Do Belts Really Matter?

Some people think that belts are just a waste of time, while others think they are a necessary part of any martial art. While having or getting a belt can be motivational and show your progress. It is not necessarily everything. You can go online and buy a black belt for $5, but does its really having any meaning when you do that? No it doesn't. You have no skill and no training to back it up. Belts are used to show your rank and how far you have progressed as well as where your skill level should be. After getting the first few belts, achieving the next belt becomes harder as your skill become more refined. As a kid learning martial arts the belt can be used to motivate the kids to push themselves and try harder, as they go up in rank they must work even harder. The belt has no meaning unless you have the skill and knowledge to back it up.