New school / Same style / Keep or lose rank

[ninjanurse]

Accepting a lower rank can be hard for someand each should be evaluated individually as they are all in a different place on the journey. For me, I was honored that the Master Instructor allowed me to retain my rank and train until I could test in to his system. I still have one more test to take in order to achieve that rank in his system but I wear HIS 2nd dan belt now, not my 3rd dan. To me it was a matter of respect for him and his system, not about who stood to my left in class.

 

[blitzcraig]

I guess we all should remember "its not the belt that makes the fighter". Although it would suck to be green and get knocked down to white!

[aefibird]

A TKD instructor that I know once said to me that "Martial Arts aint a democracy!!" After all, if you move to another school you are agreeing to abide by the rules and regulations of that club.

 

If you move to a new school and become demoted then it is very tough, but I think that it shows the sort of mental strength that martial artists ought to have if they can cope with being demoted and show dignity about it.

 

Generally, though, I think most instructors are sympathetic to students who have come from other styles and try to encourage them without demeaning what they've done before. We had a bloke come to join my Shotokan dojo about 18 months ago. He was a 1st kyu in his old karate system (I can't remember what style it was) and he volunteered to go back to white belt again. He'd been along to watch a few lessons and realised his karate was very different from ours. My sensei offered to let him stay at 1st kyu, but warned him it would be a long time before he could test for black, or offered to demote him to 3rd kyu if that's what Steve (the guy) would prefer. However, Steve insisted that he wanted to go back to white belt, which I thought was a great attitude and showed he wanted to learn a new system and get it correct from the start. He's managed to work his way back through the kyu ranks and is now back at 1st kyu again and is looking forward to testing for black!

[blitzcraig]

interesting

[Mink]

Give the student three months to learn the requirments then do something similar to a grading if it is not at a brown belt standard then lower him.

 

if he really wats to keep the brown belt then he will train ...he could always skip a grade at the next grading if you did lower his grade .

[ramymensa]

When he came to our school he was evaluated and it was determined that he was at green belt level (we have blue and purple belts too so that was a 3 belt drop)

 

What would you instructors do in that situation? He earned that belt...he spent 2.5-3years training....its not his fault our standards were different.

guess your dojo is similar to mine. The instructor has the right to award ranks and he did the right thing (in my opinion). After 2-3 years we get to blue belt (5 kyu). For brown belt, there's more work to be done ...

[The Saint]

We have a student at our club the moved to Canada form Russia. He was a red belt in Karate. He was awarded a blue belt at our club based on his basic movements in TKD. However, he is an excellent fighter and has lots of talent. It bothered him at first but once he got going with training he has accepted his current rank and is train exceptionall well. If it was mee inthis situation I would be a little PO'ed but would have to accept it and train hard to become a better fighter.

[wado_lee]

at our club you are assessed and given rank according to ability within adopted club

[ramymensa]

We had some students coming from elswhere. One of them said he was a green belt (6 kyu) in our grading system. The instructor asked for some diploma or certificate. He couldn't provide one. So he was put back to the white belt with the possibility of reducing the time limit in order to get back his rank quicker. He went on the exam for 9 kyu (yellow belt) and stood there until few months ago, when he gave up karate. Sensei told him he was prepared even to skip him ranks if he proved good. He didn't "qualify".

 

Other high ranks coming to our class (who can prove with "papers") are allowed to keep the rank and grade only when the instructor is certain they can obtain the superior rank.

 

Different policies. I think they are OK

[yireses]

In my shcool happened th samde thing. But my teachers

 

1) asked him which where the standers in he,s old school.

 

2) They aske dhim for he's rank certificate.

 

3) They let him practice with out rank untill he cacths up with are standards.

 

4) After that they evaluate him for the rank he had.

 

5) He had to wait more time then normal for he's next rank. Not very long but more then ussual.