How long did it take to get yur black belt?

[kenpofighter]

I am just curious how long it took people to get their black belt or belts. I know that the average time is a little different in each martial art system, so don't forget to tell the what style you blacked in.

[Twin Fist]

TKD? 3 years give or take
Kenpo? year and a half (i came in already a brown belt so i didnt have to learn basic technique, just kenpo theory)

[Big Don]

A little under two more years. I'm a 3d Brown Belt in (EPAK) Kenpo now.

[terryl965]

In Karate about 5 year and in TKD 4.5 years, I guess it just took me longer and I trained 6 dats a week for a couple of jours a day.

[morph4me]

6 years

[Tswolfman]

4 -4.5 years TKD

[ackks10]

10 years Tracy kenpo/:boing1: parker kenpo

[tshadowchaser]

2 years in TKD
more than that in Sikaran ( most took 10 + years when I joined the system)

[Deaf Smith]

4 + years.

Deaf

[kwaichang]

8 yrs. Hakko Ryu Jiu Jitsu

[Nomad]

Karate - 5 1/2 years :)

[KenpoTex]

Just under 3 years...however, I was in the studio for 15-18 hours per week for over 2 years of that time.
The average is around 4-5 years.

[still learning]

Hello, How many of you Black Belts really feel your rank is equal to what your mind says a Black Belt should be?

It is not the lenght of time to earn a Black Belt? ...but you skills,cardio,speed,timing, and confidence is what makes a Black Belt...ONE who can fight back with proper skills......

IF you cannot beat any of your Brown belts...in a "free for all" light to medium contact type of sparring? .....90% of the time? ????

Try yourself against any boxer? ...most boxers will give you a hard time to most black belts....JUST MY OPINION HERE! ...AND experience here...

Lenght of time....is not the key...but your ability and training time put in? ...is the key. Those who train every day and daily...will improve better than those who only goes to class to train 2-3 times a week.

Aloha

[ArmorOfGod]

5 years here.

AoG

[Jdokan]

2 years 2 months...that was to learn their material...I had been training for 4 years prior to that and my basics were very strong...

[Ybot]

I will have been training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 8 years in June, and figure that I have a minimum of 6 months after before I'll be considered for black, probably more like another year.

[kenpofighter]

Keep up the good work Ybot!

[terryl965]

Seem like alot of folk have taken great leangth to getting there BB, so this makes me ask this question why is it we have so many under 25 fourth and fifth degree BB around these days?

[newGuy12]

It took me 7 years, but I was 1st Gup (brown belt in my school at that time) for a long time. I was very nervous about testing for school bb. I wished to to perfect on that test, and so I did not say "Yes" when my Instructor said to test.

Finally, though, He said, "You will test" -- and of course that is a directive, not a question -- we don't give back talk. And, I passed. 6 months later I was 1st Dan! I was in my early 20s then. MUCH faster than I am now.

Yes, if someone practices very hard every day, you can get a bb in TKD much sooner than I, but my personality kept me back.

There is no way that anyone can be 4th Degree in their early twenties. This is not possible to do. If anyone says otherwise, they are lying.

[jks9199]

Seem like alot of folk have taken great leangth to getting there BB, so this makes me ask this question why is it we have so many under 25 fourth and fifth degree BB around these days?
Because there are two very broad paths in the martial arts...

On one path, you get quick results, lots of tests, and often the instructor gears the program to what people want... which is that black belt, not the knowledge.

On the other... it's slower, longer, harder, and more painful, but you get the knowledge before the belt.

I'm reminded of a saying:

The rice grows fast, and lasts a season. The oak grows slowly, but lasts a century.

And a poem:


The Road Not Taken (http://www.bartleby.com/119/1.html)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
and sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
and looked down one as far as I could
to where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
and having perhaps the better claim
because it was grassy and wanted wear;
though as for that, the passing there
had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
in leaves no feet had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference
-- Robert Frost

Oh... and it took me 8 years or so, though I was away at college for one of those years. Minimum in my system is 5; average at least used to be around 7 or 8, though a lot depended on who your instructor was.

[thesandman]

Try yourself against any boxer? ...most boxers will give you a hard time to most black belts....JUST MY OPINION HERE! ...AND experience here...

Aloha

My experience is the exact opposite. I haven't met the boxer I couldn't reasonably easily defeat in a sparring situation. That isn't to talk up my specific abilities, any of my students could do the same thing, but rather an acknowledgment of boxings weaknesses. The only boxers I've ever met that could even give me a good fight had other training and were at the top of their field.

