White belt

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In many martial arts, the white belt is worn by beginners(apart from Jujitsu, where this is the second belt, up from red). Most gi will come with a white belt packaged inside. Symbolically, a white belt is sometimes said to represent a tabula rasa, ready to acquire understanding of the art.

In some styles, students wear white belts until they receive their first rank of black belt. There is some debate on this topic. One camp sees colored belts as frivolous, as anyone without at least a first-level black belt is still very much learning the basics. Those with this view are also often concerned that students will worry too much about rank, and become unjustifiably arrogant with each trivial promotion.

Another camp, comprising the majority of instructors and styles, believes that ranks are a motivating factor, and for this reason considers them important: by providing small signs of success and recognition, students are more confident, and their training is more structured. Additionally, advocates of rank believe that the ranking system encourages higher ranked students (or senpai) to assist lower ranked ones (or kohai), and lower ranked students to respect their seniors. A ranking system also helps in sparring, or kumite, between practitioners, allowing opponents to somewhat accurately judge each other's skill. This helps in preventing gross mismatches or accidents.

In Japanese arts, white belt-wearers are referred to as "mudansha," and white belt ranks are called kyu.