Red Belt is a top belt since when?

Question

Traditional Jujitsu Belts

White

Red

Yellow

Orange

Green

Blue

Purple

Brown

Black (1st dan)

So since when did misinformed, assumption making, misconception making Americans get that "red belt" is like some top notch "God" belt? When and how did this happen?

Answer 1

I don't know but in my style traditional japanese karate red belt just means you are somewhat advanced

white

yellow

gold

orange

green

blue

purple

RED

brown

brown

brown

black

Answer 2

The red belt isn't resurved for the founder, the Red belt is given to someone who has traveled the whole path from beginer to master (9th dan) since 10th dan is reserved for the founder, red belt represents the circle, from beginer to master and back to beginer.  No Idea where the red belt comes from but In Kung Fu the Red sash is pretty high if not the highest, colour doesnt matter

Answer 3

In Karate, red belt means you're a master.

In Japanese martial arts, there is no such thing as gold belts. I think those typical fake American gyms mistakened the gold belt in Kung Fu.

Throughout history, there has been only limited amount of people who has earned the right to recieve the red belt and none of them are young, and you can never recieve this belt just by being good at Karate.

Answer 4

Since WAAAYYYY before you were born, KID!

The red belt is used in TKD as an underbelt.

In Okinawa and some Japanese styles, It is the highest rank.

It is a rank used by the highest practitioner or founder of an art or style...

10th Dan

Reflecting what Docroy and Katana said... The Okinawans below 10th Dan who could use a Red Belt are those who are descendants of the Royal Bodyguards. They are easily recognizable by the wearing of the Crests of the Royal Families. Look at old pictures of Kenwa Mabuni and present pictures of Tetsuhiro Hokama. They are such descendants.

Choki Motobu was Royalty but there are no pics of him wearing his Family's crest.

Answer 5

I born Japan, study karate since 4 year old, you misinformed, some karate styles have red belt for judan sensei. In China gold and red sashes for sifu.

Answer 6

Going back to Chinese arts, the colour red is considered very special. At one time only the Royal family in China were allowed to wear the colour. Even now, gifts are given in red envelopes to signify good luck and prestige.

katana is absolutely spot on with his facts about the Okinawan arts and the value of the red belt. I believe that there was something as well relating to Judo's early days (Mifune??) where they used red to distinguish the very high ranks (8-10th dan).

It's also worth bearing in mind that the plethora of coloured belts you see in a dojo now never existed 40 or 50 years ago in Japan. If memory serves me right, it used to be white, green, brown and black.  It was only in the sixties and seventies that the number and colours of belts increased. I also seem to remember a very high ranked Western master (might have been Donn Draeger) criticising the way that commercialism had caused this madness.

These days, it tends to be that you wear black from 1st to 4th (with tags showing relevant grade), black and red from 5th to 8th and red for 9th or 10th (Depending if the founder is alive or who is the highest grade in the system).

Hope that helps

Answer 7

i think an american to get a black belt is more prestigious

Answer 8

It was not the American's. Many Okinawin karate styles have a solid red belt resereved for the founder of a style, or the head person of that style. Some American organizations use it to show the head of that organization.

It is no more ridiculous then a 37 year old Grandmaster. The Okinawins would laugh at that, even though it is acceptible to Americans.

Answer 9

It's a special level in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Answer 10

I don't know about the belts in BJJ but I do know about belts in Japanese and Okinawan arts.  Some styles of Okinawan martial arts do have a solid red belt. It is reserved for the highest ranked person in the style(usually). It is not used often.  The confusion about red belt being such a high rank comes from the fact that many of the Korean martial arts also have a red belt. The difference is that in Korean martial arts a red belt is below black belt.

Someone else mentioned that some styles use the rec belt to indicate a master. That is true now but 20 years ago it was not the case.  Today there are a different number of belts, colors, and stripes everwhere you go.