Black belt (martial arts)
In East Asian martial arts, the black belt is associated with expertise, but may indicate only competence, depending on the martial art.[1] The use of colored belts is a relatively recent invention dating from the 1880s.[2]
Black belt
검은띠
黒帯
Origin[edit]
The systematic use of belt colour to denote rank was first used in Japan by Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo in the 1880s. Previously, Japanese Koryu instructors tended to provide rank certificates only.[3] Initially the wide obi was used. As practitioners trained in a kimono, only white and black obi were used. This kind of ranking is less common in arts that do not claim a far Eastern origin, though it is used in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.