What Percentage Make it to Black Belt?

[shanemm]

that's very interesting...

[Shane]

This topic is a hard one because of the black belt standards out there. Some schools have a high standard and then there are those that have low standard and of course ones inbetween. I mean I knew guys who got black belts after about 300 hours worth of training stretched over about a 3 year period. Heck when I had 3000 hours of training I had not even had my black belt yet. So I really cant answer or give a % of who makes it to black belt overall, and my school is a very young school and we are years from having anyone get a black belt.

 

interesting post

[The Saint]

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.

 

I agree with this, some people do make it to black belt and then quit. There is only one person still in my class, that was there when I started.

[longarm25]

less than 1% if you dont count Mc Dojos

[manuelito]

well considering it is hard to find stats on bb in the country i was able to find that according to the WTF 2002 stats show that there were 44,022 registered bb with the WTF. so if this is correct i would belive that less than 1% make it to bb 1st dan. moo considering how many students there are in the WTF in the USA.

 

personally when i tought i promoted 2 bb in a 4 yr span. i took over the school so i had all ranks when i begun.

[karatekid1975]

Yea, I agree. It's hard to tell really. We have people reach black belt, leave, then return (gee, we have color belts that do that LOL). Some 18 year olds go off to college, then come back. I really couldn't tell you how many BB's are at my school. I'm not there yet, and BB class is on one of my off-training-nights. I can say that 5 of the BB's are my friends, then there are the instructors. But I know that there are, at least, 30 in my dojang alone (there's more in the other two dojangs, also).

[White Warlock]

Other factors not considered are that 'most' students don't always have the luxury of staying in one place, or study consistently, and must move frequently or reenter the art, possibly at a different school, years later. Such things make it very hard to gauge on a sample basis.

 

Anyway, isn't it the point to grow in the arts, and not merely obtaining a belt? No doubt previously indicated figures completely ignore the dedicated martial artist who has no interest in 'belt' advancement.

[pmh1nic]

Interesting that this question has come up because I was asked this question by a new student this week.

 

Martial arts is a discipline but in many cases is marketed as a relaxing pass time, minimizing the work, sweat and repetition require to become proficient. You've got to sell your services to X number of new students each month to grow the business and/or to make up for those that find out that it's going to require hard work to earn your BB and leave.

 

Given a society that has a microwave mentality many sell membership in the school and achieving BB as something anyone can do when in fact everyone just doesn't have the discipline to do what it takes to earn their BB.

[aes]

I am pretty sure I was told some time ago at our school that it is 1 in 1000 get to black belt.

[karatekid1975]

pmh1nic made a good point there. If you are a school owner, and have those who want a BB in one year, and find out that it won't happen, they leave. You have to make up for it.

 

I seen it happen in this school. I told one person that you have to be a red belt for a year. It doesn't come easy. They said, "No way!" I said, "Yea way!" They almost spazzed out! Well find a different school bud, cause it isn't easy here. I didn't say that, but that is what I was thinking LOL. You get my point