McDojos/McBelts and a perspective...

[DLopez]

I'd bet on a "by the book" green belt over a medioker black belt any day of the week.

 

You're missing the point, because your logic falls apart under this scenario:

 

What if the "by the book" green belt is just a 13 YO kid and the mediocre black belt is a 30 YO man? Are you picking the 13 YO kid to beat the grown 30 YO man in a fight? And if true black belt earners are only those that win medals in competitions, does that mean the black belt holders that came in 4th place and on down don't deserve to be black belts?

 

The point of this thread is that it shouldn't matter to you how hard someone else tries in class, or if you think they don't deserve the rank they're at. What matters is how hard YOU try in class, and how well YOU learn the material. If someone is an excellent student and earns their black belt at the same time another student that just puts out enough effort to get by, does that invalidate the excellent student's black belt, or mean the instructor or the school is a bad one?

 

Of course not.

 

Ultimately, it is up to the student to be as good as they can be. Those that choose not to be their best, simply help keep the lights on in the school so you can continue to train to be your best.

[Sam]

Saint - that sounded almost verbatim from the ITF (namely TAGB) handbook definition of black belt...

 

 

Just to make my contribution - Three points...

 

1. If your instructor promotes a student to a belt which you feel they dont deserve then feel how you will but train with that person as though they are capable of the actual requirements for that belt

 

2.DLopez i actually think (not to start an arguement) you missed the point:but what if its a 13yr old versus a 30 doesnt make sense.... thats like saying what if its a grandmaster versus a young guy with a gun.... really the grandmaster should win on skill but obviously s/he's not going to. So i thnik the point stands all other variables being equal i would agree with the original statement ... but i do agree with what you said about tournaments

 

3. My main problem with black McBelts is that they go on to form schools eventually which scares me for the sake of their students.

 

But ultimately i agree - its how hard you train and your own self respect that counts...

[Ottman]

3. My main problem with black McBelts is that they go on to form schools eventually which scares me for the sake of their students.

 

I completely agree here. This is how 'mcdojos' continue to pop up; they are franchised just like their fast food namesake, and we all have seen what has happened to the quality of fast food restaurants over the years. However, just as with these fast food franchises, there isn't much we can do about it, except remain steadfast in our own training, and continue not to patronize or promote these 'mcdojos' even if they become a majority. In this case, we can't but be stubbornly selfish in our quest for progression. We can't make others share in our passion. If a person wants the image; wants to be an 'ornament' so to speak, they will be hollow on the inside and fragile, easily broken when it comes to applying real skill. We cannot add substance for them, they must add it themselves, and until they are ready to make the change themself, no one else can convince them to do so.

 

So if they are content to be 'ornaments' I say let them. Anyone who frequents McDonalds restaurants does so because they are fast, cheap, and stimulate the tastebuds in a way comparable to how crack stimulates the pleasure glands in our brains. 'McDojos' are not far off from this, they are fast and cheap, and the thrill and prestige of easily rising through the ranks of the martial arts, no matter how fabricated these ranks are compared to real schools and real martial artists, is unfortunately what the vast majority of people in today's society are looking for: the easy way out (or in, in this case). All we can do is continue to be the best that we can be, and rise above the hype.

[WILLIAM]

Thing's worth working for are worth having every body wants it easy, seem's no one wants to work hard for there belts . and some of this's dojangs are letting it go on . and the art is getting watered down . My instuctor once said , every body wants to ride in a new shiny car,but not one person will help polish it.Always remember that if you again something to easy,it is worth nothing.

[isshinryu5toforever]

I see the bill paying point, I know the financial woes a dojo can go through. However, a person who earns a mcbelt doesn't have the tools they think they do. Point in case, I fought someone who had earned a black belt at one such school. I beat them hands down by 5 point spread in 35 seconds. It wasn't because I am a good point fighter. I really am not. It was because they were full of fear, doubt, and lacked depth in their knowledge. I was in the same forms competition with them, and they had shaky stances and somewhat awkward technique. I'm not trying to be overly critical, as you could examine my own katas and find numerous problems I'm sure. I was just going to write it off to a bad day, we all have them, until I saw them at another tournament a few months later and the same things happened. Just because someone shows up and pays the rent, doesn't mean they are worthy of earning a belt. They should be able to perform the minimum requirements for that belt test. In our school that includes a written exam that gets progressively longer as the belt rank gets higher. We have had people perform fantastically physically, great kata, pushups and situps are no problem, etc. Yet, they failed the written portion by half a point, and were not allowed to go up in rank. I think with a good teacher, those that do not advance will stick with the art and learn from what they did wrong. Subsequently, their next belt test will go better. I don't believe in giving someone a rank they do not deserve.

[ninjanurse]

It is strictly a personal journey and no one can make others accountable for how they train or perform. God ksnows we want to and can't help but be critical of others, especially when we compare them to ourselves...therein lies the essence of it all.

 

[KwicKixJ1]

in traditional TKD training it takes at least 5 years to get to black belt. i think the TUITION fees for some schools are ridiculously high... and...

 

every school has those... wait...

 

what was the main topic of discussion again? lost my train of thought.

 

oh yeah... some people open schools just to be able to promote people to black belt in a year to make the money off of the belt certificate tests.

 

i've seen TKD schools that promote to black belt in a year. i made sure to let the head instructor know how i felt (politely) that it was unfair to students to view themselves as equals to people who spend YEARS actually TRYING to achieve a black belt. nothing really happened, and i continued my search for a good place to train.

 

but yeah... McDojangs are annoying. they train people to be sloppy and not caring as long as they reach the next belt. i think that's sad.

 

if you're not good enough, you shouldn't qualify for yellow belt even.

[Kaminari]

Here's something I compare McBlack Belts to: a sword with a dull blade. Sure, you can whack someone really well with it, but the bladed sword is more dangerous to an opponent, more precise. Two swords may look alike, but the one with the sharp edge is the superior weapon.