Black Belts and Levels - A Theory

Maybe it is about “Superstition.” Superstitious practices appear in every culture and in almost all belief systems since time began or rather since man first stepped on dry land and walked on two feet. The thing about superstitions are they are almost all totally meaningless and futile. 

Superstitions involve some activity and often times some symbolic adornment that is supposed to support and activate the symbol or charm in some protection often of the mind rather than reality. This particular form is called, “Protective Behavior” where one wears an amulet, talisman, charm or mascot to ward of danger or bad luck. 

These are more or less obsessive behaviors against potential dangers and with some kind of anticipation of some kind of unspecified attack. It is about an ancient survival instinctual animal wariness of the possibility of sudden, inexplicable dangers. 

Maybe, just maybe, this is why we have such a fascination and need to earn and wear the proverbial black belts. It is about a behavior that is meant to signify not only a protection against an attack, i.e. danger or dangerous situations, but as a amulet, talisman or charm it represents something that will provide us security and protection against the known and unknown dangers of life even tho most are no longer applicable in modern societies. 

Then there is the view of the various levels of sho-dan to ju-dan as they represent or symbolize a practitioners ability to protect and defend. As a symbol, talisman or charm it represents a group or tribes ability to protect and defend using martial arts along with a hierarchy similar to the tribe or clans hierarchy where one continues toward a higher level of grade or proficiency in MA as represented by said symbols, talisman, or charm representation. 

Maybe, just maybe, our preoccupation with such accouterments is about a deep seated ingrained instinct that still needs to be self-soothed and stroked to make us or give ourselves the permissions to feel safe and secure in an unsafe and insecure life.