black belt attitude

[woot]

I seem to have a habit of going to my dojo for a few months then take some time off, then after about a 4 to 5 months get the itch to go back and stay for a few months then the cycle repeats itself. Needless to say I have been just on the edge of getting my black belt for about, oh 5 to 6 years now. All that time there was this other guy who was really nice and talkative, like he was everybodies best friend. He eventually tested for his black belt and when he recieved it he disappeared for a while. Well he started coming back around and now there's a whole new group of students in the class along with myself. But this guy now has the cockiest attitude. I talked to him about how well he did during sparring and he says things like, "I'm out of shape" or "I wasn't really trying that hard." Just really cocky stuff.

Do any of you see this kind of thing happen when people get promoted to black belt?

 

[Touch Of Death]

I seem to have a habit of going to my dojo for a few months then take some time off, then after about a 4 to 5 months get the itch to go back and stay for a few months then the cycle repeats itself. Needless to say I have been just on the edge of getting my black belt for about, oh 5 to 6 years now. All that time there was this other guy who was really nice and talkative, like he was everybodies best friend. He eventually tested for his black belt and when he recieved it he disappeared for a while. Well he started coming back around and now there's a whole new group of students in the class along with myself. But this guy now has the cockiest attitude. I talked to him about how well he did during sparring and he says things like, "I'm out of shape" or "I wasn't really trying that hard." Just really cocky stuff.

Do any of you see this kind of thing happen when people get promoted to black belt?

Wait till you see the eighth degrees.
Sean

 

[The Kidd]

I see alot of them quit because they think they have accomplished their goal.

 

[Drac]

I see alot of them quit because they think they have accomplished their goal.

And in reality their journey has JUST begun....

 

[tshadowchaser]

Not hearing his words it is hard to assess how they where voiced. Saying "I’m out of shape" can be one of the most truthful things a person says when just returns to practice, no matter how well he dose.
"I wasn't really trying that hard." on the other hand can be cocky if the person making the comment has totally dominated the match.
These things are common in all schools, I think, because all school have a wide variety of people attending and their are always some cocky people in most classes

 

[bushidomartialarts]

it's been my experience that almost all new black belts (myself included) become insufferable jackasses for somewhere betweenn 4 and 8 months. then they settle down and figure out their position in the food chain.

it's normal. he'll get over it.

 

[terryl965]

Every person has there agenda for training some believe it is a always thing while other believe it is a now thing. I personally believe it is a life journey

 

[Brandon Fisher]

I have seen it many times over the years. Some have gotten over it after a good knockin but others never do. Then others get over it naturally or never hit that point.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

And in reality their journey has JUST begun....

A very, very true statement Drac! The moment you think you have arrived is a moment to reflect and realize that you have a long, long, long way to go!

 

[kidswarrior]

And in reality their journey has JUST begun....

Right on. I see 1st degree BB being the very beginning--just the toe over the threshold--of any kind of real proficiency or expertise. Every time I'm fortunate enough to go up a level, I learn how much more there is to know. But it's exciting to know there's so much to learn. What a bore if we ever came to the place where one could (HAD!) to say, I know it all. MA would be a real drag then, wouldn't it? So, I enjoy the journey--and, yes, the occasional milestones of recognition in belt level--but definitely the process more than the product.

But hey, I'm old so I see things differently. Not compelled to put my stamp on the world anymore. Just want to help as many people as I can, and am blessed that the way that shakes out for me is to keep teaching (and so learning!) martial arts to kids.

Who started me on this rant, anyway? Sorry....:asian:

 

[still learning]

Hello, This is the pattern for most schools. They may have produce a large number of Black Belts....But many quit or move away, or just don't want to do it anymore, and for some... there life style changes...many times work and children takes up all the time.

As one gets older...other things take up more time in one's life. To be a very good martial artis is like being a very good golfer. You have to practice all the time.

Like a tree...when you start learning,the seeds are planted, as the learning progress so does the size of your tree, often it can grow fast,others' more slowly, it can branch out, ...each tree (person) will grow in their own ways.

Stop the training is like stopping the growth of a tree....our muscles work the same way...stop doing push-ups for while....than you have to start over to get back to the same place.

Weather changes, so does the seasons....life is like that....we all change about alot of things....including the martial art training. (tons of reasons here for each individual).

Sometimes the passons leave us... (I rather be? ..fishing..golfing...playing with the kids,grand kids...) Nothing in life stays constance.

Remember it is easy to quit..give-up.. and stop training....ONLY those who can keep it going.....will be the true martial artist....Because they LOVE to DO IT! ..........Aloha ...sometimes I rather be FISHING! (my other hobby).

 

[Kacey]

And in reality their journey has JUST begun....

