Alright, alright, let’s talk about this judo rank thing, you know, like those belts they wear. I heard folks call it “judo ranks nyt” or somethin’ fancy like that, but to me, it’s just belts, plain and simple. So, let’s get down to it, no big words, just the way it is.
First off, you got the beginner stuff, the “kyu” ranks, they call ’em. That’s like when you’re just startin’ out, learnin’ the ropes. They give you different color belts, you know, white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown. It ain’t always the same everywhere, some places do it different, but it’s all the same idea. You start with white, ’cause you don’t know nothin’, then you get better, you get a different color. It’s like growin’ crops, ya start with a seed, then a sprout, then a little plant, ya get the picture?
- White belt: You’re a newbie, fresh off the farm, don’t know a throw from a tumble.
- Yellow belt: You learned a little somethin’, maybe you can trip somebody without fallin’ on your own face.
- Orange belt: You’re gettin’ the hang of it, a little stronger, a little smarter.
- Green belt: You’re startin’ to look like you know what you’re doin’, got some moves.
- Blue belt: You’re pretty good now, can handle yourself, but still got a lot to learn.
- Brown belt: You’re almost there, almost ready for the big leagues. Just a little more polish and you’ll be shinin’ like a new plow.
Then comes the “dan” ranks, that’s the black belt stuff. That’s when you really know your judo. But even then, there’s different levels of black belt. It ain’t just one and done. You got first-degree black belt, second-degree, all the way up to tenth-degree, though I ain’t never seen nobody that high up. Must be some real tough old birds, them tenth-degree folks.
Now, this whole belt thing, it ain’t just about showin’ off. It’s about showin’ how much you learned, how hard you worked. It’s like farmin’, ya put in the time, ya get the harvest. Ya put in the sweat, ya get the belt. It’s a way of keepin’ track of who’s who, who knows what. And it ain’t just about beatin’ people up, it’s about learnin’ respect and discipline too. Like when you’re raisin’ a calf, ya gotta be patient, ya gotta be firm, ya gotta be respectful of the animal. It’s the same with judo, ya gotta respect your teacher, your classmates, and even your opponent.
I heard tell of some fella, Keanu somethin’-or-other, movin’ star or somethin’, he’s got a black belt, not just in judo, but in other fightin’ stuff too. Karate, they call it. See, that just goes to show ya, even them fancy city folks can appreciate a good scrap and the hard work it takes to get good at it. Shows it ain’t just for us country folk, though we probably learn it faster, havin’ to wrestle hogs and such.
So, this judo belt system, this “judo ranks nyt,” whatever you wanna call it, it’s a way of showin’ progress, showin’ skill. It’s a ladder, ya start at the bottom and ya climb your way up, step by step, belt by belt. And just like climbin’ a ladder on a windy day, it takes balance, strength, and a whole lotta grit. And just like farmin’, it takes time, effort, and patience to get good. But if you stick with it, you’ll get there. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll even get yourself one of them fancy black belts. The belt system just shows your learning journey and you shouldn’t get discouraged if you see someone with a higher belt. Everyone starts somewhere and you’ll get there with hard work.
And don’t go thinkin’ it’s easy, no sir. It takes a lot of sweat and a lot of tumbles. You’ll get thrown around like a rag doll, you’ll get bruised, you’ll get sore. But that’s how you learn. That’s how you get stronger. You gotta fall down a hundred times to learn how to stand up right, just like learnin’ to ride a mule. And that’s what them belts show. They ain’t just pretty colors, they’re a mark of how many times you got back up after you got knocked down. They represent perseverance. You are gonna get better, it just takes time, just like how the harvest season comes around every year without fail if you nurture your crops.
So next time you see someone with a judo belt, remember, it ain’t just a piece of cloth, it’s a story. A story of hard work, of dedication, of learnin’ and growin’. It’s a story of sweat and tumbles and gettin’ back up again. And that, my friends, is somethin’ worth respectin’. It’s like lookin’ at a field of wheat ready for harvest, ya know the farmer put in the work, and that’s why he gets the reward.
