a year for some reason! Call it Karma...
This month Gary looks at the Martial Art belt system. Although
tai chi we tend to think of as a health meditative form, it
derived from (and still has) a martial art aspect –
tai chi chuan. The grading or belt system for martial arts
is well-known, but do you really understand what it means?
Repetitive Practice
I do not know a single 'advanced' Tai Chi practitioner who
is not most happy to study again and again what we all together
call "the basics". These are the people who have
come to understand the implications of 'mastering the art'
and (without exception) understand that certain things, such
as teaching that art to any willing to listen and learn, is
expected from them.
From student to teacher, from impetuous to circumspect, from
taking to giving and from war to peace, this is the objective
of Martial Arts training and those that do not fully understand
this follow a short path with no reward other that egotism
and selfishness awaiting.
One of the golden rules/philosophical roots of Tai Chi is
to 'be like water and constantly seek the lowest point via
the way of least resistance'. This must be firmly understood,
appreciated and accepted to permit and then encourage an attitude
of first 'non-attainment' and then later 'no-mind'. This is
all achieved ONLY with diligent and repetitive practice and
(surely you understand by now!) never completed. Those that
find fault in this system or 'culture' are those who hold
on to an attitude of superiority that should not/cannot be
tolerated or endorsed as Budo or True Martial Art.
Black and White
The thickest part of the white section of the yin yang symbol
represents maximum yang. Let us say for now that in terms of
the natural cycle of day and night, maximum yang is when the
sun is at its highest in the sky and at its hottest and brightest.
Furthermore this theoretical representation operates on the
micro and macroscopic level and the thickest white (maximum
yang) may represent mid summer and the thickest black, mid winter
… and so on and up to being born (minimum yang), adolescence
and maturity (maxim yang) through to middle age (medium yin),
old age (retirement) and then death (maximum yin). It is worth
noting now that when we are born we need to be cared for and
fed and then at old age we return to that sort of condition
again, just as sure as day follows night and winter follow summer
(or vice versa, depending upon which way you look at it!).
When a person begins martial art they are assumed to be a white
belt i.e. at least yang if no
t maximum yang. In other words, like a person in the mid day
sun they are hot, agitated and perhaps impetuous. As training
continues they graduate through coloured belts until they ultimately
attain black belt status. By then they are, as a consequence
of proper training considerably more yin; inward, cool and calm.
It so happens that if laid out martial arts belts in the order
that they awarded - and if you could then - just like you can
do with a TV or monitor screen, turn the colour down or convert
to greyscale, the belts would show up as black to white with
the grey in between all in the correct gradients. But of course,
this is just a coincidence that today's technology may render
to us. The reason for this order or sequence of colours is far
more organic.
The Obi (belt)
A (Belt) is normally used to distinguish different grades in
the Martial Arts. Two metres long, wrapped twice around the
jacket. Five centimetres wide and made of several layers of
cotton stitched closely together to make it strong and solid.
With no colour and in the 'raw' state at the completion of the
production process this material is creamy white. This is the
colour of the martial artist's first "GE" or uniform
(the standard judo/karate type 'suit') - including the belt.
This 'new' belt was, in days of old, the ONLY belt that a martial
artist would ever pocess.
If the practitioner practiced a lot or for a long time he/she
might treat themselves to a new white ge now and again but,
at least in days of old, the same original belt would be used.
To show progression in training and to avoid a miss-match in
sparing or competition the belt would be dyed with of course
(days of old!) natural dyes and colour extracted from nature
were used. The easiest colour to first change white too by this
'natural' or organic method is Yellow.
Today the most common grading system, using coloured belts,
is called the Dankyu system. Coloured grades outside of Japan
are normally in the ascending order of:
White - 6th Kyu
Yellow - 5th Kyu
Orange - 4th Kyu
Green - 3rd Kyu
Blue - 2nd Kyu
Brown - 1st Kyu
Black Belt - 1st Dan.
White Belt - signifies "innocence".
Yellow & Orange Belt - signifies "the earth from which
the "plant" (meaning student) takes root".
Green Belt - signifies "growth".
Blue Belt - signifies "towards the heaven".
Brown Belt - signifies "danger".
Black Belt - signifies "the persons skill and mastery over
fear".
White to Yellow - 3 months or 25 hours training.
Yellow to Orange - 6 months or 100 hours training.
Orange to Green - 9 months or 150 hours training.
Green to Blue - 12 months or 200 hours training.
Blue to Brown - 18 months or 300 hours training.
Brown to Black Belt or 1st Dan grade - 30 months or 900 hours
training.
A student that has successfully progressed through the Kyu grades
then may enter the Dan grades.
Whist a Black Belt signifies "the persons skill and mastery
over fear" the honerable student will understand that it
means only that and that he/she is now considered as simply
ready to improve and perfect skills.
Essentially the awarding of a black belt signifies that the
student is ready to BEGIN a wider study on through the Dan grades
from 1 too 10 as follows:
1st To 2nd Dan grade - 2 years
2nd to 3rd Dan grade - 3 years.
3rd to 4th Dan grade - 4 years.
4th to 5th Dan grade - 5 years.
1st Dan - corresponds to that of the "student".
2nd Dan - corresponds to the title of "disciple".
3rd Dan - corresponds to the title of "confirmed disciple".
4th Dan - corresponds to the title of "expert".
5th and 6th Dan - corresponds to the title of "spiritual
expert".
7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th Dan correspond to the title of "specialized
expert ".
The higher the grade the longer it takes in time to reach the
required level. The pattern is that it becomes the same number
of years as for the next grade to be reached i.e. to reach an
8th Dan from a 7th Dan would take approximately (another) 8
years.
Only 9th & 10th Dan grades are entitled to hold the title
of "Master". The highest Dan grade is usually reserved
for the founder of a school or style. Some Masters wear a White
Belt - indicating that they have come a full circle.
http://www.wheelswithinwheels.net/within/budograding.htm
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