Fightback2
Green Belt
I'm a 2nd degree purple still a few months from testing for my brown belt. As such I probably don't have a right to voice my opinions about the abilities of upper ranked belts. However, I do put in 5 - 10 hours a week, not including training, working for our school so my heart and soul are as wrapped up in the school as anyone's.
With that background, here's the deal. We have a man in our school who's a 1st degree brown belt (we have 3 degrees in our school), he's in his upper 60's and his techniques, katas and kumite are a mess. There's no way he can teach because he can't remember the katas. He's been the same rank for more than 2 years. The man has no control and has hit several people in the head (a big no no for us). However if anyone strikes him or blocks hard, and we do try to go easy on him due to his age, he has a hissy fit, claiming that he's an old man and can't take it, etc., etc.
Our Sensei is seriously thinking about letting him go for his black belt. That would mean jumping him up more than 2 degrees. There is no way that he could actually earn it and everyone knows it. He'll just have it handed to him. In my opinion he's going to be given this belt because Sensei feels sorry for him. I've heard many of the blackbelts express their disappointment and anger over this issue but only one will tell Sensei how they feel about it.
The man in question argues with the black belts and has said that he doesn't have to practice because he knows he's going to be given the belt anyway.
I have reached my breaking point. The way I see it if this man is promoted to black belt it's a slap in the face to every black belt, in fact every student, in the school who has actually earned their belt. It's going to set a lousy example to the lower ranked belts and the kids in the school. I can't imagine what it's going to look like to someone walking in off the street to view our school with thoughts of joining to see this man in a black belt screwing up a basic kata.
If he's actually awarded that belt there is no way I can go up and congratulate him.
Anyway, the question is, do I, as a lower ranked belt, keep my mouth shut or do I, as someone who feels the school is a second home, voice my opinions and concerns?
Thanks for the opportunity to rant. Any and all opinions are welcome.
With that background, here's the deal. We have a man in our school who's a 1st degree brown belt (we have 3 degrees in our school), he's in his upper 60's and his techniques, katas and kumite are a mess. There's no way he can teach because he can't remember the katas. He's been the same rank for more than 2 years. The man has no control and has hit several people in the head (a big no no for us). However if anyone strikes him or blocks hard, and we do try to go easy on him due to his age, he has a hissy fit, claiming that he's an old man and can't take it, etc., etc.
Our Sensei is seriously thinking about letting him go for his black belt. That would mean jumping him up more than 2 degrees. There is no way that he could actually earn it and everyone knows it. He'll just have it handed to him. In my opinion he's going to be given this belt because Sensei feels sorry for him. I've heard many of the blackbelts express their disappointment and anger over this issue but only one will tell Sensei how they feel about it.
The man in question argues with the black belts and has said that he doesn't have to practice because he knows he's going to be given the belt anyway.
I have reached my breaking point. The way I see it if this man is promoted to black belt it's a slap in the face to every black belt, in fact every student, in the school who has actually earned their belt. It's going to set a lousy example to the lower ranked belts and the kids in the school. I can't imagine what it's going to look like to someone walking in off the street to view our school with thoughts of joining to see this man in a black belt screwing up a basic kata.
If he's actually awarded that belt there is no way I can go up and congratulate him.
Anyway, the question is, do I, as a lower ranked belt, keep my mouth shut or do I, as someone who feels the school is a second home, voice my opinions and concerns?
Thanks for the opportunity to rant. Any and all opinions are welcome.