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THE TRACYS SYSTEM OF KENPO
HISTORY SERIES

HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF THE BELT SYSTEM
by
Al Tracy
last updated 07/27/06

In Three Parts - click for the area you want to go to

PART I - Origin of the Dan and Kyu Ranking (to be added)

PART III - Modern belt ranking (to be added)

A belt or sash is only a strip of colored cloth, anyone can buy any colored belt you want and wear it. Putting on a Black Belt does not make you a black belt. Nor does holding a rank of Black Belt qualify you to be an "Instructor"!

What is important is your diploma - awarding you a Dan or Kyu rank - you can only be awarded a Dan or Kyu rank by those that have the authority and power to award such a rank.

Warning: a black belt is only a black belt - your rank is your Dan or Kyu rank. Anyone one can buy a black. It’s like putting a DR. after you name and claiming to be a DR. You only become a DR. by having the diploma from an accredited medical school to prove it. This is true of every college degree.

The martial, arts world is full of people claiming "black belt" and they have never heard of the Dan and Kyu rank!

REMEMBER:
A Black Belt is only a piece of colored cloth. Your rank is your authentic diploma - properly awarding a Dan or Kyu rank which is the universally accepted standard by all major system: Japanese, Korean and Okinawan.

The Chinese have their own ranking system. However they have had to accept the "karate" standard for rank. This is shown when they put anyone ion competition they must place their student accruing to "belt rank". As a mater of fact, many Chinese systems have now adopted the colored belt system!