The Meaning of Rank

There are lots of styles out there. Each one has its own unique system of rank. Just about all of them are built around the black belt, a long strip of black fabric that has long been known as the symbol for opponent crushing abilities. Given the huge number of arts, though, the black belt is not a universal standard. It is an indicator of rank, to be sure, but also a representation of skill.

Typical Martial Arts Rank Certificate

The exact definition of rank will vary from person to person. Some would say authority, while others would say it implies certain skills. I think it represents authority because of the implied skills. The reason that someone is given the authority of their rank is because he or she has demonstrated the skills necessary for that rank. Some schools use requirements (i.e. a list of skills), while others take a less formal approach. In general, you'll find that larger schools tend to use the formal approach, while smaller schools use less formal evaluation. Formal tests determine if the student can perform form (ie. kata) X or one-step Y or break object Z. Complete those steps, and receive your rank. The less formal method employs a much subtler approach which often uses much more in-depth knowledge of the student. An instructor might require that the student achieve some level of proficiency with a particular skill, attains a certain level of self-confidence, or finally learns some concept. The difference between these two styles is that larger schools cannot focus on individuals as much as smaller ones, and so they must formalize in order to still be able to maintain some kind of ranking system. The students may only ever see the head instructor during tests, and maybe really only on the black belt test. The smaller schools don't have to worry about logistics. One on one with the instructor is much more common. However, tests that are not formal can be subjective.

Neither system is inherently superior, and both have their strengths and weaknesses. The larger schools have more funding, and so can afford to buy nice training equipment, mats, and the other luxuries given a reasonable cash flow. To achieve this, they must sacrifice the individual attention and rely on the "system" to evaluate students. This means that the students will all have to achieve a consistent benchmark in order to attain rank. The consistency promotes fairness. The smaller schools, as you probably guessed, will not have as much cash flow (unless they cater to the very rich, but I'm taking in general here). Instructors can work with students much more closely, and the potential for learning is very high. Instead of a few specific benchmarks, the evaluation criteria are arbitrarily high, depending on the instructor. This doesn't mean that the smaller school won't have requirements. More than likely the smaller schools will have more requirements, just not ones that you can check off on the next test. In my opinion, this is because the larger an organization is, the greater the tendency to water down the requirements.

So what does this mean for rank? I'm not arguing specifically one way or the other (though I do prefer smaller schools), but rather providing you with a yard stick to measure rank yourself. How long does it take to achieve 1st Dan (black belt) at the school? If it's two years, consider going somewhere else. The skills in virtually all martial arts take longer to master than that. If it is a smaller school, you should expect to get a lot of time with the instructors. If not, move on. For me, the absolute most important criteria is to figure out whether or not the school's primary task is to make money or teach the art. If they are only in it for the money, will the rank mean as much as with a school that teaches the art as its primary task?

The thing is that there is no hard and fast way to know what rank such and such at a particular school really means. It's entirely possible that someone has broken from their own school and formed a new style, declaring themselves 10th Dan (this is rare, but it does happen). Another problem is that, despite the many attempts to unify the martial arts into universal umbrella organizations, things are very splintered. Even similar styles have competing organizations.

Given all of this, how can you possibly know what rank means? Rank only has meaning within the organization it has been provided. Just like a CEO of one company can't go over to another company and automatically be the CEO, so too works the martial arts. The term "black belt" has a slightly different meaning depending on the system and school you go to. Some styles say you are a black belt after two years, while others take close to ten (assuming the students apply themselves diligently). In some ways, this does make sense. Someone who is skilled with punches and kicks isn't going to automatically know the intricacies of Brazillian Jui Jitsu. The issue is that how can you judge what it really means to be a black belt in those organizations? The ability to teach? The ability to destroy an opponent? Thorough knowledge of the art?

Most schools make the achievement of black belt difficult enough that it is a fairly good indicator of skill. Obviously, there is no universal rule that puts this rank against some universal yardstick. To exist within the framework of an organization, you have to adhere to the established rank system. To know what the rank X means a practitioner is capable of, you have to observe. It's just like the militaries of various countries. All have their own unique systems of rank, but what an army is capable of is doing is far different from the rank system it is built around.

And finally, perhaps the worse part (for new students) is that there is a fairly general consensus that the black belt is not an ultimate goal. This is a surprise to most students when they hear it the first time. The closer a student gets to black belt, the more I remind them that it is a beginning, not an end. It means that you have mastered the basics, not the art. Think of it like a pilot's license. It takes a decent amount of effort to get one, with all the flying and class work (and, uhg, money!). Would it make sense to put all that effort into getting a pilot's license just because you might have to fly a plane one day? If you didn't fly for many years, it is highly unlikely that you would be able to hop around the patch with any competence. The same is true for the martial arts. You have to keep practicing, or your skills will fade.

One of the tenants of my organization is "Forever growing, forever learning." Rank is far more significant to me for someone who practices constantly, continues learning, and adapts to new things. That's the real driver of a martial artist's abilities.