- Joined
- Feb 11, 2003
- Messages
- 9,998
- Reaction score
- 206
Where we are The Belt ranking system goes:
White Belt/Green Belt/Black Belt
The White belt is only worn for 10th Kuy rank. (as my instructor is quick to point out in japan there were never any white belt ninjas just alive and dead ones )
9th - 1st is Green
All Dan Ranks are black.
I know there are schools who do this differently, and again, I am no expert, just an 8th Kyu, but both of my bujinkan instructors told me this is the traditional ranking system in the bujinkan.
Hatsumi Sensei was asked WHY he created the 11-12-13 ranks, and he claimed that he didnt create them, there was simply no one at that level yet.
I also read (and I wish I had the source to quote this more accuratley, Maybe Jay can clarify this for me) that he claimed that the 11+ dan ranks were really "special" rank titles that always existed and that he began calling them 11th dan etc... to simplify things for westerners.
As far as I am concerned HE'S the grandmaster, if he wants to invent a rank called Ultimate Ninja Guru Level 77, thats his choice. I dont see that as any different than some guy named Ed or some guy named Bruce going "I have changed the rules of the art I study or teach and to obtain this rank you now need to do <insert whatever here> and Im adding/changing/removing these belt colors... Or having a "Black Belt with 1,2,3 white stripes" on it????
Also, the grandmaster isn't 10th dan, he's been asked, he claims he has come all the way around and he has no rank any longer. What is the Highest rank Takamatsu Sensei awarded Soke Hatsumi? I have no idea... It could be 10th dan. But by saying 10th is as high as you can go is like saying "Youve obtained a doctorate in Chemistry, theres nothing else you can ever learn about chemistry!"
And Randy, no, YOU didnt hit a nerve per se, but we (Students of Budo Taijutsu) are CONSTANTLY bombarded by "Your so Fake Your so Fake Your So Fake" attitudes because people have NO idea what we really are that it grows tiring somtimes. I just got done listening to a local Krav Maga instructor for one of the local police forces tell us how uneffective our "Sport Martial Art" is, and a Kempo guy laugh at me and tell me to come study a "real martial art"
So I guess I was just raw when I read the post to begin with. No hard feelings to you are Jill or anyone... I'm just stating my opinion (mabe a bit grumpliy) that our rank system is no more of a joke or fake than some guy who puts colored tape on his belts to "make up" intermediate levels that didnt exsit. If he did make them up, Hatsumi sensei is just adding those ranks to the END of training to reward innovation instead of in the middle to charge more for rank testing, or gratify the ego of a student who might leave and take his money elsewhere if he didnt feel he was progressing fast enough.
Rant Over. :asian:
White Belt/Green Belt/Black Belt
The White belt is only worn for 10th Kuy rank. (as my instructor is quick to point out in japan there were never any white belt ninjas just alive and dead ones )
9th - 1st is Green
All Dan Ranks are black.
I know there are schools who do this differently, and again, I am no expert, just an 8th Kyu, but both of my bujinkan instructors told me this is the traditional ranking system in the bujinkan.
Hatsumi Sensei was asked WHY he created the 11-12-13 ranks, and he claimed that he didnt create them, there was simply no one at that level yet.
I also read (and I wish I had the source to quote this more accuratley, Maybe Jay can clarify this for me) that he claimed that the 11+ dan ranks were really "special" rank titles that always existed and that he began calling them 11th dan etc... to simplify things for westerners.
As far as I am concerned HE'S the grandmaster, if he wants to invent a rank called Ultimate Ninja Guru Level 77, thats his choice. I dont see that as any different than some guy named Ed or some guy named Bruce going "I have changed the rules of the art I study or teach and to obtain this rank you now need to do <insert whatever here> and Im adding/changing/removing these belt colors... Or having a "Black Belt with 1,2,3 white stripes" on it????
Also, the grandmaster isn't 10th dan, he's been asked, he claims he has come all the way around and he has no rank any longer. What is the Highest rank Takamatsu Sensei awarded Soke Hatsumi? I have no idea... It could be 10th dan. But by saying 10th is as high as you can go is like saying "Youve obtained a doctorate in Chemistry, theres nothing else you can ever learn about chemistry!"
And Randy, no, YOU didnt hit a nerve per se, but we (Students of Budo Taijutsu) are CONSTANTLY bombarded by "Your so Fake Your so Fake Your So Fake" attitudes because people have NO idea what we really are that it grows tiring somtimes. I just got done listening to a local Krav Maga instructor for one of the local police forces tell us how uneffective our "Sport Martial Art" is, and a Kempo guy laugh at me and tell me to come study a "real martial art"
So I guess I was just raw when I read the post to begin with. No hard feelings to you are Jill or anyone... I'm just stating my opinion (mabe a bit grumpliy) that our rank system is no more of a joke or fake than some guy who puts colored tape on his belts to "make up" intermediate levels that didnt exsit. If he did make them up, Hatsumi sensei is just adding those ranks to the END of training to reward innovation instead of in the middle to charge more for rank testing, or gratify the ego of a student who might leave and take his money elsewhere if he didnt feel he was progressing fast enough.
Rant Over. :asian:
