In the martial arts, there are many different disciplines, or styles. Each discipline, along with its supporting organization, has different ways of showing the level of experience. Most do this by way of awarding a colored belt. The different styles may vary a little in which order the colored belts are earned. The history of the colored belts is that martial artists started out with a light (white) colored belt (usually to support their pants). As they gained experience (over time), the belt showed the signs of its age and ware-and-tare, and the belt got darker. Consequently the darker the belt, the more experienced the martial artist. This is one of the reasons why it is said, that one should not wash one’s belt, because it may wash away the knowledge. At Eagle Spirit Karate, we don’t just give out colored belts just for money, or just because a certain amount of time was spent at the Dojo. Our belts are earned by the student’s proficiency of the techniques required for each belt rank.