Why do BLACK BELTS in martial arts have chips on their shoulders???

Question

I have NEVER in my life seen as many arrogant people as black belts. I understand that they did all their katas or poom se's correctly for three years and attained a black belt - but for the love of GOD... why do they have this humoungous chip on their shoulder.

This is NOT the exception - it is the rule... It is the exception to find a humble black belt :/

I have this strange feeling that the only people who will answer this question are the "humble" black belts who can do no wrong.

Answer 1

I am very sorry that this has been your experience.
I humbly apologize for them.

In their defense, maybe they are acting as they think they are "supposed" to act. Having attended college, I can tell you that there are a lot of professors who act exactly the same. If you act like you don't know anything, who wants to learn from YOU?

Answer 2

I don't know about a "chip" on their shoulders, but I have to admit, once some Martial Artist attain the rank of Black Belt, they can get arrogant. To be fair, earning the belt is a pretty heady experience. However, most Black Belts I know straddle the fence of humbleness and arrogance, with a leaning towards humbleness. Like most Black Belts, I'll walk away at a quick pace to avoid a physical confrontation because it's not worth going to jail. The strongest man is not the one who can "beat down" his opponent, but the one who can master his anger. I'm very humble because no matter how big my mountain is, there's a mountain bigger than mine. I learned that from Grandmaster Allen Lee, Wu Su Kung Fu (my discipline is Japanes Karate).

Answer 3

because any art that has a belt system involves a huge "ego" investment.

Even bjj has it, but unlike most other arts bjj closely regulates its ranking so you don't find a black belt or even a brown or purple belt that doesn't know how to fight.

Unlike many other martial arts- a black belt could mean practically anything. It could mean you are a good fighter, it could mean you don't know s hit from shinola but you do your katas well, or it could mean that you were in the kiddie class and got black belts handed to you along with milk and cookies.

Also people don't respect black belts today as the simple truth is that unless you train properly, you will get your a ss kicked- a belt won't save you from this (unless you stole bat man's belt).

EDIT: I think a large part of it also might be that they don't get the respect they get in school when everyone has to bow and scrape before them. It is one thing to respect a better fighter, which people do, it is quite another to be a part of a system where you must turn and bow before they enter.Must always accept thier ideas as right even without proof. Black belt is NOT proof of competancy in the vast majority of most arts.

maybe they were handed and asswhupin' by an "untrained" fighter who has actually fought before and they didn't, maybe they got beat by a boxer because the boxer sparred regularly while they were working on thier pretty little katas and not learning proper power generation, maybe they are miserable because they found out that point sparring doesn't equal skill.

Or maybe they trained legitimately and are just freaking pissed off that these other crappy black belts are the ones giving him/her a bad name and are costing him/her respect that they otherwise would get.

Answer 4

I am not a black belt. But the black belts I know from my school are terrific people. They are generous and kind. I am quite sure there are plenty out there with chips on their shoulders, and it sounds like you've just come across the wrong people. From what I've learned, earning your black belt is not just about the skills. To be a true, well rounded martial artist/black belt is to have the skills and to have the right attitude.
If you are attending a school in which the black belts are arrogant with huge chips on their shoulders, I would suggest finding another school where you can learn the right attitude to have as a black belt.

edit: I also want to say that in my school the black belts/instructors preach respect to us all the time. But they put a great amount of emphasis on respect between all belt ranks. To act arrogant toward anybody regardless of belt rank would be disrespectful. You should respect someone for their abilities no matter to what degree regardless of whether you like them personally.

Answer 5

I notice that this doesn't just pertain to black belts. There are many people in the martial arts who have a chip on their shoulder.
The arts seems to attract certain people, sometimes they are people who have gotten injured in some way and are now training to prevent this from happening again, on the other hand some people are attracted to the arts because they like to fight. These are the people who have chips on their shoulder.
A true artist learns to place their ego aside anything less is a perversion of the art.

Also, do not put emphasis on rank. A black belt means nothing.

Answer 6

Wow, don't know where you are studying at but from my experience they are the exception to the rule. I certainly don’t have any chips on my shoulder nor do any of the other Black belts I know, in fact, it’s just the opposite, they are about the nicest people around. Of course, we pretty much averaged 5 years for a black belt.

I will mention one thing though, it seems a lot of the black belts were recovering from some type of abuse, and they used the martial arts as a confidence booster.

If they all seem conceited, maybe you should look at yourself. Maybe you are giving them some reason to be standoffish.

Answer 7

Honestly, you didn't allow for a "humble" black belt to answer...your pose your questions as "the rule not the exception"...so, you're asking the question based on an assumption for starters and not allowing for a possiblity otherwise...

Also, the phrase "chip on their shoulder" usually refers to someone who is jaded or feels like the world is a against them doesn't it? I could be wrong, but who knows...

but...to answer your original question:

I think there are, in fact, a lot of so-called blackbelts that have gained their status for the purposes of power and utilize their "knowledge" as a commodity that can be bought and sold. How many commerical martial arts enterprises are out there? Plenty, the goal is to sell people an idea that they are better than others, allowing them to feel "power" also makes it easier for them to part with their money... It's the BEST marketing tactic ever created and it works for the person at the top of the pyramid. So what you have is a bunch of power seekers that bought their power and feel they have rights to that power...really kind of a scary thing if you think about it.

I think there are very few true "martial artists" out there that practice their art for the purpose of said art...most of these "artists" are people that grew up watching Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles or Bruce Lee movies and so have a fantastical view of what martial arts are. It's no different than the number of people who wanted to be Navy Pilots after Top Gun came out...

Answer 8

I know a lot of black belts (& am 1 myself) & I don't see that at all. On Y!A, you have no way of even knowing who is really a black belt.

There is a big difference between having a chip on 1's shoulder & being arrogant. Maybe what you are seeing is some of us responding to those who denigrate what is an important part of our lives & who we are.

Answer 9

For the ones who do have chips on their shoulders maybe they expected more once they earned their black belts. Maybe they were looking for some external fulfilment and when they found that they didn't achieve it by reaching black belt maybe they became bitter. I could see where the person pursuing the black belt just for accolades and ego boosting could be let down after attaining it.

Answer 10

Yeah, **** black belts.....
The only thing worse than black belts are Lawyers. What a bunch of low life scumbags. I've never met a Lawyer who is not an arrogant prick. Lawyers are just high school nerds who think that they are gods gift because they abuse the legal system to their clients interest.

In fact there is something worse than Lawyers...it's law students. What a bunch of idiots. They are so disillusioned into thinking they can change the world and then they just become low life pricks like every other lawyer.

Most lawyers are into bestiality as well. Exception not the rule.