A Letter to Sensei Hatgis

My sensei, Mike Hatgis, also owned advertising media, which included typesetting and printing.  When I founded Dō Gakuin in 1986, he graciously offered to have my hand-outs and fact sheets professionally typeset.  He noticed I was not following his rank structure, particularly on belt stripes assigned to different ranks.  I commented that there were some rank changes over the many years.  Nothing earth-shaking, but noticeable bumps when looking back.  As Dō Gakuin is a new organization, I wanted to start with a fresh slate and a rank belt system without hitches.  A fellow student suggested I write down my reasons for Sensei Hatgis’ clarification, and for me to evaluate these changes to see if they were valid.  Our belt structure has not changed in our 32 year history.  Here is an excerpt of the 3-page letter given to Sensei Hatgis: 

We don’t want to fail new students.  This only discourages them.  If a student isn’t really ready for the next kyu, but doesn’t deserve to fail, s/he can make half-steps (low yellow belt, low orange belt, etc.)  The kyu is followed by the word ‘”ho” (補), meaning an apprentice, or a half-step.  Many other styles call their Taigo Sho Dan rank “Sho Dan-ho”, or apprentice Black Belt.  Students making low kyu ranks will wear the color belt, but with a white stripe on the end of it as a reminder to the student and the Sensei that s/he must work harder to come up to full potential.  On the next test this student is going for the next full kyu rank, a promotion of one and a half steps.  If they don’t perform well, they may make the next low kyu (still a full step up).  If the student does poorly, but we don’t want to fail him/her, the stripe is removed and is now promoted to the present kyu in full (1/2 step up for time in training).  These ‘-ho’ ranks may only be granted up to 6th Kyu Green Belt, since the next full rank has a stripe.  After Green Belt, the student either passes or fails.

A black stripe may be placed on a Green Belt or below raising it 1/2 step (e.g. 6 Kyu-dai).  These ‘-dai’ (大) ranks may be awarded to a student with exemplary test results, making that student senior regardless of when the others earned the same kyu rank.  Students who test poorly may also be given ‘-dai’ rank on the belt they presently hold.  While perceived as a promotion, the poor-testing student now has another three months with no new kata requirements, allowing him/her to improve abilities.

 

White Belts may earn one, two, or three black stripes on their belt showing advancement, but not yet ready for Yellow Belt.

Simply put: a white stripe lowers the rank ½ step (showing closer to the White Belt end of the spectrum), and a black stripe raises the rank ½ step (showing closer to the Black Belt end of the spectrum).

*It should be noted that not long after receiving this letter, Sensei Hatgis began placing black stripes on white belts for incentive, and awarding white stripes to students who barely passed their color belt test.*
_  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _

Here is another part of the 3-page letter addressing why Dō Gakuin removes white stripes on purple and brown belts rather than adding stripes:

 

PURPLE  AND  BROWN  BELT  STRIPING

 

L.I. SHOTOKAI uses one, two, and three stripes to indicate 3, 2, and 1 Kyu Brown Belts. The Japanese kanji for ‘Ichi’ is one horizontal slash (一).  ‘Ni’ is two horizontal slashes (二), and ‘San’ is three slashes (三).  The belt stripes are illogical.

I remember Bill Martinez buying embroidered San Kyu belts for Harrison and Brucie at Honda.  They had three slash marks to indicate ‘San Kyu’ (三級).  I also remember Sensei Hatgis carefully placing one stripe of adhesive tape covering the three embroidered slashes.  This seemed irregular.
 

Brown Belts go from one, to two, to three stripes; but Purple Belts go from NONE, to one, to two stripes.  This is inconsistent.  *Note: Sensei Miyazaki (and therefore, Sensei Hatgis) originally awarded Blue Belt, then Green Belt, then Purple 1 and Purple 2.  At some point in the early 1970s they stopped giving Green belts, making Purple a 3-step belt like Brown.  Since 1 and 2 stripes were standard, Purple no-stripe was given.*

 

I once asked Sensei Hatgis why Taigo Sho Dan had one white stripe and none of the other Black Belt ranks had stripes.  Many other styles use stripes to indicate what ‘Dan’ they are.  Sensei Hatgis said that Shotokan is a modest style.  We don’t need stripes to display our rank.  I know my rank, you know my rank, my fellow Black Belts know my rank, everyone in the Association knows my rank.  I don’t have to impress outsiders by advertising my rank.  A white stripe for Taigo indicates that s/he is not yet a full Black Belt, as the belt doesn’t show fully Black.

 

Dō Gakuin uses the concept of white stripes consistently throughout the ranking structure.  Green Belt with a white stripe is not fully green, hence a low kyu rank.  Purple Belt 5th Kyu has a white stripe to indicate not yet fully purple.  4th Kyu removes the white stripe and shows the belt fully purple.  San (三) Kyu is three stripes (three steps removed from fully brown), Ni (二) Kyu is two stripes, and Ikkyu (一) is one stripe.  At some time, by my judgment, an Ikkyu’s last stripe is removed.  This shows the belt fully brown, and alerts the student to prepare for a Black Belt test.

How many times in L.I. SHOTOKAI was a Brown Belt’s stripes replaced because the adhesive wore out?  Dō Gakuin stripes are removed by promotion instead of their wearing out and falling off with age.

*Photo of Jiu Jitsu striped belt courtesy of Sensei Andrew Faupel*