Advancing belts in half the time??

[karatekid1975]

I agree G.

 

My instructor has said I was ready, but I decided not to test on several occasions. This week being one of them. I was supposed to get my second tip for self defense techniques, but I am (I feel) really bad on the counter attacks. We have three "grabs" (lapel graps, wrist graps, chokes, ect .... depending on belt level) at each belt rank. But there are three defenses for each grap.

 

I have also douple tested (for tips, not belts), only because I knew the stuff required.

 

Anyways, I don't test if I feel I'm not ready, period. I tell my instructor thanks, but no thanks. He understands. He gives me his point of view, but mine also counts. But then again, I'm not one of those who have a brown belt (or what ever rank before black) for three years either. It's totally up to you (well in my dojang anyway).

 

I hope I made some kind of sense. I'm tired LOL. Bed time

[ITSUKO]

I went through belt faster than others at my dojo. Like you, I work hard and feel I deserve it. However, now I feel vunerable for being high up there. I work even harder to defend my belt in kata and kumite wise. Either way, you will enjoy the fruit of your labor by gaining more in experience and progressing through belts. Good luck.

[angelica d]

I don't think you should feel bad about progressing through the belts, if your instructor feels that you are competant enough then you must have earned it. But I don't believe that its necessary. What I mean is, I've trained loads more than the other people at my kyu level, and it does show. I don't mind not progressing faster though, because although I can pick up new things faster, I like having then extra time to perfect the techniques until they seem like second nature to me. If you rush, you'll miss out on this IMO. I also enjoy the fact that there is a group of us that always grades together, there is a real team spirit and it'll be ace when we all get to 1st dan together!

 

Of course I don't know what your classes are like. If you only learn the stuff required for the next belt, I can understand why you might get impatient to learn new things (no matter what people say, heian shodan IS pretty boring after doing it so much!). However, where I train, we get the opportunity to learn different things as well, such as self defence, bunkai and more advanced techniques. This stuff stops the more able students from getting bored. I know I'm going on a bit now, but what I mean is, you have to think why you're wanting to grade so fast. I don't believe that wanting to have a higher rank is a good reason, but if grading quickly gives you more opportunities to learn new stuff, then by all means go for it! Just don't forget the stuff you learnt at the lower grades, IMHO its the most important stuff.

[trekmann]

I do not think it matters if you advance in Kyu ranks failry quikly. As long as you feel that you have to earned the grade by training hard and working your * off at the grading.

[Guest]

Why are you asking us? Do you feel like you don't deserve to advance so quickly? Do you feel guilty about advancing so quickly? Or do you fear being criticized by the people who are of the opinion that people should progress through the ranks slowly? To me, if my instructor tells me I'm ready I take the test whether I think I'm ready or not. You are your own worst critic.

[blitzcraig]

My instructor knew a guy who taught a TKD school and his students were becoming BB's with in a year. Now, I dont know much about TKD, but I figured it should take more than one year to be BB. My instructor said lets put one of your BB's against a purple belt here and see who wins...we won.

[Coco]

Okay,you guys probably didnt have enough information to give good enough advice, its greately my fault. Here are the facts: I train 4 times a week, one hour per lesson. Im currently ranked 6th kyu(orange stripe green) out of 10, and will test for 5th kyu(green) in a few days again. I am fat, and dont consider myself good at karate. Although my friend says he is one of the best on the county, and i can still beat him(he says im awsome at karate) I dont think i train hard enough. When my teacher talks to me about the belts, i see the desperation in his eyes. Its not his fault, as it is a pretty new dojo, and he cant put white/yellow belts fighting blue/black belts at competitions. He wants to hurry us begginers up so we can get to brown belt, and REALLY compete to win medals. I have decided, after thinking alot, that compared to others around my area, i am still pretty good at karate(always win 1st and 2nd places at tournaments) and i will keep doing belts as my teachers wants me to, but as soon as i turn green belt, im going to start training 2-3 times harder, and at the first sign of debut, i will not take the test for the next belt. I have benefited my teacher by letting me pass through the first 5 belts, i thought i hadnt perfected, but for the remaining 5, i will train my katas and i will train myself until i think im definately, completely ready for the next level. I might take 7 years to get to black belt, but when i do get it, noone will stand in my way to that 1st place in ANY tournament, or ANYWHERE AT ALL!

[White Warlock]

Based on your last post, i'm not keen with what's going on there. Your instructor seems to have a personal agenda, which could place you in harm's way. I.e., he's attempting to advance you and others so that you guys can compete and win some trophies so he can brag about how good a school he has.

 

But, what's more likely going to happen is, you and the rest of your mates are going to walk into a competition and get carried out on stretchers.

[Dijita]

I agree with White Warlock.

 

Seems a bit risky and dangerous if you ask me.

 

Do not fight in brown/black belt category if you are not ready. Especially if you are a full contact type of MA. You'll get injured or a concussion or something.

[Guest]

It's all up to you. If you think the instrutor is advancing you because he doesn't want a dojo full of novices, then just don't show up for the exam until you think you're ready. If he asks you why you didn't come then tell him you were going through your stuff the night before and you weren't able to perform all of the standards. At that point he can accept it, because he couldn't pass you if you didn't know your standards, or he could tell you that you should've tested anyway. If he told you to come, then it looks like the teacher was going to promote you whether you were ready or not. That feels very McDojo to me.