Most beginning martial artists assume having a black belt means one has learned everything about the art. This is a dangerous mindset because the moment one stops learning, one stops living. In reality a black belt is only the beginning; it means the student is mature enough to understand his or her limitations. This is one reason Why black is not our final belt at Inner Wave Pencak Silat.
The belt sequence below is a guideline for how one should progress through our curriculum. Like all things in Silat there are no hard-set rules. The student is never limited by his belt, and he or she is encouraged to explore all aspects of the art.
Inner Wave Pencak Silat Ranking System
Life’s cyclic nature is illustrated by the progression of the belts. Death gives rise to life. Life gives rise to death, and the cycle has restarted.
1. White Belt / Future Family (Calon keluarga)
The darkness of night brings a new blanket of snow in the morning. The snow covers all impurities. Like the snow, the student is pure, with no knowledge of the art, ready to embark on a new journey.
2. Yellow Belt / Beginner I (Pratama Satu)
As the morning sun rises, the snow melts and exposes the ground. The new day has begun and brings many new challenges. The student must tread carefully on the new ground and proceed with caution.
3. Green Belt / Beginner II (Pratama Dua)
The melted snow has soaked into the earth. The exposed ground forms a strong foundation from which a tree can grow. Up until now the student has been preparing to grow, but now he / she is ready to progress both physically and mentally.
4. Red Belt / Intermediate (Tamtama)
The sun’s fiery heat and energy creates the right environment for a seed to grow into a tree. The student is ready to develop his / her fire element into powerful, explosive energy.
5. Blue Belt / Advanced (Utama)
Water provides the life force for all living things. Rain falling to the ground allows a sapling to spring from the earth. The student should learn the qualities of water. Water’s strength allows it to erode canyon walls and is powerful like a flood or tsunami. Water’s ability to yield and absorb allows it to fill any form and move around anything in its way.
6. Brown Belt / Young Teacher (Guru Muda)
Nothing can grow continuously without stopping. As the cold winds of autumn approach the tree will stop photosynthesizing and turn brown. The tree’s food and energy are stored in its roots seated firmly in the earth. As a student, it is important to step back and reflect on all you have learned. Like the Wind, the student’s presence should be felt but Without being present. Like the earth, the student should be firm and grounded. This is the time to blend earth and wind with water and fire. It is at this stage the student learns to be a teacher.
7. Black Belt / Intermediate Teacher (Guru Madya)
As Winter approaches the tree has decayed and carbonized into a dense coal. This hardness contains a reservoir of untapped energy. The student learns to become solid like iron or wood. The soft blend of elements from the brown belt should anneal like a knife getting pounded on an iron smith’s anvil.
8. Red and White / Advanced Teacher (Guru Utama)
The densely packed energy from the coal gives fuel to start life anew. Instead of plant life we have human life, structured of bone and flowing with blood. It is this humanity that allows a student to incorporate all of the Inner Wave Pencak Silat skills into his or her daily life.
9. White Sash (stagen) / Master Teacher (Guru)
We have come full circle. A new snow has fallen and covered everything once again. The student has mastered Inner Wave Pencak Silat and has all the skills and knowledge about the art, yet he or she is as humble as a beginner. The guru understands he is still a student and realizes it is time to live humbly as part of the community.