The student must be able to demonstrate that they are proficient in the full kyu grade curriculum, be it karate, aikido, taekwondo, hapkido, kendo, kenpo, kempo, or kajukenbo.
So, proficiency: Proficiency is separate from being physically gifted. I want to see the student demonstrate proficiency, not athletics.
Meaning that when performing forms, strikes and blocks should have reasonable snap and power; enough power that the strike would actually hurt an opponent and that a block would actually stop an attack.
The form should be done with precision and depth of understanding: a student should be able to transition between stances and make each stance distinct without losing ballance.
He or she should be able to execute all of the techniques in the form correctly and spontaneously: no pausing to remember if it is punch or a backfist.
The form should also be precise regarding the intended targets of the techniques contained within: a kick that is supposed to be aimed at the knee should be aimed at the knee, not some nebulous, mid-leg-ish area, and not at the sky.
A guy who does the Koryo form, for example, and aims the first set of double kicks skyward is demonstrating athletics, nothing more. As impressive as that is, he is not showing an understanding of the form. The first kick is to collapse knee. The second is aimed at the solar plexus and is meant to take down the now crippled opponent. No matter how much power and snap he has, if he misses the target entirely, then it is meaningless. Firing a .44 into the air makes a big, cool sound. But it is also a waste of ammunition.
Aside from reasonable precision, understanding, power and snap, I want to see the student handle themselves in free sparring. I want to see them exert control over the pace of the fight, maintain their composure, remain precise. Even if the student is sparring a fifth dan uber-Chuck and has to fight defensively, their proficiency should be clearly seen.
There are tons of people who can do every form and execute every strike and block and who may look pretty doing so. But do they understand the techniques? Can they use them against a resisting opponent?
Lastly, is their ability to spar entirely dependent upon them having a certain degree of physical prowess?
In other words, is the guy sloppy, but always wins because he is tall and built like Bret Hart when Bret was in his prime and simply can punish you because he is really, really strong?
If so, then he is not proficient; he is just really strong and athletically gifted. But when that deserts him, as it will eventually, without proficiency, he will start getting beaten by really sharp low belts.
That is why I do not want to see just a display of athletics.
Ultimately, a martial art is supposed to be for life, not just for your athletic prime. Techniques are supposed to be done correctly because if done correctly, they do not require you to muscle through them. A person with substantial technical command of their art can remain formidable well past their prime and competent into their old age. Not only that, their practice of martial arts should hone their minds and positively impact other areas of their life.
This is what it means when it is said that martial arts is about more than just fighting.
A blackbelt understands this. They understand that it is not just about being able to overwhelm opponents with force and power. They understand that is not just about fighting. They may not understand at the same level as a seventy year old man who has been practicing since youth, but they know that that is the goal and are able to start moving in that direction.
The blackbelt is the beginning of true learning, and it is the maturity to become more teachable and to make the martial art about more than just punches and kicks. It is the beginning of a deeper understanding of the art.
Daniel
) them the black belt would give them further drive to increase their knowledge and skill in the arts. Of course there are pitfalls to such a method, you have not only think of the impact it will have on the student, but also on other students, who may lessen the value of their own black belt.