[Dr Rubin Frank Rhode]

HI fellow-martial artist, thank you so much the question, I am happy to respond. I started Goju Ryu Karate-Do at the age of seven years old, at White belt (10th Kyu). At 16 years old I graded for Brown Belt (3rd Kyu), at 18 years old I graded for Brown belt (2nd Kyu) and at 19 years old I graded for Brown Belt (1st Kyu) and finally, at 21 years old I graded for Shodan (1st Dan Black belt). I am now fifty years old, and have sucessfully graded for Godan (5th Dan Black Belt) on the 22nd January 2008. I also hold the Shihan Title (Renshi) from our Goju Ryu Association. I still have the same Sensei, Eddie Cave 9th Dan Black Belt. Have been with my teacher since a little boy (7 years old). I still practise 6 time a week (2 hours per day). Also do Kick Boxing (WAKO) my grade is also 5th Dan Black Belt. I also do Taiji Quan (Yang Style) and have teaching license from China. My other disciplines are Nei Gong, Qi Gong and Qi na (Chinese Grappling, similar to Jui Jitsu in some ways). I work as a Professor of Integrative Medicine in a state facility Hospital in South Africa. I have introduced Goju Karate-Do, Qi Gong and Taiji Quan to some of my patients at Hospital. We have great clinical results with most of our patients. Once again, thank you foryour interest in the Budo/Wushu Arts. Keep on training, persevere, do not loose heart if you are unsuccessful at your first grading. There are still many grading opportunities waiting for you. Honour your teachers and fellow martial artists.

Yours in the spirit of Budo/Wushu

Dr Rubin Frank Rhode, Sensei

[kenpofighter]

Welcome to MT Dr Rubin Frank Rhode! Sounds like you've been busy!

[stone_dragone]

Six years, six and a half months for my first black belt promotion.

[YoungMan]

Took me two and a half years from white to 1st Dan black.

One of our black belts made 4th Dan at age 24 I believe. Normally, our Grandmaster would not recommend someone of that age to Master level. But this guy had excellent credentials (competed in several countries, team captain etc.) so he made a special exception.

[Ronin Moose]

1st Black in Kenpo. 6 years, with two surgeries in the process.

-Garry

[Banjarian]

in my art we only have two colours. White and red. As a beginner you train in plain clothes until you complete the syllabus for about 7 months. after that you can don the art official uniform with a white belt. The red belt is worn by instructors only who have to pass a test before appointed by the grandmaster. In the end, everyone in the art more or less are in the same level in term of knowledge of the art. What made the difference is only experience and how commited are you at honing the skills taught to you in the seven months. If you dont train after the 7 months, you will forget all you have learnt.

[kenpofighter]

What system do you study Banjarian? I think that people should look more at how long one has studied, instead of what belt someone wears. We had a student who for a while wanted to wear a rope for a belt. It looked odd but really he had the right attitude. Honestly, anymore it seems like anyone can get a BB but not anyone can practice the system for a decade or two.

[Brian S]

It only took three days through priority mail.

[snoack]

As long as I pass my first attempt it will be a little under 4 years (and that's with about 6 months total time missed with injuries)- TKD

HTM took me 3 years

[FearlessFreep]

It only took three days through priority mail.

FedEx would've been much quicker although a little more expensive

[marlon]

I am just curious how long it took people to get their black belt or belts. I know that the average time is a little different in each martial art system, so don't forget to tell the what style you blacked in.


6 years shaolin kempo

[marlon]

HI fellow-martial artist, thank you so much the question, I am happy to respond. I started Goju Ryu Karate-Do at the age of seven years old, at White belt (10th Kyu). At 16 years old I graded for Brown Belt (3rd Kyu), at 18 years old I graded for Brown belt (2nd Kyu) and at 19 years old I graded for Brown Belt (1st Kyu) and finally, at 21 years old I graded for Shodan (1st Dan Black belt). I am now fifty years old, and have sucessfully graded for Godan (5th Dan Black Belt) on the 22nd January 2008. I also hold the Shihan Title (Renshi) from our Goju Ryu Association. I still have the same Sensei, Eddie Cave 9th Dan Black Belt. Have been with my teacher since a little boy (7 years old). I still practise 6 time a week (2 hours per day). Also do Kick Boxing (WAKO) my grade is also 5th Dan Black Belt. I also do Taiji Quan (Yang Style) and have teaching license from China. My other disciplines are Nei Gong, Qi Gong and Qi na (Chinese Grappling, similar to Jui Jitsu in some ways). I work as a Professor of Integrative Medicine in a state facility Hospital in South Africa. I have introduced Goju Karate-Do, Qi Gong and Taiji Quan to some of my patients at Hospital. We have great clinical results with most of our patients. Once again, thank you foryour interest in the Budo/Wushu Arts. Keep on training, persevere, do not loose heart if you are unsuccessful at your first grading. There are still many grading opportunities waiting for you. Honour your teachers and fellow martial artists.

Yours in the spirit of Budo/Wushu

Dr Rubin Frank Rhode, Sensei


how has your taiji training influenced your goju?

respectfully,
Marlon

[SageGhost83]

I am still working on mine. my military obligations have set me back awhile. I will also be moving again very shortly, so chances are I will be starting over in yet another style or school, so who knows when it will be. I don't have the belt, but I certainly have the skills and the knowledge.

[kenpofighter]

Thanks for serving our country!