Belts & Rank

How many belts are there?  What are the colors leading up to black belt?

Since the introduction of the belt system, which was first used in Judo, prospective students have held a fascination with the various colors that martial arts practitioners wear around their waists.

As flashy as a colored belt might be, it's the rank that the belt represents which is most important.  In Traditional Shotokan Karate, there are twenty ranks...  Ten lower ranks and ten upper ranks.

Each lower rank is called a Kyu.  10th Kyu is the lowest, and 1st Kyu is the highest.  Each upper rank is called a Dan.  The ordering is reversed, and 1st Dan is the lowest, and 10th Dan is the highest.  The Kyu ranks are represented with colored belts, beginning at white and ending at brown, and the Dan ranks are all represented with a black belt.

The guidelines for what color represents each Kyu may vary from one dojo to another.  Standard Shotokan practice always puts White at the beginning, brown just before black, and black representing all the Dan ranks, but all the Kyu ranks between white and brown can be different.

Some Shotokan Dojos use only a white belt, a  green belt, a brown belt, and a black belt.  White represents 10-7th Kyu, Green represents 6-4th Kyu, Brown represents 3-1st Kyu, and Black represents all ten Dan levels.  Other Shotokan Dojos prefer to uses as many colors as possible to represent each Kyu rank.  It's personal preference and often decided by the instructor.

I like to see as many colors as possible, because it can be confusing when so many students share the same color, but are in actuality, different ranks.  At Perro Shotokan Karate, our belt colors are as follows:

10th Kyu - White Belt
9th Kyu - Yellow Belt
8th Kyu - Orange Belt
7th Kyu - Red Belt
6th Kyu - Green Belt
5th Kyu - Blue Belt
4th Kyu - Purple Belt
3rd-1st Kyu - Brown Belt

1st - 10th Dan - Black Belt

Padding the Truth

Punching & Blocking Instruction

Many martial arts studios encourage trainees to wear protective gear when sparring. It seems to make sense, surround your chest, hands and feet with padding, and then a punch or kick won’t hurt so much. But a better way to prevent injury is to learn how to control your techniques and learn distance and accuracy while training. In my training sessions, pads are never worn. It’s not a new concept. Traditional martial arts styles rarely use pads, and there are two important reasons why this is the case.

First, pads compromise the effectiveness of the techniques being taught. If a person trains with pads, they become unaccustomed to what it feels like to be in good form when blocking punches and kicks. Pads make it difficult to hold a tight fist, plant the foot correctly and execute good technique. 

Second, when martial arts techniques are preformed correctly, pads don’t work. Solid technique will not be deflected by the flimsy body shields and gloves designed for martial arts practice. To illustrate, let’s use a professional boxer as an example. Think about how powerful a professional boxer’s punch can be. The way they punch is similar to how most martial artists punch. Boxers wear gloves that are far bigger and more heavily padded than martial arts gloves, and boxers still knock-out their opponents and inflict serious damage.

I know students who trained in martial arts using protective gear, and they still suffered significant injuries that range from broken noses to cracked ribs. I have never seen these kinds of injuries in any dojo where protective padding is not used. The illusion of safety offered by using pads minimizes the need to learn how to measure distance, and more importantly, makes refining actual techniques nearly impossible.

Since most people turn to martial arts schools to learn effective self-defense, it’s important to teach in a way that prepares people for real life situations. A good martial artist can knock out an opponent with one hit, whether or not they are wearing padding. Inferior martial arts instruction will promote the use of protective padding, and encourage wild attacks in an attempt to make any kind of contact. This methodology also makes inflicting an injury on a training partner a measure of success when, in fact, injuring your training partner is the exact opposite of the desired goal in karate.

In karate, it is not acceptable to harm anyone you are sparing with while training. The importance of learning to judge the distance between you and your training partner, and the focus required for every move, makes the use of pads superfluous. Knowing that your sparring partner will push you to the edge, so you can develop a swift defensive response and not be injured in the exchange, elevates sparing to a collaborative art. In karate, acquiring solid self-defense proficiency is the goal, and students need to understand the complexities and obligations of the powers they are learning to harness.

