Black Belts

MRKD

Makoto Ryu Karate Do

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The new student in most martial arts system wears a white belt, according to tradition it signifies innocence purity or the beginning, the first step. With time the belt becomes soiled from training, so the second stage of learning is signified by the brown belt. As even more time passes the belt becomes darker until it turns black, this is how the legend of the black belt was born. Pre 1930, the coloured belt system was not invented, the coloured belt system came about post 1930 when the martial arts become westernized. Traditionally the belt was used by martial arts practitioner for nothing more other than to keep their pants from falling down. The dirtier your belt the longer you have been training. Modernization and commercialism has change the ranking system within the modern day martial arts, one belt is replaced by several coloured belts, and the black belt is enhanced by levels of Dan's, but still, darker the belt the more experienced the practitioner. The black belt today still holds the mythical perception of perfection and completion but in actual fact it signifies the beginning, the beginning of a greater learning about the individual mentally physically and spiritually, the path has only just begun. 

To put it in modern day terms, a black belt signifies the completion of your apprenticeship, you have prepared yourself, mentally and physically with the appropriate tools to endure to rest of your journey. Each black belt has endured and dedicated themselves to learning and pushing themselves to their boundaries and then some more. They find the more they push those boundaries, the focus on the next boundary is higher and greater than the last. As all people are different each black belt reaches out in different directions pushing their own individual boundaries, making them an unique individual. All our black belts are unique in their own special way developing his or her own special qualities and skills that makes them like no other black belt, an individual. 

 

		Meet Our Black Belts
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