Scott Butler. age 11, of Denton, Texas, for his question:

WHAT IS A BLACK BELT IN JUDO?

Judo is the sport in which a person uses balance, leverage and timing to pin or throw an opponent. Belts of various colors signify ranks of judo achievement. By the time you work up to an expert rank, you are able to wear a black belt.

The United States Judo Federation officially recognizes three belt colors: white, brown and black. Beginners wear white, intermediate competitors wear brown and the experts wear black.

In addition, each color rank consists of various degrees of achievement. Many clubs award other colors, such as green or yellow, for the degrees within the white belt rank.

Judo was developed from jujitsu, an ancient form of self defense practiced by the Japanese warrior class called "samurai." Jujitsu included such techniques as choking, kicking and twisting an opponent's arm.

Judo gained world recognition as a major sport in 1964, when it became part of the Olympic Games.