Should a Black Belt begin a new art as a White Belt?

[Kenlee25]

Well, I think it largely depends. If a practitioner is transitioning to a completely different art that is not similar ( Taekwondo to say, Kung fu for example ) Then they should start as white. They will be a skilled white belt and pull out strategies from different styles, but they are still new to art. But if you are transitioning from Taekwondo to say Karate, two arts that share numerous similarities, or even say goju ryu karate to kyukoshin karate, you should maintain some of your level.

I don't believe that you should keep your black belt in that case, but you shouldn't have to start all the way over. Instead, I believe you should start at around either half way or 3/4 the way there. You must learn all of the new corriculum of course, but you should still be put at a rank in which your skills are tested rather than having to trudge through months or years of doing things you already know how to do ( A kick in taekwondo is very similar if not the same as a kick in karate for example. The application is just different. Application doesn't take long to learn ).

It's a little different with sparring. If you already know how to spar, no matter what system you go into, you shouldn't have to wait months or years to gain the privileged to do it again, and you shouldn't have to face opponents much worse than you. In the case of my taekwondo to kung fu transition for example, the student, though a white belt, should still be able to spar with the black belts. They will have to learn any new rules and break any habits on their own, but they can do it. If they can't, the instructor can place them to students of similar skill, but with sparring, as long as you know how to spar from any style, you should be able to at LEAST keep your sparring rank.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Personally, I believe you should strap on a white belt and start over. I'd rather be wearing a white belt than wearing a black belt while not knowing the curriculum.
But ultimately you ought to do whatever your instructor wants.

 

[jks9199]

With this thread resurrected -- I've noticed one thing pop up again and again; what seems to be an idea that a person can, for lack of a better way to describe it, be treated only as one rank. For example, a school may limit sparring to green belts and above... so a black belt coming in and starting new as a white belt couldn't spar.

Why? Why must someone only be treated one way? I shape my expectations of my students to the student as much as by belt. So, you get a guy with prior training starting as a new student... fine. He's gotta be taught the "new" stuff -- but he can also spar. He's not a true white belt, and shouldn't be treated as one.

 

[Zenjael]

I have found no matter what art one practices, if the black is gi it eventually fades back to white. There is an old saying, from white to black, from black to white... in martial arts I believe it told that this is when you come full circle, and should realize you are always a white belt, should you be humble enough to admit it. We never stop learning or growing. A lot of people see black belt as an end or intermediate benchmark... when it's really the point where you should consider yourself equivocal toward being a no-belt. The difference, is that with black, you're now ready to seriously start the study of the arts.

That's my standard at least, and what guides me in my practice.

 

[MLA9741]

I have found no matter what art one practices, if the black is gi it eventually fades back to white. There is an old saying, from white to black, from black to white... in martial arts I believe it told that this is when you come full circle, and should realize you are always a white belt, should you be humble enough to admit it. We never stop learning or growing. A lot of people see black belt as an end or intermediate benchmark... when it's really the point where you should consider yourself equivocal toward being a no-belt. The difference, is that with black, you're now ready to seriously start the study of the arts.

That's my standard at least, and what guides me in my practice.

I actually like that and agree with it a lot. I wouldn't know yet (black belt test in a week ), but I heard that once you get you BB everything speeds and gets a lot more exciting. It is visible in class that BB studies are a lot more exciting.

 

[Kenlee25]

I actually like that and agree with it a lot. I wouldn't know yet (black belt test in a week ), but I heard that once you get you BB everything speeds and gets a lot more exciting. It is visible in class that BB studies are a lot more exciting.

In my Taekwondo class about a month ago, a fellow student and I were talking about how pretty much everything we learned was as a black belt. Sure we "knew" how to use that kick as a blue belt or "knew" how to spar as a purple belt, but we both commented that the most advancement in skill level came AFTER we had gotten our black belts. As a black belt, you may learn new moves ( or not ) and you may learn new forms ( or not ) and the sparring may be more difficult ( mostly because your opponents are better ), but I think it's the freedom that comes with the black belt that fosters this intensive study of the arts. When you are no longer worried about "I've been stuck at this belt level for so long" or "I need to test this month" and you get that top half of the classroom to do whatever without the instructors constantly watching you...you have free time to experiment and just find yourself in the arts. It's the fact that you suddenly take the LESS seriously that for some reason makes you take it even more seriously ( woah paradox! )

That's when your own unique philosophies and styles tend to develop. For example, if you notice, most people in your class probably have similar fighting styles. You don't have to adjust much, just go autopilot right? But when you spar against the students who are nearly black belt, all of the sudden they all have different styles, some of which completely contrary to what has been taught to them all these years. Suddenly you are having to analyze or remember every opponent.

That's just the thing. I don't think it's the belt level, but it's sudden thought the pressure has been taken off of you that makes you a better artists, because you begin to develop in a way that benefits YOU in a way it will benefit no one else. Some people never develop this free form mindset and just another typical *insert martial art here* drone. But when you take yourself out of the art and realize, I'm not a *insert martial art here* fighter, I'm just an artist, that's when you start to really develop.


In my opinion anyway..

 

[Yondanchris]

Better to be a bad *** white belt than an embarrassed black belt.

That's exactly why I started over at white in EPAK over a year ago! Plus I realized how little I knew after my instructor schooled me! Nothing like a little humble pie!

 

[RedShyGuy]

It's really up to the instructor. If he decides to keep you as a black belt, he must have his reasons. You'll be bringing your knowledge to your new school and the other students (new or old) might be able to benefit from it. There's nothing wrong with keeping your rank as long as you know you're the newbie in the school and don't act you're the top dog.

Personally though, if given the option, I would start at white belt. You would progress at a faster rate than the other students that are completely new and it would still give you ample time to really get a grasp on your new style. I got my 2nd Dan in TKD and then moved to RI to train in Kenpo and was told to keep wearing my black belt.

Don't expect to get special treatment just because you already have a black belt because that will just piss everyone off hahaha