Learning Core Karate In 30 Days

Belt colors indicate rank fron KYU levels to DAN

Many of you may be familiar with the book All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum, and it is interesting to note on a similar level, that you can learn all Core Karate Techniques in just one month. Nearly everything you’ll be practicing from white belt to black belt can be taught to you in just thirty days.

This probably sounds simplistic, and maybe even unbelievable.  All Core Karate in thirty days? How can that be possible? There must be some kind of catch? There isn’t. To prove it, our dojo encourages beginners to try out month of training for free. After a month you’ll know if you have the willpower to stick through it, and then it’s up to you to make the core techniques you’ve learned effective.

Like any physical activity, there are only so many specific moves. It’s not so much how many moves we know, but more about how we can apply them, modify them and use them effectively in the spur of the moment. That’s the part that takes years to master.

To illustrate why this is the case, I’m going to use the game of basketball as an example. In basketball, there are a limited number of rules, and it doesn’t take long to learn how to play the game. That doesn’t mean a beginner will be as good as an NBA Champion in a month’s time. With sports, we accept that it takes years to perfect the technique. So why should we expect anything different when it comes to martial arts? 

Most likely, common misconceptions about karate are in part due to how martial arts are showcased in entertainment. Movies generally feature inexperienced students learning complex technique quickly, and the results are almost magical. Video games offer players the chance to learn complex button patterns, and if they memorize them all, they’re instantly expert players.

People who study karate are: driven, focused, and smart. Often, they are well educated, work in high-level professions and have exciting stories to share before and after class. They also have a natural tendency towards discipline and determination and are motivated to take the necessary time to develop amazing power and speed. After a few years of study, they earn it.

The Power Rangers Turn Twenty

Somewhere between 1993 and 2013, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers grew up, and now they’re celebrating their twentieth anniversary.

I was in fourth grade when the Power Rangers were popular, and in case you don’t remember, back in the early 90’s, the Rangers were the coolest thing on the planet.  The show was must watch television, and it was supplemented with a wide array of:  toys, video games, costumes, books, and even promotional tie-in foods!  I remember quite clearly being really excited about a red-cherry Power Rangers Power Pop!

The Rangers had all the hallmarks of a massive fad, and us kids couldn’t get enough of them.  Everyone who was anyone was crazy about the Power Rangers, and getting our hands on the various toys and collectables could literally determine one’s own popularity.  We all had our favorite Rangers, too!  Mine were Jason, the Red Ranger, and Tommy, the Green Ranger, played by Austin St. John, and Jason David Frank, respectively.

Today, Jason David Frank still practices martial arts.  He runs his own dojo, and his dedication to the show, and to martial arts, has made him an absolute fan favorite!

But like any good fad, the Power Ranger’s popularity dropped just as fast as it rose.  Three of the actors left the show, including one of my favorites, Austin St. John, and the Green Ranger became the White Ranger.  He just wasn’t as cool like that.  There was a terrible feature film, and that was pretty much it for the Power Rangers fad.

The show would continue, replacing the cast every season or so, and updating the costumes just as regularly.  It hasn’t been close to as popular as it was back in the 90’s, but it endured.

Now that he Power Rangers are turning twenty, they’re getting some serious hype again, and Jason David Frank is returning to reprise his role as the original Green Ranger in a very special episode set to air in early 2014.

It’s been a long time since the Power Rangers were cool, and since Jason and Tommy were tearing up the screen, busting aliens, and saving the world, but if you remember the original show, this might be the year to tune in one last time.  Every once in a while, taking a trip to the past can be exhilarating!  It’s Morphin Time!

Top Five Martial Arts Movies

Sometimes people ask me what martial arts movie is the best.  It’s a tough question!  There are so many that I like, so in no particular order, here are five of my absolute favorites!

1. Enter The Dragon

This was Bruce Lee's best movie. The plot is simple, but fun!

