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The information in this topic is based on logic and reason, not capitalism and sentimentality. If you believe the martial arts are sports in which everyone, regardless of age, gender, or physical, mental, or emotional capabilities, may participate and earn a black belt, then you should not read this topic since it will probably upset you. However, if you believe the martial arts are fighting, combat, “martial” arts, not sports, and that the black belt, which once held a position of prestige as a symbol of a warrior, has been degraded to the point that the black belt is considered just another rank, brought about by commercial schools giving it to the undeserving in an effort to retain more students, then read on.

High times

In the past, the black belt was the elusive, ultimate goal of all martial art practitioners. It marked a person as a warrior who had endured years of arduous training and hours of tough testing by martial art masters to earn the coveted belt. Black belts used to be rare; partially because there were not many martial art schools around, but mainly because the requirements for black belt were so high that most people did not want to put in the time, effort, and pain it took to earn one (in the past, money was not a limitation since instructors charged little to nothing).

The black belt once held a position of high prestige. Everyone wanted one, but few had one. However, times have changed!

Low times

Now, in most martial art schools, anyone, no matter their age, gender, or physical, mental, or emotional capabilities, may become a black belt. The philosophy is that, if the person comes to class and tries, then the person should be promoted, even to the black belt level. Go to any grade school and you will find numerous children with black belts. At any large gathering of adults, you will find numerous current black belts (not ones earned in better times), even among the unfit or physically or mentally challenged. Nowadays, the black belt no longer holds a position of high prestige. Its position is not necessarily one of low prestige; it is more one of no prestige. No one cares any more, one way or the other.

In the past, when you said you were black belt, people would say, “Wow!” Now they say, “Oh, that’s nice.” A black belt used to be considered the consummate warrior who could, and would, fight for the right, no matter the consequences. The reason this was expected of them was that—this was what black belts did. They were hand-to-hand combat experts who fought for the right. Now black belts are just athletes who play the sport of "martial art.”

If you are a doctor or a nurse and a person on the street falls unconscious, the public expects you to spring forward and take control. Most will, and most will be able to handle the situation since that is what they do. If you a black belt and a person on the street is being attacked, the public expects you to spring forward and take control. A few will and, of the few, only a few will be able to handle the situation since most black belts have no idea of what to do since they are sportspersons, and of the ones who do know what to do, few are not capable of actually doing it.

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