What is required to become a black belt at your school?

[fnorfurfoot]

Beyond the obvious skill needed, what requirements does your school have for achieving the level of Black Belt? I'm thinking in terms of how many techniques? Forms? Sets? Combinations? Or anything else that might be unique to your system.

 

[The Kidd]

30 combinations, 30 one-steps, 10 forms, 10 self defenses, that also does not include the crueling 6 hour physical test, the written test, the teaching evaluation, the breaking, and all the sparring.

 

[SFC JeffJ]

The TKD side of the school's testing for 1st Black includes 11 forms, a lot of one and two steps, (around 30 each) displays of competency in self defense scenarios form escape and run up to terminal control, and a lot of board breaking, including a suspended break and a three board flying kick break.

On the jujitsu side, falling and rolling, escaping, pinning, the four wrist-bends plus variations, four of the throws, being able to describe the concepts in detail, and a paper on the head guys subject of choice, and display both the techniques and concepts in SD roleplaying.

Jeff

 

[Nomad]

Hmmm... being able to at least walk through around 30 - 40 different kata (some minor), including 2-3 weapons kata, displaying a reasonably high competence level in at least a dozen or so of these kata, being able to perform about 18 formalized partner drills, several combinations, demonstrate competence and control in sparring.

Plus some history and philosophy through written and oral testing, etc.

 

[Brandon Fisher]

Physical warm up 30 - 45min
Kihon (Basics) All blocks, strikes, kicks, stances (around 80 total)
Ukemi Waza (falling) Front, side, back and variations on each (10 on average)
Kata: (12)
Kihon Kata Series (Taikiyoku Shodan Fukyugata Shodan & Nidan (matsubayashi Ryu)
Pinan Shodan - Godan (Shorin ryu)
Naihanchi Shodan - Sandan (Shorin Ryu)
Passai Sho (Itosu No Passai)
Ju Jitsu: 200 - 250 situational waza
History of Karate-Do, History Of Seijitsu Shin Do, Philosophy of Seijitsu Shin Do, My challenge to the students
Question & Answer Section
Kumite 1 on 1
Kumite 2 on 1
Kobudo 2 kata of canidates choice (if they trained with kobudo)
Tournament Experience

 

[bushidomartialarts]

Funny you should ask, we're testing 6 candidates for black this weekend.

Training Requirements
minumum of 36 months of training (average is 40-48).
187 techniques
10 kata

Personal Requirements
Accomplish 4 personal goals, 2 set by you, one by your sensei, one by a mentor or friend
Complete 'accumulated tasks': run a total of 365 miles in the year prior to your test, do a total 3560 pushups, practice a kata of your choice a total of 1000 times.

Scholarship Requirements
Written Exam
Thesis Paper
Oral Defense of Thesis

And you have to give your sensei a cookie.

 

[tellner]

We don't have belts. You get new material as the teacher thinks you're ready for it. When he thinks you're ready to teach you teach. Old School...

 

[Carol]

We don't have belts. You get new material as the teacher thinks you're ready for it. When he thinks you're ready to teach you teach. Old School...

Same here.

 

[Haze]

To many kata to list, about 25 or so.
List can be found here
http://cnygoshinkai.tripod.com/id17.html

Then along with that is all the bunkai, kumite, strength and conditioning drills,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[matt.m]

18 poomse, 27 one step sparring, 12 basic moves. This is all I know for Tae Kwon Do requirements, as for hapkido please refer to http://www.mskhapkido.com/id14.html

 

[searcher]

For Sho-dan: 10 kata, 20 SD sets with 5 variations each, all basic punches, kicks , blocks, 5 takedowns/throws, 5 joint locks, 50 man fight, history of the art and knowledge of the traits of other styles(what they are known for). This is just a general list. I may have missed something, but listed is the minimum.

 

[Cirdan]

Wado: 14 kata, 36 one step kumite, 10 khion kumite, ukemi, all blocks, strikes and kicks including animal hands, pressure point striking, a number of throws and locks, pushing hands, several rounds of free sparring and hitting pads.

You are also expected to be able to teach at this level. Brown belts are assistant instructors and when you are nearing your dan grading, the head instructor will evaluate your ability to instruct.

Not a BB myself but I think this is all.

