In my association, there is a rank called “Cho Dan Bo”, which translates to “black belt candidate”. It is a solid blue belt, and it is the rank that you receive prior to testing for your black belt. I discussed what “Dan” meant in this article, so this one will focus on the “Bo” term. The character for “Bo” is 補, and is pronounced “Ho”, “Fu”, or “Oginau” in Japanese, and bǔ in Chinese. It’s meaning is to assist or supplement, to mend/repair, or to restore. It may not seem like the most fitting character to use in this case, but let’s break it down to find out more.
The character for “Bo” is made of two different characters: 衤 and 甫. In this case, the 衤 is meant to represent cloth or the action of clothing something, and 甫 represents the roots of a tree that wrap around an object. Combined, the visualization is that of the roots enveloping anything that may be damaged/torn/missing to fix it or make it whole. This character is also used in words and phrases that describe assistance, support, or as a fill in.
For most of my martial arts career, I took this term for granted as meaning “before”, but never really dug into it until researching for this article. It finally clicked when I thought of the Japanese term “候補” (Kouho), which means “candidate” or “backup”. I won’t go over 候 in this article, but the gist of it is that it means “to inquire”, “to observe”, the “season” (weather), or “to wait”. I think within the context of Cho Dan Bo, the best way to interpret the “Bo” part is “one who waits to assist”.
Why is this context important? Prior to the rank of Cho Dan Bo, gups have to trim their uniform with whatever color their belt is, but once they achieve this rank, they are required to remove their trim. This is supposed to signify an attitude of humility, remembering their time as a white belt before they test for black belt to emphasize that this is not the end of a journey, but another milestone in their martial arts journey. Cho Dan Bos also occupy an awkward spot where while they’re technically the highest-ranking gups, they have the expectations and roles of black belts but without the notoriety of actually being black belts. It can be a frustrating position to be in; being looked up by their junior members but being looked down upon by all black belts. As long as they are “candidates”, they cannot claim to be true black belts.
Another expectation for Cho Dan Bos is that they are to assist with teaching in classes, to show their potential as teachers and grow in leadership. While this process can certainly begin prior to Cho Dan Bo, it is at this stage that they deepen their commitment to the art and show they are willing to assist on the mat and the wider region. It doesn’t matter how large or small your contribution is, so I exhort you to contribute what you can, and in so doing you will be fulfilling your potential.
