Blackbelt clubs, masters clubs; thoughts?

[Tez3]

What!!! Man!! I quit my dojang after reading that!!

Daniel

(just kidding)

I should think you should leave! go find a nice mcDojo where they'll charge you the earth! LOL!

Ok lets look at the word 'expensive/dear', people use those words ( well in English English anyway) when something is costing more than they think it's worth, if they think it's worth what is being charged they will say it's value for money which they will think it is even if ( I said this before) they have to save for it. Nothing is 'expensive 'if you are willing to pay for it.
I think we have one of these charming English/American translations hiccups here. if we say it's expensive or dear that means we aren't happy with the price and don't think it's worth it.

for example ...expensive implies having a price that is high in relation to others of its kind or that is in excess of the thing's worth.
http://www.yourdictionary.com/expensive

or from http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=expensive&r=66

Dear is commonly applied in England to something that is selling beyond its usual or just price. In the U.S., high-priced is the usual equivalent.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I should think you should leave! go find a nice mcDojo where they'll charge you the earth! LOL!

Thats right! Super size me!

Daniel

 

[Tez3]

Thats right! Super size me!

Daniel

I'm sure you're perfect just as you are! :ultracool

 

[Fiendlover]

I check out a lot of schools just to see what they're doing and get ideas. I see that a lot of schools have blackbelt clubs and masters clubs. Some require a fee, but all testing fees are waived, others have discounts and such.

So here's the question: Does your school implement such a program and if so, what are the details? I'm currious as to whether or not something like this would be a good fit for our school, and wanted to get some feedback.

Thanks in advance,

Daniel

In my school we have both.

When you reach master yellow belt, you get invited to be in Black Belt club. You get a letter saying this "We will be watching your progress very closely over the next several weeks, if you continue to train in a Black Belt Manner, and pass your Orange Belt Test you could earn your invitation to join our Black Belt Club."
Basically you get invited if you pass orange belt and it's a club that basically teaches you extra stuff. Stuff that you don't need to pass any test but it gets you higher up in the ranks if you know more, you know? It's also good to learn new katas or weapons to perform in tournaments and demos and such.

You also have to sign a contract promising 7 things and it is called a "Commitment to excellence in the martial arts." basically you're just promising to do your best at all times and go to tournaments and things like that. You also have to write a "Why I want to be in the Black Belt Club" essay and if you're a school aged student you have to give your recent report card because you're supposed to have a B average or higher to be in it.

Master club is basically the same as Black Belt club except slightly more advanced. You get invited once you're a green belt and you have to complete a test and a report to get in.

1st you have a written test and you have to answer these questions.
1. where does judo come from?
2. who is the founder
3. name three basic Judo chokes
4. write the names of 5 judo throws in english and japanese
5. write 5 judo related words and there meanings
6. where does Aikido come from
7. who is the founder
8. name three basic akido techniques.

then you answer 3 questions about the bo, knunchaku, and sai.

2nd you have to write at least a two page report on any two martial arts masters that are given. (i chose bruce lee and jackie chan). the first page has the title and the picture of the master and the second has to have info like the history, styles, and istructors in paragraph form.

3rd you have to define 3 styles, where they came from and who founded it. ex. karate came from Japan and Gichen Funakoshi founded it.
and i had to explain who founded our own studio.

Lastly you have to put all this in "a special presentation folder" and give it to your instructor at a deadline or he will take your belt until you do turn it in or at least that is what was said to me.

Hope this helps. I just fished through my karate notebook at all the information on the clubs that i have. A lot of people want to join masters club so they can go to judo class free. That's the appeal for masters club because once you're in black belt club you don't really need to go to masters club but people do it in order to do judo free. And learning Judo is a requirement to become black belt...i think. Don't quote me on that one. :uhyeah:

 

[terryl965]

FL any fee's along with it?

 

[Fiendlover]

FL any fee's along with it?

yes, to pay for the gi you wear but theres many deals you can get with it and you get discounts off new weapons and tournaments and things like that. it's actually a good deal and not that more expensive than normal class.

 

[jks9199]

In my school we have both.

When you reach master yellow belt, you get invited to be in Black Belt club. You get a letter saying this "We will be watching your progress very closely over the next several weeks, if you continue to train in a Black Belt Manner, and pass your Orange Belt Test you could earn your invitation to join our Black Belt Club."
Basically you get invited if you pass orange belt and it's a club that basically teaches you extra stuff. Stuff that you don't need to pass any test but it gets you higher up in the ranks if you know more, you know? It's also good to learn new katas or weapons to perform in tournaments and demos and such.

