no belt start

[aefibird]

I've never heard of starting out at "no belt" before.

 

In my dojo we start off beginners at white belt.

 

All new starters are allowed 4 weeks worth of training in regular clothes before they have to get a uniform. The 4 weeks is to let them settle in and to decide whether they like it or not.

 

I was a bit of an exception to the "4 week rule", though, as I couldn't afford a gi (uniform) at the time, so my instructor just allowed me to train until I could afford it.

[Sphintai]

Exactly, be very skeptical, talk to your instructor.

[karatekid1975]

Both the schools I have been to (TKD and TSD) had a no belt start, but neither charged test fees for any rank till BB.

[Sphintai]

Test fees? Thats stupid.

[okc_deputy16]

i've never heard of it but it sounds like a great idea but then agian i don't let anyone under 13 in my dojang

[euphoria47]

i wouldn't worry about the no belt thing unless your instructor is trying to sucker money out of you.

 

my first school - you got your white belt with your uniform. tested every two months - high test fee - high monthly fee - yearly contract - lots of required equipment with...fees - and 6 year-olds walking around with black belts.

 

i grew frustrated and switched after far too long.

 

next school - i paid about a tenth of the money i paid at the first school and got 100 times the education and training. no little children walking around with any belt...no little children at all - minimal teens. no belt at all (technically you're considered a white belt, but no visible belt) until a gold sash...that you get after about 6 months - tiny monthly fees - no yearly contract - no required equipment unless you want it personally - it's provided by the school. most green sashes at this school were the equivalents of blacks in the first in regards to talent.

 

the main difference of the two?

 

school 1 - the instructor was a business man who thought martial arts would be a good outlet.

 

school 2 - the instructor was an incredible martial artist at heart who was forced to do some business so that he could sustain life.

[47MartialMan]

I've never heard of starting out at "no belt" before.

 

In my dojo we start off beginners at white belt.

 

All new starters are allowed 4 weeks worth of training in regular clothes before they have to get a uniform. The 4 weeks is to let them settle in and to decide whether they like it or not.

 

I was a bit of an exception to the "4 week rule", though, as I couldn't afford a gi (uniform) at the time, so my instructor just allowed me to train until I could afford it.

 

Great.

 

But no belt, is that another method to get compensation for another test?

[47MartialMan]

I have seen the site...starting age two and a half? At that age, it was hard for me to teach my daughter about colors. Hmmn..............

[tommarker]

i've seen it done with kids where they are rewarded for knowing class commands or their teacher's name or something.. and they do the same with a patch here and there. something to build them up on the way to orange belt. I've never seen it TESTED for though.

[tkdkarategirl]

If you have to test and pay for your white belt, I think you're being robbed. If they just want to make sure you're going to stick with it before they award you with a belt, that's different.

 

But your white belt is symbolic for your clean slate (like you guys don't know that) and we always stripe them up as our students learn the basic stances, blocks, and kicks, so they can see what they've learned. They test when they have 3 stripes on their belt (for the stances, blocks, and kicks)...