The Black Belt and the the Pixelated World: Street Fighter

The Black Belt and the Idea of You might have heard someone say “he has a black belt in cooking” (or in anything else—I just happen to be thinking of food at the moment). People use this metaphor to express a mastery in some activity or field. At the opposite end of the spectrum exists the “white belt”, which people use in a similar metaphoric fashion to express a lack of skill. Both comparisons have their roots in the realm of martial arts, the black belt corresponding to a high rank and exceptional skill in the practice and white, the beginner’s belt. The black belt has come to symbolize ultimate expertise when it even isn’t currently the highest rank in martial arts (10th degree Black Belt) and I believe it has developed alongside the growth of the enchanting world of . Videogames. The Pixelated World: Street Fighter Jumping back to 1987, Street Fighter debuts, with its popular protagonist Ryu (pictured left) who is depicted wearing a white dobok and a black belt adorning his waist. Ryu, through his skill, earns his spot to fight in the World Warrior Tournament, highlighting the proficiency Ryu obtains. Simply looking at the moves Ryu employs in his fights displays a series of complex movements and techniques that would require a high, if not impossible, skill level to execute (save for those special moves; they don’t count). Ken Masters and Dan Hibiki, two other game characters, include a black belt in their wardrobe as well (interesting side note: the word “Dan”, while also a name, denotes the black belt ranks). Pokémon Through various elements of their games, Pokémon creators have associated the black belt with mastery. Going as far back as the first generation (1998) in the games we have Bruno of the Kanto/Jhoto Elite Four (left, top) a fighting type specialist who happens to be wearing a black belt. Now, to explain, the Elite Four are the most skilled Pokémon trainers in the entire region. Taking that into account, the game associates a high level of ability with that imagery of a black belt, furthering this mastery concept. Following suit, we have Marshal of the Unova Elite Four (left bottom) (Gen V), who also happens to focus on fighting type Pokémon. In addition, there is Gym Leader Chuck from Cianwood (Gen II; right). Moving from Pokémon trainers to actual Pokémon themselves, we encounter Sawk, a black-belt donning fighting type Pokémon. Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan, while they do not wear black belts, exemplify martial arts and indirectly point to black belts in their references to Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, respectively. To top it off, since Generation II there has been a hold item literally called “Black Belt” that boosts fighting type moves. According to this item, simply possessing a black belt garners a skill bonus. The Pokémon universe is filled with black belt imagery that strengthens the modern link between “black belt” and mastery”. Tekken Continuing with the discussion of video games, Tekken, debuting as an arcade game in 1994, features three characters of interest. First up into the ring is Paul Phoenix, a skilled judo fighter who aims to prove he is the “best fighter in the world”. Phoenix wears the black belt with his red judo uniform. Marshall Law appeared in the original Tekken and was a direct reference to Bruce Lee, in his attire and fighting style. Throughout the game series Law can be found with a black belt tied around his waist. His storyline places him as the master of his own dojo and devout defender for his students. Coming onto the scene in Tekken 2, Baek Doo San wears yet another (you guessed it!) Black Belt. It is a little different in this case however, as if you look at his rank, he actually has a 6th dan black belt, a little higher than just plain old black. Nonetheless, I believe at this point, not many pay attention to the number of stripes on the belt, if they pay attention to the fact there are stripes at all. San only serves to reinforce the connection between the image of black belts and mastery. Mind Games Now, the influencing power of video-games might not be an exactly mind-shattering concept, as other scholars have addressed it before. According to “Brand Logo Placements in Violent Video Games” “advertising in highly immersive violent videogames can potentially have a negative impact on change in brand attitude”. At its core this situation is no different from the “black belt” case. Here, the authors exemplify an association of a symbol to negativity and violence. Likewise, the black belt is connected to mastery through visual imagery and character skills (e.g. the “Elite Four” or tournament fighter Ryu). To give a little scholarly psychological background, In a paper from Vanderbilt, researchers describe gaming as “stimulating, a learning experience and social activity”. According to the study, gaming has the ability to engage the mind to improve problem-solving, multi-tasking, quick-thinking, and pattern recognition skills among many others. An infographic in the paper, describes how video games strengthen memory connections. Combine improved memory with pattern recognition skills, it is clear how the “black belt & mastery” symbol could have developed. Through repeated exposure and these “stronger memories” this connection becomes more apparent and is more likely to “stick” in the gamer’s mind. New Beginning As I discussed in the beginning, the black belt is not even the highest attainable rank. As the JudoInfo site puts it, someone who has a black belt “has cut the pattern and learned the basics”. According to the page the title “shodan” “literally means ‘first level’ or ‘beginning step’.”Sho-“ ( 初) itself means “beginning, start, first,” in Japanese. The black belt is clearly not the definition of master. It is rather the start of the final journey towards master. The Numbers If studies of the brain and arguments of logic are not enough to explain the origin of the black belt symbol, then I have some ever- so-interesting numbers and statistics to present. One Metrics 2.0 research study found 81% of American youth play videogames at least once a month and “gaming addiction is real and on the rise”. This research shows video games have become a key component of the lives of children, with 8-12 year-olds playing an average 13 hours each week. For argument’s sake take Nintendo’s Pokémon games. (Now please bear with me, as I am about to compound some numbers with more numbers). The franchise according to Nintendo Japan’s website, sells anywhere from 12.26 to 17.63 copies each release (full unofficial chart here). The mass amount of kids playing Pokémon frequently (as the statistics would suggest) means a mass amount of kids repeatedly exposed to “mastery” symbols of the black belt. And improved memory means that when the kids put the game down they still associate the black belt with “mastery”. Now substitute “Pokémon” in this example with any other video game and we can see that video games have created and continue to create a generation heavily impressed with this notion of the black belt as a symbol of mastery. (Actually) Only Ten More Videogames, primarily seen as sources of entertainment, have been given a new face in their power to shape meaning for an icon. The black belt has inserted itself as a part of the common vernacular in a way, and videogames have clearly connected the black belt with the idea of “mastery”, despite its inaccuracy. It may have been unintentional, and the simple tendency to associate meaning with visuals could have fueled the fire. Next time you hear someone say “she has a black belt in playing the piano” you might just think twice and remember it only really means they’ve learned the basics and still have ten more levels to reach true “Mastery” (if we’re being technical). .

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