Encouraging people to grade

[ESA-Shotokan]

One thing I find amazing is how people grade through the coloured belt ranks and would not even for a moment want to miss out and yet, once they attain their shodan, they then don't grade again!

 

Why do people do that? Yes life can take over your time so you don't train as much and what have you, but I'm talking about people who do train regularly in a dojo at least twice per week. I know quite a few black belts who have been first dan for a dozen years or more and you wonder, why didn't they continue to grade; to test their ability further? Yes a black belt is a black belt but you should always strive to better yourself in both your training, understanding and achievements.

 

There should be more pressure on dan grades to look for such achievement. I know it is not all about what dan you are but when you meet a person who has graded regularly and is say, fourth dan or higher, you certainly realise and respect that incredible achievement on their part.

 

Oh and by pressure, I'm not talking about the belt factory/McDojo type of rubbish who hand out black belt grades for wearing the most badges on their silver gi!!

[aefibird]

Hmm, it's a bit of an odd one, that. I was thinking about it the other day, actually. I suppose that it's because people probably realise that grading isn't everything and that it's the martial art that counts.

 

 

 

Plus, like you said, work and family and stuff gets in the way. I think a lot of people strive so hard for their first dan that it is probably a bit of a relief to not 'have' to grade again.

 

I was speaking to a shodan that I know, who belongs to the same organisation as me, and I was asking her if she was ever going to take her nidan at some point (she's been shodan for about 4-5 years). She said no and said that she found the kyu gradings so stressfull that she'd never want to take a martial arts test again. She told me that, for her, shodan was enough. She didn't want to be an instructor or top competitor and she felt that she could keep on learning and training without having to take another exam just to get a fancy piece of paper that said she was now a nidan.

 

I agree that someone who is, say, a 4th or 5th Dan deserves great respect for their achievement. I think also that the practice of 'awarding' Dan grades on heads of organisations, etc. is getting just a little bit silly. Where will it end? In 20 years time we'll have 'Master X' being presented with his 150th Dan if it carries on...

[delta1]

I'm not talking about the rubbish who hand out black belt grades for wearing the most badges on their silver gi!!

 

HEY!!! Watch it, bub! I thought the more patches you got, the higher your rank any how .

 

 

I don't know..., each to his own path, I suppose. Some schools have started issuing the black belt as just the senior colored belt. You are still a bb, with all the respect and some of the privilages. But they dont give that first grading until you've stayed with it or tested for it. I kind of like that concept. If the basic black belt is all you want, it's your choice. If you want more, that too is up to you.

[equaninimus]

I stand guilty of having avoided grading whenever possible. My 2d and 3d dans were under strong "encouragement" from my instructors (Robert, its December, yes? Test sandan, June! Work harder!).

[Uechi Kid]

.I know this sounds like a bit of a copout. But for me it really is all about the knowledge. I don’t care if I ever get to a higher rank than shodan. I know I will test again, but I don’t really care. That’s not to say that when that happens I won’t do my very best, I will. Who really cares about what level of black belt you are? What’s important is can you defend yourself and teach what you know.

 

Don’t get me wrong. If you want to test and test and test that’s find, I just need a little prodding.

[karatekid1975]

We have a guy in our school that has been training for 10 years. He's only a 1st dan. I heard he refuses to test, but still trains. Well, I know the real reason, but I won't go into that (but yet, I agree with him).

 

When I test for BB, I prolly will take my time after that. Not that I'm rushing now, but I feel that I want to "learn" more, instead of worrying about the next BB test. There is so much more "in-depth" stuff to learn after BB that I want to learn it right.

[Practice is the key _]

Very true, some people want to exceed their technique. By grading you understand the true meaning of your belt, by gainning lessons makes you lerned more techniques.

 

Like me I prepare for my test and wait...or longer but some just want to grade as fast as possible, I train and truely earned my belt.

 

Ucehi I'd agree with you I got all lessons I needed exceed twice as much my sensei said your good enough to even grade the next but I study twice as hard what I suppose to.

[crash]

I reached shodan about 15 years ago and havent tested since, I still continue to learn and beleive it or not sometimes still have an enlightening exp. (something will just "jump" right out that maybe I missed before.) but I dont have to continue testing to continue learning. its now just about growing in the art more than aiming for the next stripe. And I guess that I also see testing for 2nd, 3rd, 10th, or whatever as being an ego thing for a lot of ppl and to me that is something that should have been overcome before reaching shodan.(hope that doesnt offend anyone).