 

[Kenpojujitsu3]

For me to award a Black Belt the person must have

1) Proper Attitude
2) Proper Dedication
3) Proper Conditioning
4) 154 Kenpo Self Defense Techniques + 48 of the 96 extensions
5) 8 of 10 Kenpo Katas I require
6) About 13 of 14 Kenpo Sets that I require
7) Ju Jitsu Throws, Takedowns and Breakfalls
8) Ju Jitsu positions and how to hold them
9) Ju Jitsu transitions between positions
10) Ju Jitsu escapes
11) Ju Jitsu Submissions
12) several variations of "the 4 basic combos of Ju Jitsu"
--A) position to position (also number 8 on this list)
--B) position to submission
--C) submission to submission
--D) submission to position
13) Ability to integrate Kenpo knowledge with Ju Jitsu knowledge

 

[Brandon Fisher]

There is some great requirements listed here. Good job all!!

 

[Black Belt Jedi]

The Requirements at my school to get to Shodan is:
Show up for class 5 or 6 days per week
1,000 of each katas (only first three basic katas)
do kata from white - brown belt before and after classes
10Km run
Martial Arts Resume
1,000 word Essay
written test

Those are the requirement for Black Belt before going through the 4 hour grading. During classes you have to do quite a lot cardio training to prepare for testing, it is also recommended to seek out a cardio class at a gym. I believe that everyone who wants to be a Black Belt has to go through something similar to what I gone through just to show that you have earned it instead of recieving your Black Belt and certificate on a silver platter. Most important thing to be a Black Belt is to have a positive, humble attitude, that's why I think kids are not worthy of being Black Belt.

 

[rframe]

We are a traditional karate (Shotokan) association. We have a well developed curriculum and students use an individual logbook to track progress so that everyone knows what they should be working on at each rank. There is no mystery about what you'll learn and need to master next in your journey. Students must log learning a technique, state that they know the technique, and then have a senior student or sensei observe and endorse the technique and katas for each rank, when all items have been demonstrated they are then eligible to test which is usually a 1 hour test for most kyu ranks up to green. At green and above things become much more comprehensive and intensive. The most recent green test I witnessed was 1 week of daily conditioning and technique followed by an 8 hour test however this is customized for each individual based on their age, physical, and mental conditioning... they are to be "tested" not just demonstrate something. Dan testing is generally something that takes a month or more, and may culminate into 1-2 days of exhaustive testing.

 

[Kaygee]

And you have to give your sensei a cookie.

Brilliant!

 

[Kaygee]

The Requirements at my school to get to Shodan is:
Show up for class 5 or 6 days per week

Wow.......not sure how many people would actually be able to keep that up. As much as I love class, between work and kids and Honey To Do lists, there is no way I could make it to class 5 or 6 days a week. Not to mention, my body would probably rebel and shut down on me.

 

[Kaygee]

I do not know how it is in my new school, because I just joined one earlier last week, but in my old school, all you needed to obtain black belt is:

Be able to follow commands in Korean. (Although I have seen students do the wrong moves when told what to do but they still pass.)
Do all basic kicks.
Do 6 hand techniques.
Do your senior form and two junior forms. (Although I have seen students on multiple occasions not know how to do their junior forms, but still pass)
Do any self defense requested of you. There were 4 per rank except for 3rd, 2nd and 1st gups, in which case they are the same 14. (Although I have seen students either freeze and completely not know the technique, do it completely wrong and even do the wrong one, and pass)
Jump spinning back kick break. (If you do not break it, you will still pass)
Any other extremely weak break that is requested of you. The reason why I used "extremely weak" to describe the break is because they were basically all "chambered" kicks, like chambered front kick or chambered side kick. To me, that is a trivial break for anyone testing for their black belt.
You might have to know some terminology, but that was if the head master asked and even if he did, most students never had an answer. (The last test I was at, not one student in the entire dojang, including the black belts running the tests, could answer what the ten articles of faith were. I volunteered to answer, but was told to put my hand down because I was the only one that knew them the test before when asked.)
All of the tests were given by the master of our school. No other outside opinion was requested.


Hopefully my new school has higher standards to make black belt. I think they do as their black belts seem "on point".

 

[rframe]

Wow.......not sure how many people would actually be able to keep that up. As much as I love class, between work and kids and Honey To Do lists, there is no way I could make it to class 5 or 6 days a week. Not to mention, my body would probably rebel and shut down on me.

I totally agree, a commitment of 5-6 days per week seems pretty nuts to me, but to each their own I guess.