My Viewpoint On Belts And Rank

[PhotonGuy]

When I first joined this forum years ago I had a certain viewpoint on belts and rank, but now, after having been to multiple dojos and after having made it to black belt at more than one dojo, my viewpoint on belts and rank has changed. At one time I had the mindset that somebody who didn’t want to earn belts or rank lacked ambition and didn’t want to amount to anything in the martial arts but now I realize that just because somebody has no desire to want to earn belts or rank doesn’t mean they lack ambition, they just might have different goals because people who do take up the martial arts do so for all different reasons and as such they have different goals in mind and not all those goals are about attaining belts and rank.

So for students of the martial arts who don’t have any desire to gain belts or rank, that’s their choice and I respect that. The problem is when people push their choices on other people, when they say other people should make the same choice as them. I won’t mention any names but some of the people on this forum have done just that. If you don’t want to earn belts or rank that’s fine but it’s not for you to decide whether or not other people should or shouldn’t want to earn belts or rank. We should all realize that we’re going to have different goals and ambitions and we should accept that and respect other people’s choices, even if they’re different from ours.

Now some people might’ve got the impression that I’ve got an obsession with the black belt due to posts I’ve made in the past. Specifically, it was obsession with getting a black belt under Sensei Yonny. That’s what I was obsessed with, getting a black belt under Sensei Yonny and getting it within a specific time frame, specifically before I turned 20. Getting a black belt at another dojo or by some other means just wouldn’t be the same as getting it under Sensei Yonny. So as some people suggested buying a black belt or having one mailed to me wouldn’t work because number one, that would be cheating, and number two, Sensei Yonny didn’t give or sell you a black belt if you haven’t first passed the test because to get a black belt under Sensei Yonny you have to have adequate skill and by passing the test that’s how you show you have adequate skill. So that’s what the black belt was all about, knowing that I have the proper skill and ability to meet Sensei Yonny’s standards for the belt, not about coming into possession or wearing a black piece of cloth.

So anyway, one of the things that really got on my nerves and why I kept beating a dead horse as some people put it, was because some people kept saying that you shouldn’t talk to your head sensei about what you need to do to get your next belt, including the black belt if that’s next, and that was the mistake I made. I didn’t talk to Sensei Yonny about how the test worked and what I needed to do to be able to test. So people kept saying that I should’ve made the mistake I made, but it was because I made such a mistake why I didn’t get a black belt under Sensei Yonny when I wanted to. But people kept missing the point and they kept saying you shouldn’t talk to your head sensei, so that’s why I kept beating a dead horse as some people put it.

So that’s where I was coming from with all the posts I’ve made in the past regarding belts of rank and this is my position on belts and rank now, I hope this clears everything up.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

If you take a course in school with "Pass/No Credit", since it will not affect your GPA, you will not spend much effort in that class.

I took a math course "Category Theory" in school. There was no homework, no middle term exam, and no final examine. At the end of that semester, a student asked, "How are you going to grade us?" The teacher said, "If you have courage to take this course, you deserve A" (In math department, you can't find any other course that is higher level than this).

I can't say I have learned much from that course. MA training is no different. If there is not enough pressure, people won't put enough time into it.

Will you go to the Harvard University. Spend 4 years. At the end of the 4th year, you don't want to take the final exam, quit your school without obtaining your bachelor's degree from Harvard? If you do, why?

The term "milestone" can be important for some people.

 

[JowGaWolf]

When I first joined this forum years ago I had a certain viewpoint on belts and rank, but now, after having been to multiple dojos and after having made it to black belt at more than one dojo, my viewpoint on belts and rank has changed. At one time I had the mindset that somebody who didn’t want to earn belts or rank lacked ambition and didn’t want to amount to anything in the martial arts but now I realize that just because somebody has no desire to want to earn belts or rank doesn’t mean they lack ambition, they just might have different goals because people who do take up the martial arts do so for all different reasons and as such they have different goals in mind and not all those goals are about attaining belts and rank.

So for students of the martial arts who don’t have any desire to gain belts or rank, that’s their choice and I respect that. The problem is when people push their choices on other people, when they say other people should make the same choice as them. I won’t mention any names but some of the people on this forum have done just that. If you don’t want to earn belts or rank that’s fine but it’s not for you to decide whether or not other people should or shouldn’t want to earn belts or rank. We should all realize that we’re going to have different goals and ambitions and we should accept that and respect other people’s choices, even if they’re different from ours.

Now some people might’ve got the impression that I’ve got an obsession with the black belt due to posts I’ve made in the past. Specifically, it was obsession with getting a black belt under Sensei Yonny. That’s what I was obsessed with, getting a black belt under Sensei Yonny and getting it within a specific time frame, specifically before I turned 20. Getting a black belt at another dojo or by some other means just wouldn’t be the same as getting it under Sensei Yonny. So as some people suggested buying a black belt or having one mailed to me wouldn’t work because number one, that would be cheating, and number two, Sensei Yonny didn’t give or sell you a black belt if you haven’t first passed the test because to get a black belt under Sensei Yonny you have to have adequate skill and by passing the test that’s how you show you have adequate skill. So that’s what the black belt was all about, knowing that I have the proper skill and ability to meet Sensei Yonny’s standards for the belt, not about coming into possession or wearing a black piece of cloth.

So anyway, one of the things that really got on my nerves and why I kept beating a dead horse as some people put it, was because some people kept saying that you shouldn’t talk to your head sensei about what you need to do to get your next belt, including the black belt if that’s next, and that was the mistake I made. I didn’t talk to Sensei Yonny about how the test worked and what I needed to do to be able to test. So people kept saying that I should’ve made the mistake I made, but it was because I made such a mistake why I didn’t get a black belt under Sensei Yonny when I wanted to. But people kept missing the point and they kept saying you shouldn’t talk to your head sensei, so that’s why I kept beating a dead horse as some people put it.

So that’s where I was coming from with all the posts I’ve made in the past regarding belts of rank and this is my position on belts and rank now, I hope this clears everything up.

That's Big of you to open up about things you don't have to. Much respect. That is from me to you.

 

[Fungus]

If you take a course in school with "Pass/No Credit", since it will not affect your GPA, you will not spend much effort in that class.

I took a math course "Category Theory" in school. There was no homework, no middle term exam, and no final examine. At the end of that semester, a student asked, "How are you going to grade us?" The teacher said, "If you have courage to take this course, you deserve A" (In math department, you can't find any other course that is higher level than this).

I can't say I have learned much from that course. MA training is no different. If there is not enough pressure, people won't put enough time into it.

My experience is that people are different, and some (may most?) need or want external pressure. But some people put pressure on themselves (from the inside). Its external vs internal reward dominance.

Will you go to the Harvard University. Spend 4 years. At the end of the 4th year, you don't want to take the final exam, quit your school without obtaining your bachelor's degree from Harvard? If you do, why?

I remember a guideline i used for myself when studying physics and math - if I need to ask my teacher "is this calculcation right", then that in itself is a hint that I do not master it. When I master the topic, I will stop seeking external approval (modulo that anyone can make a mistake that is).

I have always been driven mainly by intrinsic rewards but my experience is that many people are not like that, wether in MA or any other field.

So I think everyone has goals, but some have internal goals (invisible to others), some external goals, so these groups of people can easily misunderstand each other.

 

[Prince_Alarming]

Cool, I mean it's a great idea to have some idea of what the test consists of. Then, you can run through the test as much as you can once a week, to keep your training focussed while you're in training.

Also, for a black belt test you're going to need to be obsessed. Good luck.