Belt Rankings in FMA

kuntawguro

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With Arnis being accepted as the national sport of the Philippines , I am sure that belt ranks are going to be the way they arragnge competitions. Adapt , or get left on the side of the road. I do not like the idea of belts, but, there is not a better way to catagorize a persons ability if done with set standards for ranking level.
 

kuntawguro

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I have been teaching and promoting Kuntaw since 1973, since that time I have only advanced 14 people to the rank of black belt. I have a belt ranking system that does not go on a time in rank but strictly by skill level. I do this by a passbook. This book is set up for the rank to be tested for.

I do not line up 20 people and test them. Each student gets a book, in this book are a number of skill sets. Each student is responsible to have two instructors validate their ability in the skill sets. When the book is completed, they apply for testing. Any 10 skills are pulled from the book and they are tested in their ability to perform these skills.

This way the instructors know what skills they have not passed on in their classes and the student knows what is required of him. Those who do not wish to test for rank- still know what to ask for in regards to skills.


The quality or quantity adage goes here. i do not seek to turn out 1000 black belts who know nothing, I am out to produce students who are good at the art. If they do not make it to Black Belt, they did not earn it and thus , they cannot pass it on.

The passbooks are broken down into history, theory, stances, blocks, techniques, and weapons.

If an instructor has passed the skill on to his satisfaction, he signs the person off. The next instructor gets a chance to see what was passd on and adds to it or agrees to it and he signs off. If a student cannot perform a skill- the book goes unsigned and they stay where they are until they can perform.
 

MJS

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My Arnis group uses belt ranks, however, a) nobody wears a belt, and b) no belts are awarded until black belt. Even those of us that do have BB's, only wear them for certain occassions, ie: the group photo at a camp.

Personally, I think that much like any other art that uses rank, its done for the modern times, so people will have some sort of visual sign of progression. Then again, just because one may be wearing a brown belt or even a black belt, doesnt mean that their skills are worthy of that rank.

For me, I'm more interested in how well the person knows the material, how well they understand it, how well they can do it, teach it, etc. Those things are IMO, what really matters.

As far as the material goes....there is no more material for me to learn per se. I mean really, how many more versions of siniwali, how many katas, how many more whatever, do you really need to learn? What matters now, is how well you can perform what you already know. If what you know sucks, then anything else you learn will most likely suck too. LOL. Instead, I take certain things, and work the hell out of them. A few weeks ago, during a private lesson, my inst. put on an old dvd of the Prof. We watched him teach things, even putting the dvd into slo-mo, and it was amazing to see the things he was doing, things that unless you were either taught or fortunate enough to catch, then you never learned them. Even the way that some of the tapi-tapi, and palis-palis drills are done by some, vs. the way the Prof. did them...again, are you watching or are you really watching?

So its stuff like that, as well as giving back to the art, ie: taking on students of your own, teaching, etc. That is the stuff that is taken into consideration, obviously along with being sure that you look sharp and know your stuff, that determines whether or not you are promoted or not.
 

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