What really makes this movie shine is the martial arts sequences. Bruce Lee's impressive fighting has never been duplicated. He's fast, he's strong, and he's intense. Every martial artist should be required to see Enter The Dragon. Bruce Lee is the best of the best.

2.  The Matrix

The first Matrix movie is still as amazing as ever! It redefined special effects and introduced the world to a style of on-screen fighting that had never been seen before. For nearly a decade, action movies regularly copied what the Matrix started.

On top of all that, The Matrix has an incredible story, slick costumes, and a techie style that rocks!

3.  Kill Bill (Vol. 1& 2)

Not strictly a martial arts film, but by far my favorite of the genre. Tarantino captures so much of the traditional martial arts attitude, and weaves it together with a complex revenge story. It also pays homage to martial arts movies that came before, and it's filled with martial arts Easter eggs from beginning to end.

My favorite scenes include: "The Bride" getting her sword, the showdown in Japan, and the escape from the coffin.

4.  The Karate Kid

As I've said before, when I'm talking about The Karate Kid, the only movie I'm talking about is the 1984 classic, starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita.

The martial arts sequences aren't phenomenal, but the story captures the essence of karate extremely well. The movie also extends beyond martial arts, with elements of teen drama, that still resonate today.

5.  Teenage MutantNinja Turtles

This is a seriously great martial arts movie.  It has a fun, kid oriented plot, and a completely retro 80's vibe, which, for a variety of reasons, works so well with martial arts.

The action sequences are beyond impressive. It's amazing to think how the actors were able to execute such complex stunt sequences in thick, rubber, turtle costumes. This is a define classic.

What is the Best Martial Arts Style?

 

I’m sure you’ve heard from many Martial Arts instructors, and even more Martial Arts students, that there is one absolutely amazing, foolproof, over-all conquering style of Martial Arts. The reality however, is that the difference among most martial art styles is negligible. What it comes down to is that there are only so many ways that the human body can move, and there are two basic ways that people fight. Either they wrestle, or they box.

No matter what style you’re studying, the objective is to subdue an opponent by grappling them into submission, or by striking them down with your arms and legs. There’s no way around it.

But now, the question that naturally follows... Which method is better, wrestling or boxing?

Depending on who you ask, you’ll get two different answers. Anyone training in a style more like wrestling will tell you that they have the most effective system. Anyone studying a boxing style will tell you that they have the most effective system. It’s hard for someone planning to take up a Martial Art to get an unbiased answer.

I teach Karate, and Karate is most definitely a boxing style. So, naturally, I have my own bias. But I’m going to let you in on a secret... Someone skilled in either style will be an effective fighter. 

Is the Crane Kick Real?

Fans of The Karate Kid ask me this question all the time. I even asked this question to my first instructor when I was eight years old. And before I continue, let me be clear. When I’m talking about the Karate Kid, I’m talking about the classic 1984 movie starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. Not the remake with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan.

But, back to the Crane Kick, is it real? It’s a fair question. Who doesn’t want to learn the Crane Kick? It looks cool in the movie, and as Miyagi said, “If done right, no can defend!”

So, is it real? Well... Yes and no.

The Crane Kick is a front kick, but with one knee raised at the starting point. The defender jumps, and the leg that was planted launches up to deliver the kick, while the leg that was initially raised lands back on the ground. In Shotokan Karate, there is a kick that looks like a double Crane Kick, prominently featured at the end of the kata Kanku Dai. It’s harder to execute than the Crane Kick, but it’s even more effective.

As for the name... no, in Shotokan Karate, there is no official Crane Kick.

So, back to the original question, is the Crane Kick real? The full answer is a qualified yes, because the moves are real. Will you learn the Crane Kick in a Karate class? No, not the way Mr. Miyagi taught it.

Before I conclude, I should probably also address Miyagi’s line about: “If done right, no can defend!” In truth, there are plenty of defenses for the Crane Kick. And if you don’t believe that, just check out the end of The Karate Kid Part II.