Random thoughts

I wonder if this martial arts relationship between "master" and "student", while ostensibly being about "respect", has had more of the effect of retarding the critical thinking faculties of the student than anything else?

People who wear black belts are not authorities on the art they train in (nor are they authorities on life). Belts are somewhat arbitrary (depending on how your school does it) and earning a black belt does not make you an expert. Unfortunately this ranking system has the effect of making the martial arts newbie think otherwise.

I'm not saying you can't be an expert with a black belt, but I mean "expert" at what? Within a martial arts system there are various facets. Some of it can be for sport. Some of it can be for performance. Some of it can be for combative skill. The black belt itself does not necessarily distinguish what area of training you have focused on. It just shows that you have spent some time training within that system and ideally (key word: "ideally") have ingrained some of the basics of that system. I think in some cases, getting your black belt just means you paid enough money for it.

Perhaps in some long forgotten martial arts land, the color of your belt actually meant something. It actually spoke to the skill level you had. And it was actually awarded to you based upon some kind of test of that skill. But belts, especially within the karate world are a relatively new phenomenon. You really think "back in the day" they had purple belts to give out? You really think some old Okinawan master was like, "Here. You have earned your blue belt with white stripe." Don't believe the belt hype. Martial arts is bigger than the color of your belt. If there is any belt color that makes sense to me, it is a white belt. You will always be a beginner in one way or another because there is always something new to learn. Wouldn't it be funny if your dojo started with black belt and then decreased color from there? You'd get a "white belt certificate" once you master the system. Actually, that kind of makes sense, despite its silly nonsense.

Why am I doing martial arts? Am I training for competition? Am I training for sport? Am I training for actual real combat/fighting/self-defense (remember, wearing gloves in a ring with a mouthpiece is not "real" combat)? Unless you specify what you are training for and thus tailor your training to fit that thing, I don't think just doing your chosen martial system can prepare you for all of those things simultaneously. Training in one aspect may have cross-over benefit into another, but let's say you want to focus on competition sparring. Do you think if you trained really hard for that arena that you will be ready to defend yourself in an actual instance of violence outside of that arena?

If you are starting to believe that the power of your punches corresponds to the snap of your crisp white gi every time you punch, then try taking off your gi and punch a makiwara.

I think a black belt only really means something if you take it seriously. Cause otherwise it's just a belt. And unlike wine, it does not mean you get better the more you age.

Elbow SMASH!  
- Hiji Até