What Percentage Make it to Black Belt?

[TMAA]

Out of every 100 students who begin to train in your particular style, how many stay with it to their first degree black belt?

 

From there, what percentage would you say goes higher?

 

Thanks.

[Sasori_Te]

I read an article somewhere, naybe it was another post. I can't remember. It threw out these figures.

 

1 in 20 get to Shodan

 

1 in 3 Shodan get to Nidan

 

1 in 3 Nidan get to Sandan

 

and so on

 

If I can find where I read this I'll let you know. I'm also not sure whether this is accurate or not because I see the attrition rate being higher than than that to get to Shodan.

[shotochem]

Sasori,

 

IMO, that # seems a little high. I have seen so many people come and go. With us I would honestly say its about 1 in 100 that make it to Shodan and that takes 4-6 years. I haven't seen anyone make it in 4 though. I guess they don't want to train that long. Most of the ones who make Shodan also quit within a year or 2 afterwards. Go figure???

[SaiFightsMS]

I agree with the 1%.

[dear john]

well i am one of 2 and it looks like i will be one of one soon enough. so there you have it.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

I would say at MOST, 1 out of 100..but of course, that can vary fronm dojo to dojo.

 

I'm a picky bugger, and since 1978 I've only promoted 3 people to BB. The only one still practicing will be getting his Sandan soon. Maybe 20-some to various brown belt levels, but they weren't willing to give me that extra bit of effort that I was looking for, and work hard enough to get their black belts.

 

I've seen McDojo's around here that will give out BB's within as little as 13 MONTHS, so there are quite a few of them running around I suppose.

[scottnshelly]

I would say in an actual decent school, not counting those that leave within the first month, probably 1 in 80 to 1 in 100.

 

i've seen some McDojo's that will promote very early, like Shorinryu Sensei said.

 

Also, seems that a school that gives out a lot of Black Belts too early tend to have those that leave right after getting their first Dan. They have it in their head that Black Belt is the destination, not the begininng.

[Sasori_Te]

Like I said, I thought the drop-out rate was higher too.

[foreveryoung001]

I believe the drop out rate is quite high too. When I started in 1984, there were 30 of us, out of that original 30, only 3 of us ever made it to 1st dan. And there must have been at least another 50 or 60 over the years that had come and gone. So I would say that the percentage is very low indeed.

[aefibird]

I'd say that between 1 in 100 - 1 in 150 make it to blackbelt in my karate organisation.