Hi, It's my understanding from Guro Jun DeLeon (Kali DeLeon) there weren't any belt systems in the PI's until recent years. I believe around the 60's or 70's. Guro Jun is a native Filipino currently residing in Toronto Canada. He learned a family system and later from Leo Gaje and Dan Inosanto. Guro Dave

Many FMA system in the RP do not. But Major multi-system like Doce Pares Multi-System, Modern Arnis, Cacoy Doce Pares, and ones that compete in the Karate world like Kuntaw n Pilipinas do have formal belts and testing. Many systems that have come to the US & Hawaii have adopted belts. This because these instructors in their travels came across other Asian Arts that use a belt system. Typically if the school competes in tournament other then just FMA then will have belts as certian levels are required to fight in that division. Belts do not equal rank typically but represent levels of learning or knowledge. Some schools use ranks like student, senior student, student instructor, instructor, and Master. Some just use time in training like 6 months, 1 year and 2 years and 5 years. In theory if you trained for 6 months you would have basic level, at 1 year you would be intermediate, at 2 years at and advanced level and at five years a full understanding or Mastery of the information and skills

Thanks alot for the response i really appreciate it .