Often I hear someone say, "He's a black belt, I wouldn't want to fight him." Often, more than not, people relate a black belt with some ability to fight, defend or have a proficiency for hand-to-hand combat. This is just not true.
In the early days my sensei, who studied martial arts since the mid to late fifties in the Marines, would tell me stories like the one Marine who was awarded his first black belt without ever sparring or competing in any type of tournament. It seems that some who just wanted a work out and to learn kata could and would be awarded sho-dan, the first level of black belt.
Now, when someone asks a person their level and they hear things like roku-dan or hachi-dan or even ju-dan (sixth, eighth and tenth dan) they are awed and make an assumption that this means they are some master fighter in martial arts. This, again, is just not true.
In my time I have bested black belts who have trained longer and hold higher levels of black belt and at the same time had kyu level karate-ka make me look like I didn't know jack and couldn't fight for shit. Some people are natural fighters and some are not. It is just the way it is. Sometimes an excellent fighter will get his hat handed to him by some joker who normally couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag.
Look at the black belt like you might see a degree from high school, college or a university of higher learning. It says a lot about the effort and diligence and intestinal fortitude of the person who has worked hard to earn those levels but it does not mean they can take that education and perform at a high level of proficiency and productivity out in the working world.
In the military I attended many "schools" but they often meant I was able and ready to begin learning the job, on the job, and over time with the hope that I would reach a very effective level of expertise some day. This is similar to the black belt system. I look at the black belt system as those higher education certifications that I have learned the fundamentals and have earned the level of knowledge to apply things appropriately as required by the system of study.
Black belts tend to mean that someone has attained the knowledge and acquired a certain level of experience that validates the knowledge so they can continue to learn and in some rare cases teach others martial arts.
Fighting, Combatives and Defense are a totally different bag of things that go beyond the black belt as a symbol or status or requisite to violence and defending against violence, etc.
I don't equate the level of ability to combat violence by the belt color or dan rank levels but by what they do on the dojo floor. I assume that anyone who steps on that floor or out in the street can fight when they show they can fight and even then it all depends on the moment and circumstances and a whole lot other stuff.
Black belt symbolizes hard work, a lot of sweat and at least a modicum of applicable ability but when it comes to dealing with violence in a social, asocial of professional way it really means nothing more than some knowledge you may or may not be able to apply in those circumstances.
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