Degrees of Black Sash?

[masherdong]

Hello all,

I was just wondering if there are degrees of black sash just like in other systems of martial arts. I know that traditional kung fu has no belt or ranking system. Years of experience is what was accounted for. I am still new to mantis kung fu so I wanted to throw this out there. Please let me know what you all think.

 

[clfsean]

Hello all,

I was just wondering if there are degrees of black sash just like in other systems of martial arts. I know that traditional kung fu has no belt or ranking system. Years of experience is what was accounted for. I am still new to mantis kung fu so I wanted to throw this out there. Please let me know what you all think.

Depends on the teacher. Some do, some don't. Best I can offer.

 

[xiongnu_lohon]

Hello all,

I was just wondering if there are degrees of black sash just like in other systems of martial arts. I know that traditional kung fu has no belt or ranking system. Years of experience is what was accounted for. I am still new to mantis kung fu so I wanted to throw this out there. Please let me know what you all think.

You've put this question on almost every forum. I'm not sure why this is so controversial. Yes some people use degrees of black sash. Perhaps they are going along with the example set by japanese & korean arts. Who knows? What I don't understand is this - why is this a big deal. I mean modern wushu uses the duan system which doesn't have bels but does have a heirarchical ranking system that is the equivalent.

The thing is it doesn't matter. I can name many high level cma organizations that have gone over to the colored sash(including degrees of black sash) system. These are organizations that can't be dismissed as not authentic. Yes of course other organizations might have ranks of student, instructor, master level instructor etc. which is basically the same thing. It's just a way of organizing material.

I'm not trying to get down on you but let's leave it at this - you should pay attention to what I wrote here and you should not concern yourself with the opinions of those people( on other boards where you also posted this ) that say "I'm not into the belt thing etc." It's not that they're wrong, it's that they're just stating their preference. At the end of the day you cannot say a school or organization is not legitimate because they have adopted a belt system even though it is indeed true that no belt systems were used in the past for cma. for example if you click on the map in my signature you'll find a lot of schools that have adopted the colored sash thing and that's perfectly fine. I mean you have to organize the material in some manner so why not use the colored sash system?

 

[profesormental]

Greetings.

Some have levels (duan), as in wu shu to separate skill levels.

Others adapted a similar kyu/dan ranking. Others are just family names... not actual rank (Si Fu, Si Hing, Si Gung, etc.). It just says where in the family you are...

and to be part of the martial family you have to become a disciple, and then you are a Si dai (younger brother) to the others disciples before you... others you enter automatically...

You have teachers, expert students and students. Similar to the old jujitsu diplomas (shoden, chuden, okuden, kaiden).

It really don't matter much.

 

[CatNap]

Most Chinese styles don't have a rank - that's not to say all don't but traditional systems don't have much use for them. Some schools will give colored sashes to track a students progress but I've found few that do, and I agree, it depends on the instructor. I study Wing Chun and Jeet Kune Do. I don't have a rank in either style, but what does it matter really? It's the skill that counts.

Laura

 

[xiongnu_lohon]

Most Chinese styles don't have a rank - that's not to say all don't but traditional systems don't have much use for them. Some schools will give colored sashes to track a students progress but I've found few that do, and I agree, it depends on the instructor. I study Wing Chun and Jeet Kune Do. I don't have a rank in either style, but what does it matter really? It's the skill that counts.

Laura

but here's the problem with even making that statement - you have a situation today where some organizations that teach a given style use rank(colored sash) and others teaching the same style do not. that's why it's so problematic. If you look on my map you'll see plenty of major-league cma schools using colored sashes and these people are in most cases beyond question in terms of authenticity. So what happened in the past as far as rank doesn't even matter. But I agree the whole issue isn't particularly important. Although in many cases the modern wushu people have skill far beyond the traditional people.

What matters for traditional wushu is lineage - and there are lots of posers out there that may try to pass themselves off as legit by using traditional trappings(i.e. lack of colored sash for rank). At the end of the day you have to look at the instructor and say who is this person? Are they telling the truth about their lineage? Are they qualified to teach what they are teaching? And that's a simple matter of lineage.

 

[RRepster]

Are they qualified to teach what they are teaching? And that's a simple matter of lineage.

Do you realize this is the same argument that different Christian churches have over their varying requirements for teachers and clergy? Lineage may mean something to you just as some people want the exact same teachings of Luther but it may not mean squat to another. If it matters to you then pick a system/school that has lineage and a piece of paper, otherwise let it go and certainly don't try to make others accept your way as the only way.

 

[clfsean]

Do you realize this is the same argument that different Christian churches have over their varying requirements for teachers and clergy? Lineage may mean something to you just as some people want the exact same teachings of Luther but it may not mean squat to another. If it matters to you then pick a system/school that has lineage and a piece of paper, otherwise let it go and certainly don't try to make others accept your way as the only way.

Do you realize this thread was 2 years dead?