You also have to sign a contract promising 7 things and it is called a "Commitment to excellence in the martial arts." basically you're just promising to do your best at all times and go to tournaments and things like that. You also have to write a "Why I want to be in the Black Belt Club" essay and if you're a school aged student you have to give your recent report card because you're supposed to have a B average or higher to be in it.

Master club is basically the same as Black Belt club except slightly more advanced. You get invited once you're a green belt and you have to complete a test and a report to get in.

1st you have a written test and you have to answer these questions.
1. where does judo come from?
2. who is the founder
3. name three basic Judo chokes
4. write the names of 5 judo throws in english and japanese
5. write 5 judo related words and there meanings
6. where does Aikido come from
7. who is the founder
8. name three basic akido techniques.

then you answer 3 questions about the bo, knunchaku, and sai.

2nd you have to write at least a two page report on any two martial arts masters that are given. (i chose bruce lee and jackie chan). the first page has the title and the picture of the master and the second has to have info like the history, styles, and istructors in paragraph form.

3rd you have to define 3 styles, where they came from and who founded it. ex. karate came from Japan and Gichen Funakoshi founded it.
and i had to explain who founded our own studio.

Lastly you have to put all this in "a special presentation folder" and give it to your instructor at a deadline or he will take your belt until you do turn it in or at least that is what was said to me.

Hope this helps. I just fished through my karate notebook at all the information on the clubs that i have. A lot of people want to join masters club so they can go to judo class free. That's the appeal for masters club because once you're in black belt club you don't really need to go to masters club but people do it in order to do judo free. And learning Judo is a requirement to become black belt...i think. Don't quote me on that one. :uhyeah:

Somehow, I suspect that joining each of these "clubs" also entails paying an extra fee... If not directly, through mandatory participation in tournaments, etc.

But, beyond that, why should you have to join these clubs to get the advanced or extra training? I do save restrict some training to students at certain skill levels, or who have shown a certain amount of dedication... but it's a pretty minor and reasonable restriction. You don't learn the more advanced stuff till you have the basics... and you don't learn some of the more dangerous or special skills till you've proven yourself.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

But, beyond that, why should you have to join these clubs to get the advanced or extra training?

Perhaps, and I'm only guessing, it keeps the advanced class limited to students who really want to be there and who have shown that they have the aptitude and or attitude to be there, thus making more efficient use of the class time. Just a guess, and probably not the main reason in most schools with such clubs, but it could be used as such.

Daniel

 

[chinto]

I check out a lot of schools just to see what they're doing and get ideas. I see that a lot of schools have blackbelt clubs and masters clubs. Some require a fee, but all testing fees are waived, others have discounts and such.

So here's the question: Does your school implement such a program and if so, what are the details? I'm currious as to whether or not something like this would be a good fit for our school, and wanted to get some feedback.

Thanks in advance,

Daniel

No we do not use "black belt clubs" or "masters clubs" not at all. as far as I know they are not used in the style I am part of at all.

 

[TheArtofDave]

I've seen some "BBC's" that aren't worth the value at all. So I don't usually believe in most.

But I guess some of them are ok. Regarding out of state tournaments have you ever considered taking donations that would build up over time to cover air fare, hotel, etc.

I just ask because it seems like it could be a good way to help cover extra expenses. And usually since most of them are a few years off until the next it would give everybody plenty of time to save in their spare time.

Just an idea I though I'd pass along.

 

[Darren]

I check out a lot of schools just to see what they're doing and get ideas. I see that a lot of schools have blackbelt clubs and masters clubs. Some require a fee, but all testing fees are waived, others have discounts and such.

So here's the question: Does your school implement such a program and if so, what are the details? I'm currious as to whether or not something like this would be a good fit for our school, and wanted to get some feedback.

Thanks in advance,

Daniel

In my former dojo we had a black belt club, the people in that club was the best the school had very dedicated students had to be invited, part of it was having the goal of black belt, getting discounts, extra classes, training to your hearts desire. So could say it was a business thing too!!! But some are into for the money and training(instructor see’s ya dedicated they will train the heck out of you if your able to pay) then some seem to just love training others if your dedicated and money is not important!!!!

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I don't get the point of having a separate club for it. Most people not at black belt level are interested in becoming black belts, and I never noticed a difference in dedication from people in 'black belt clubs' vs. not in it.

A class just for black belts, that's a good idea, but that's often separate. A "fighters" club, for people looking to fight in an actual match to get specific fight prep could also be a separate class, and is more in the vein of a black belt club, but again isn't wat it ends up being in reality.