Page 37 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 113

www.sportsenergynews.com Issue #113 June 2022 37

‘X’ MARKS THE SPOT Answer Page

‘X’ MARKS THE SPOT • Answers KARATE KOMMENTS

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D E E M S O M A H A E V A
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A L V I N B O X I N X E D By Jim Riddell,

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F L E X I B I L I T Y A D O
20 21 22 Seaway Karate Club
T O L E D O E S L M S G R
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D E L I I N O P E N
27 28 29 30 T 31 32 PROGRESSIVE BELT
E W S R O N S S O R E
33 I 34 35 36 37 38 RANK SYSTEM
D R E S S D E X T R O R S E
39 40 41 n my very first Karate Komments column, which appeared in December

N E X T J E T E S S A P S Iof 2012, I explained how the Judogi (judo uniform) became standard
42 43 44 attire for karate students. The founder of Judo, Jigaro Kano, a school
A N T I T O X I N P E T E S teacher as well as a martial artist, implemented a belt system as a means
45 46 47 48 of recognising the progress of his students. Gichin Funakoshi, founder

U F O S N O P E E X O of Shotokan karate, and a close friend of Mr. Kano, adopted this system,
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C A P L E T N A N A awarding the first karate black belts to seven of his senior students on April
53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 12th, 1924.
A X L E L A W I N N I N G The progressive belt rank system consists of twenty steps, ten kyu or
61 62 63 colored belt levels, and ten dan rank or black belt levels, which are often
D I E T E X A S R A N G E R
64 65 66 referred to as black belt degrees. The starting point for a beginning student
R O T A R E N A M E N S A is white belt, with each new belt earned getting darker in color - yellow,
67 68 69 orange, green, blue, and finally brown belt. A stripe, showing progress is

E M S E S S E X E X I T S sometimes awarded between belt levels. It takes the student, on average
Puzzle by Douglas Taillon Crossword on page 34 approximately 4-5 years from the time they start the sport, before they are
prepared to take the Shodan, or 1st degree black belt test.
The black belt test is possibly the most important test that a martial artist
ever takes, the memories of this grading lasting a lifetime. Achieving a
black belt does not make the student an “expert” or “master” but recognises
that the required knowledge and competency of the basic principles and
techniques have been met. This is not the end of training, but part of what
is for many, a lifelong journey, the beginning of advanced learning. This
is provided at the Federation level with regional black belt classes, and
seminars taught by master instructors.
Advancing in rank takes a minimum of two years before being able to test
for 2nd degree, then an additional three years for 3rd degree, four more
years to 4th, etc. At 4th degree, the entire length of the belt has alternating
panels of red then black, each panel approximately six inches in length.
Fifth degree is considered the beginning of the “masters level” This means
that in the years since the Shodan or 1st degree test, a diverse knowledge has
been acquired, teaching skills have been refined, and those basic principles
and techniques have been mastered. Seventh- and eighth-degree black belts
have no black at all, the alternating panels being red and white. At ninth
degree the belt is a complete red in colour. If you have been doing the math
while reading this, you now realize that it takes approx. fifty years to reach
this point.
I am frequently asked about black belt titles and their meanings – the most
common title is that of Sensei, meaning teacher or instructor. When this title
is awarded varies from club to club, anywhere from first to third degree and
it requires spending time as an assistant instructor, as well as completing
coaching and instructor certification courses. Seaway Karate has, for the past
twenty-nine years, been a proud member of the World Kobudo Federation.
This federation, one of the world’s largest, awards the following titles, all at
Photo by Robert Lefebvre, icelevel photography the master’s level; Renshi (polished instructor), Shihan (master instructor),

Kyoshi (instructor to the masters), and Hanshi (leader).
Karate Quote: The best teachers will show you where to look, but don’t
tell you what to see.