Ratio of Belts

[karatekid1975]

I'm working on the contract thing at the moment. Hehehehehe. One of of the black belts at my new school happens to be a lawer, and I spoke with him on wednsday. We'll see what happens

And my man wants to stay at the old dojang

 

[Mike Clarke]

Sorry it's taken a while to reply.

Kenpomachine,

My students are not in the position to ask for a test or decline one. I don't operate a karate club, I run a traditional karate dojo.
I don't have members, I have students [people who are studying the 'art' of karate, not just training in it].
A dojo is not a democracy, my students do as I ask of them or look for a different teacher, it's that simple. My job is to help them find the essence of our system [goju-ryu] and then get rid of them, not keep them hanging on my my apron strings forever so I can milk them for cash. I don't make my living from karate so I have no reason to keep my students happy.

Kennethku,

In the normal course of the year I hold two tests for promotion April and October. Depending on the students work rate and effort they are either invited to test or not. They always recieve an invite as I can't see a student in my dojo not doing their best. However, I will not issue an invitation to someone who has not done the work and made the progress needed to pass to the next stage. I don't see the point in doing this.
I know all my students very well, and I know their level of skill. The only reason I test them formaly is to give them a chance to fail through nerves.

Hope this answers your questions.

Mike.

 

[Kenpomachine]

I don't like to take tests. The only one that makes a little sense to me is the black belt one, as you're getting into a new way of understanding (or a new dimension ) the martial art you're training and studying.

But Mike, I like your policies very much :asian: :asian: That's how I understand martial arts... more or less.

Fyi, I have tested in kenpo, as my teacher wanted me to do so, but not in TKD as I wasn't going to train for long and the teacher didn't mind me doing so.

Not liking a thing doesn't imply avoiding it at all costs.

 

[white belt]

KKid,

Congrats on finding a new TKD school that you like! I am TKD Moo Duk Kwan also. The rank thing can be touchy, if moving from McDojang to Real McCoy. It puts the new Instructor in an unpopular position, sometimes. Put yourself in his shoes if there are any differences. Keep showing your husband the joint locks and things you are learning that he isn't and maybe the "bug" will bite him". Good luck!

On the subject of time and rank. My GM would hold students (as I now do) at a rank, if they are lacking in social graces or reliant on too few techniques. Offering to assist another of lower rank plays into the mix also. Without contribution, the family tree potentially bears less fruit. Survival of the art form is then threatened. Communicating with other human beings IS self defense practice and it sharpens ones ability to teach another at our DoJang.

Good positive thread,
white belt

 

[karatekid1975]

white belt wrote:

<Congrats on finding a new TKD school that you like! I am TKD Moo Duk Kwan also. The rank thing can be touchy, if moving from McDojang to Real McCoy. It puts the new Instructor in an unpopular position, sometimes. Put yourself in his shoes if there are any differences. Keep showing your husband the joint locks and things you are learning that he isn't and maybe the "bug" will bite him". Good luck!>

Thanks I was also in Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan (before moving to NY), so my new instructor is also looking at that. After my trail period, he said he would let me know. I'm really not worried about it (rank). I'm happy for the fact that I'm actually learning self defense! Unlike the McDojang.

 

[jfarnsworth]

[QUOTE ...I'm happy for the fact that I'm actually learning self defense! Unlike the McDojang. [/B][/QUOTE]

Good for you! One should always be happy where their training at or it's time to move on. Unfortunately in this day and age you mostly find the bad ones out number the good.

 

[karatekid1975]

I agree.

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

Yes, unfortunately that's true... :shrug:

 

[Bammx2]

I have a 1st dan in 2 traditional styles and 1 in an ecclectic freestyle.

I started at the age of 6 and I am now 38.

 

[AaronLucia]

Who needs a belt?

 

[gmunoz]

Actually I need a belt - to hold up my pants! I tried the whole suspenders thing and it made me look stupid. Mr. Miyagi says that we don't need belts except to hold up our pants! :ultracool

 

[still learning]

I remember a newspaper ad , in Honolulu many years ago advertising you can get a black belt in one year! The school is no longer around, but was popular at the time.

Every school has there own ways to promote students. Elvis was promote to 7th degree by his 6th degree instructor. I heard of schools giving black belts in two years of training, our school it takes about fives or more years. Aloha!

 

[Simon Curran]

Well I just answered a similar question in another poll, only this time I answered advanced, since I have recently graduated to 3rd brown in EPAK

 

[Jaymeister]

I had an orange belt in TKD, but I haven't been active in a long time.

 

[Sin]

This poll is going to be very invalid cause people are usually always advancing

 

[Tidy_Sammy]

I got up to green belt when I practised TKD.

 

[Dronak]

AFAIK, the style I've been learning doesn't use a belt ranking system since it's a traditional CMA, but I voted for beginner since that's where I'm at. We've been taught some higher level forms, but I don't consider that enough to put my level above beginner.

 

[Ka'alako]

What if they not only don't ask but decline your offer to test?

...That would depend on WHAT the reason is. Maybe they just need some positive encouragement from their instructor. If their reason is that they just want to keep a low profile and keep a (deceptively) low rank so that they can somewhat assasinate the lowly ranked students, they're gonna get a warning and if they willfully continue to shirk their responsibilties -they're out. It's mostly about responsibility, in my humble opinion.

 

[searcher]

Go-dan in Chito-ryu is my highest rank currently. I am close to testing for Go-dan in Okinawan kobudo, so at that time it will be even.

 

[jbclinic]

i've been practicing/training over 30yrs, unofficial blue in kenpo,hblackbelt in two other styles, verbal trianed with a well known kung fu master who said i should be teaching. currently teaching in the community at churches, etc., and getting great praise not a lot of money.so where would you place this resume