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THE TRACYS SYSTEMOF KENPO
HISTORYSERIES

HISTORY ANDORIGIN OF THE BELT SYSTEM
by
Al Tracy
last updated 01/31/03

InThree Parts - click for the area you want to go to

UK HOtelsPART I - Origin of the Dan and KyuRanking (to be added)

ERROR MSGPARTII - Origin of the Belt System

PART III - Modern beltranking (to be added)

Canico cheap hotelsA belt orsash is only a strip of colored cloth, anyone can buy any colored belt you want and wearit. Putting on a Black Belt does not make you a black belt. Nor does holding a rank ofBlack Belt qualify you to be an "Instructor"!

What isimportant is your diploma - awarding you a Dan or Kyu rank - you can only be awarded a Danor Kyu rank by those that have the authority and power to award such a rank.

Warning: a black belt is only a black belt - your rank is your Dan or Kyurank. Anyone one can buy a black. It’s like putting a DR. after you name and claimingto be a DR. You only become a DR. by having the diploma from an accredited medical schoolto prove it. This is true of every college degree.

The martial,arts world is full of people claiming "black belt" and they have never heard ofthe Dan and Kyu rank!

REMEMBER:
A Black Belt is only a piece of colored cloth. Your rank is your authentic diploma -properly awarding a Dan or Kyu rank which is the universally accepted standard by allmajor system: Japanese, Korean and Okinawan.

ERROR MSGThe Chinesehave their own ranking system. However they have had to accept the "karate"standard for rank. This is shown when they put anyone ion competition they must placetheir student accruing to "belt rank". As a mater of fact, many Chinese systemshave now adopted the colored belt system!