Dan Curriculuum

[Explorer]

Does your system or school have a curiculuum for the Dan ranks? Everybody has a curriculuum for the kyu ranks ... but many have little direction for advanced students beyond time in rank and classes attended.

I wonder if this is why the dropout rate at 1st Dan seems so high.

 

[SFC JeffJ]

Funny you should bring this up. Just a couple of days ago my fellow bb's and I, (boy I like saying that), were talking about the same thing. It seems that for the kyu ranks every step is mapped out. Not so for the black belts. Now I think for the Dan grades, things should be a little more free form, but a few nudges in the right direction would be good. Personally, I'm just going back to the beginning and re-evaluating my basics.

Jeff

 

[KempoShaun]

Oh yes, in Tenchi Bujutsu we have our curiculuum mapped out through 6th Dan (considering 5th is the highest person in the system, we've made progress)

 

[Flying Crane]

in Tracy Kenpo, there is a set curriculum thru 5th black. It is more lists of self defense techs., along with some more forms. Looks like Tracys has also incorporated material from some Chinese arts as well.

I am somewhat familiar with the techs for the higher belts, but not intimately. But they seemed to me to be mostly more of the same kind of stuff found at the lower level. A few good ideas that seem kind of new, but not a whole lot. This relates to my feeling that Tracys simply has too many SD techs to begin with. Unrealistic, lots of repetition, too many to master, but some good ones in the mix as well. Personally, I don't see a lot of purpose in learning all these at this point, it is just sort of overdone to death.

I would rather see a trend for higher levels to explore deeper issues in the arts, like internal training. Not just collecting more SD techs that aren't necessary, and often aren't useful.

 

[Kacey]

In ITF TKD, there is a curriculum set through 7th Dan, which is master instructor rank in the ITF.

 

[chinto01]

We have a cirriculum for the dan ranks in our dojo. But we also encourage them to do some research on their own. I think that drop outs happen at sho-dan for a couple of reasons. First is that the new sho-dan feels he has reachd his goal and has nothing else to learn. Second is that the new sho-dan starts to teach at the dojo more and learn less because the instructor has no cirriculum for the dan ranks. Both of these were the case at the dojo I attended when I began my martial arts career. Needless to say I left that dojo and found a new home in the same style where learning is constantly encouraged.

In the spirit of bushido!

Rob

 

[TimoS]

In our system there is a curriculum for upto 8. dan (our maximum), but after 4. dan the requirements are "simple":

1. Has to know all techniques and kata
2. Has to be have proof of ability to teach
3. Written exam: subject is given at examination or beforehand

From 6. dan onwards you would have to have proof of further developing the style. Also for 7. dan you'd have to have a Renshi grade and for 8. dan Kyoshi

 

[fireman00]

My first school was VERY lax in letting us know when we'd be tested for our black belt or any other rank - other then telling us we "should be ready".

My new home has a list of requirements (all necessary forms, sparring time, class attendence, required reading, etc) on the wall for each level; we know that we'll have a pre-test sometime in Sept/ Oct with our test 6 months later.

 

[TimoS]

My first school was VERY lax in letting us know when we'd be tested for our black belt or any other rank - other then telling us we "should be ready".

Although we have quite strict requirements for all the grades, it does sometimes happen that we are just told to attend a test. This happened for example to me and some others in our club. We knew that there was going to be testing that day, but we hadn't even thought about testing ourselves. I was stretching and talking to my buddy when sensei comes over and asks what is our grade in kobudo. When we told that it was 3. kyu he asked us that are we going to test for 2. kyu and when we told him that we hadn't even considered it, he gave us about 10 minutes to prepare ourselves We did pass

 

[Explorer]

We've developed a curriculuum that includes: time in rank, class attendance, new kata (open hand and weapon), kata interpretation, reading assignments with written report, and seminar attendance (preferably outside our system) with written report. All facets are judged by a board and rank is awarded via consensus.

We hope this curriculuum will encourage them to be self-regulating and less reliant on being spoon fed techniques and concepts. We hope to see them formulating their own theories and philosophies; then testing them for effectiveness.

 

[twendkata71]

Sounds good. I have a similar curriculum. I also incourage black belt students to learn how to judge in competitions. If they show interest in judging , then I give them a copy of the rules booklets from different organizations. USANKF, WKF,etc. We go over the material.

We've developed a curriculuum that includes: time in rank, class attendance, new kata (open hand and weapon), kata interpretation, reading assignments with written report, and seminar attendance (preferably outside our system) with written report. All facets are judged by a board and rank is awarded via consensus.

We hope this curriculuum will encourage them to be self-regulating and less reliant on being spoon fed techniques and concepts. We hope to see them formulating their own theories and philosophies; then testing them for effectiveness.

 

[pstarr]

In Yiliquan the curriculum is mapped out to fifth duan (dan) in detail...

 

[jacktnicol]

At My dojang their are basic forms and guidelines but most of the test is picked by the bb testing. THis is because my master believes in personal growth, until black belt you have to do the set stuff but in the bb ranks you are to show what you have take from the art.
I also i believe the higher you go the more your master/teacher is less of some one to tell you "this is how you have to do" and more someone to bounce ideas off of.

Jack

 

[Brandon Fisher]

I currently have required kata and self defense techniques up to Yondan. Many on the sheets are repetitive from previous ranks except in the method they are done its the ones I have not put on the sheets that are not so repetitive. Plus teaching and tournament (competing or judging or both) time is required. 5th Dan they must have come up with new self defense scenarios to confront ever changing needs.

 

[searcher]

In Chito-ryu and Okinawan Kobudo we have everything mapped out to 5th dan. In TKD we have it mapped out to 4th Dan. I think that this is where there are generally no "new" techniques or forms to learn. It is all about your individual progression with what you have already been taught.

With each style there can only be a certain level of guidance. If you are walked through every little thing you will be a gingerbread man/woman and will not grow as an individual. JMHO.

 

[Cirdan]

Our curriculum is mapped out to 3. Dan. Above this rank is not tested for but awarded.

 

[Grenadier]

Our curriculum is mapped out to 3. Dan. Above this rank is not tested for but awarded.

That's actually fairly common. In many systems, the early dan ranks are awarded based on what one is able to take from the system. From there on, however, it can become more of a matter of what that person brings to the system.

 

[Explorer]

That's actually fairly common. In many systems, the early dan ranks are awarded based on what one is able to take from the system. From there on, however, it can become more of a matter of what that person brings to the system.

We try to prime that pump by requiring the dans to attend seminars outside or our system.

 

[TimoS]

How strict are the requirements for various dan (and also for color belts) grades? I mean, the requirements say that you have to know a, b,c and d, but are all those asked when grading or are just some of them required (e.g. a and d)? Or does it vary? For us, this varies quite a lot. For my shodan test, we were required to demonstrate one oyokumite (formalized sparring patterns) out of six required, maybe 4 or 5 yakusoku kumite (nearest equivalent of ippon kumite in our system) out of 37, one knife defence out of five required and one kata. The same amount of stuff to show was required of the others who were testing for 2. and 4. dan.

For color belts the testing varies from club to club. In some clubs I know that you are required to show everything, while in some those giving the examination just select some techniques they feel are important

 

[searcher]

We try to prime that pump by requiring the dans to attend seminars outside or our system.

That is a great approach. I like it.