I agree with Steer that belts mean nothing. In fact if they have a meaning it is negative. From the mid 80's on I was totally against awarding belts. I did do so again but it was actually a business based decision, not a martial arts based decision. One of the few decisions I made based on business rather than performance after the time I went to an completely eclectic training and teaching approach.

Belts to me are the strongest symbol of the traditional training approach that exists and despite the fact that a few "systems" such as BJJ and pure Muay Thai can be classified as both effective in practice and traditional in nature true excellence requires an absolute freedom from systems and tradition. No matter how good any BJJ practitioner is he still limits himself by being a BJJ practitioner instead of being completely free from the limits of "system", any system.

Look at the advancements in BJJ since the first UFC, these have come from incorporating techniques and training tools from other systems like freestyle wrestling, Sambo, and even catch wrestling. It's good that BJJ practitioners tend to be freely willing to do this but wouldn't they have been better off training in a purely eclectic way from day one instead of learning a system and then adding to it from other systems? It works, but I believe that starting from day one with a completely open mind and without the restrictions of style is the better way to go.

When I taught I never wanted any two students to advance to a high level and then look alike in their approach and technique. I wanted every one to take a separate path that fit their personal gifts and strengths. "Styles" tend to teach students to be copies of their instructor. A copy is never as bright as the original and a copy of a copy dims even further. By the time you reach the 20th or 30th generation you tend to end up with a system like most tradition styles that are no longer really practical for combat.

In fact you can see the folly of "style" or "system" in many BJJ schools today. Those that have not taken a keen interest in cross-training and expanding the system to the point that it really no longer looks like the BJJ of only 20 years ago have been left in the dust. They are not competitive with those who have continued to expand and grow the system. But wouldn't those who have continued to grow have grown and developed even faster without the restriction or hindrance of "style".