How very true... while in reality, black belt is just the beginning. Too many people see black belt as the ultimate goal, and never set a goal beyond that... and having reached their goal, they move on to something else (or nothing else) instead of setting a new goal.

 

[Grenadier]

It might very well happen to many freshly minted shodans. However, once they start training with the other, established yudansha, most of the soon realize that they've got a long way to go, even before they're in the same ballpark as the other, more experienced shodan holders.

It's OK to be proud of being a yudansha rank holder, as long as you realize, that it's an award for having finally become proficient enough in the fundamentals, that you're ready to move on to the next thing. It does not, however, mean that suddenly, you become the peer of the other black belts in there. That takes even more time and patience.




If you talk with the chief instructor of a school, you'll get some disheartening figures. Maybe only about 1 out every 50 or so (maybe even more) students who start at white belt will make it all the way to shodan. That's to be expected.

However, out of all of those who make shodan, probably less than 10% of those yudansha will make it to nidan. This is a very discouraging thing to hear, since they're just at the point where they're ready to take on the next level of learning.

 

[searcher]

The point of people thinking they have completed their journey is correct. I have seen so many think they are the baddest kid on the block when they get that black piece of cotton. The best way to fix the attitude is to knock it out of them. Nothing sets them in place like a yellow or orange belt dropping a BB.

 

[Kenpojujitsu3]

How very true... while in reality, black belt is just the beginning. Too many people see black belt as the ultimate goal, and never set a goal beyond that... and having reached their goal, they move on to something else (or nothing else) instead of setting a new goal.

Ayup.

 

[Shotgun Buddha]

The black belt is not the beginning. The beginning was the day in training you first started thinking for yourself. Black belt is just another point on the journey after that.

 

[IcemanSK]

The hard part of teaching that "it ain't about the belt" & "life beyond BB" is that most of us (& our arts) have belt systems & tests for those several times a year. So, to some degree, it is about the belts. I agree totally that "BB is just the beginning" but it's still important to the rest of the world (& we must admit) to us as instructors.

Students quit at all levels, not just BB, for dozens of reasons. Some legit, some less so. It's a fact of teaching. If we were teaching dance we would say, "why did she quit? She had the lead in the Nutcracker last Christmas." It would be sad that we had a promising student leave, but I doubt many dance teachers wring their hands over the "one that got away" when they have a room full of eager students daring you to bore them because they love it so much.

I don't mean to minimize the issue. Student retention is important. But, as the bumper sticker says, "Life is what happens when you make other plans."

 

[Shotochem]

The point of people thinking they have completed their journey is correct. I have seen so many think they are the baddest kid on the block when they get that black piece of cotton. The best way to fix the attitude is to knock it out of them. Nothing sets them in place like a yellow or orange belt dropping a BB.

LOL, I've seen it before.

Guy comes in after taking another style for x amount of years and starts a new system at whitbelt. Younger arrogant higher rank gets his clock cleaned by lowly whitebelt.:roflmao:

-Marc-

 

[kidswarrior]

The hard part of teaching that "it ain't about the belt" & "life beyond BB" is that most of us (& our arts) have belt systems & tests for those several times a year. So, to some degree, it is about the belts. I agree totally that "BB is just the beginning" but it's still important to the rest of the world (& we must admit) to us as instructors.

Students quit at all levels, not just BB, for dozens of reasons. Some legit, some less so. It's a fact of teaching. If we were teaching dance we would say, "why did she quit? She had the lead in the Nutcracker last Christmas." It would be sad that we had a promising student leave, but I doubt many dance teachers wring their hands over the "one that got away" when they have a room full of eager students daring you to bore them because they love it so much.

I don't mean to minimize the issue. Student retention is important. But, as the bumper sticker says, "Life is what happens when you make other plans."

Good points, IcemanSK. I also believe belts are important, especially for students and as short-medium range goals and signs of achievement for students (all of which helps us with retention/helps them with motivation). And I still remember my anxiousness to get to BB, too.

In the case of my post, I was coming at it from more of a backward reflection after that first BB promo, and kind of a caveat about 1st black not being the be all and end all. It's exciting to make first black, but much more excitement lies ahead--along with the challenges of the unknown.

 

[IcemanSK]

Good points, IcemanSK. I also believe belts are important, especially for students and as short-medium range goals and signs of achievement for students (all of which helps us with retention/helps them with motivation). And I still remember my anxiousness to get to BB, too.

In the case of my post, I was coming at it from more of a backward reflection after that first BB promo, and kind of a caveat about 1st black not being the be all and end all. It's exciting to make first black, but much more excitement lies ahead--along with the challenges of the unknown.

I think a major problem in a lot of schools is there's no organization plan or process for what post BB curriculum looks like. Noone says, "this is what 3rd, 4th or 6th Dan looks like in our system."