For most disciplines, a martial arts belt is an important part of the uniform. The belt does far more than hold up your pants. Don’t get me wrong, it does do just that as well as hold the top or jacket in place if needed. However, some belts are used as weapons to choke or disarm an opponent. Also, more important than the purely functional aspect of the belt, it has a far deeper and more significant purpose.

The belt is more importantly used to show a student’s level of achievement. There are very few disciplines that do not use the white belt to signify a novice and a black belt to identify a master. This is where most agreements end. I have been to numerous schools and not one of them agrees upon meaning or the progression of colors, beyond white and black. Some schools even use multi-colored, or partially colored belts to show achievement.

Schools have many different ideas on what the symbolism of the belt color is. Here is one example from a nearby school that uses karate uniforms:

White - New beginning. Without blemish. Pure

Yellow- Sun. A life giving force and the beginning of growth and change.

Green- Life. The concepts of Martial arts starts to take life in the student.

Red- Heat. Refining their skills in the heat of training

Black- Open Door. The door to knowledge has been opened. It is dark, but by stepping through, one can begin to learn the true meaning of the martial art in which they are training.

Most martial arts disciplines agree that the black belt is really just the beginning of understanding the art. Once a black belt is reached, the student has a true understanding of the meaning and fundamentals, but is only just starting their quest for mastery. As a matter of fact, mastery may never be achieved, but it is something to be strived for. As has been discussed, whether it is a belt of sash, one of the most basic pieces of almost all martial arts uniforms is the belt. Its use and meaning is quite important to the world to practitioners of almost every discipline.