Belt question

[Davison]

Sticks and stones my break my bones but your words will never hurt me!

[Kicks]

I've always been of the mind that colored belts let the students know who to ask help from, if not from the head instructor. If everybody wore the same colored belt, or no belt at all, a student would not know who has gone through the program ahead of him and knows how to help him.

 

Even Boy Scouts have a ranking system.

 

I akso go to many tournaments; local, state, and national. I've seen many people walk away with championship medals or trophies that don't tell the whole story. In 2003 my head instructor was awarded the gold medal in sparring for his division at the USTU National championships. So was I. The difference is that I had to fight several people to win mine. He won his by default since he was the only one in his division. I've seen stuff like this many times.

 

So you never really know what a belt or award tells you. You have to look closer at the person. That's kind of why I like to wear a plain black belt when I compete. I'll let my competitors figure out what rank I am by the end of the day.

[parkerlineage]

Colors show, but not what you know.

 

My first degree black belt is outranked by a third degree in my studio. I can beat him hands down.

 

My sixth degree black belt teacher makes me look like a white belt when we fight.

 

Belts are pretty - but not always an accurate depiction of your skill. Your skill is an accurate depiction.

 

Nevertheless...

 

I obtained my black belt via a rigorous two hour technique line in which three people were almost knocked unconcious from, and we closed with the Ring of Fire, in which one stands in the center of a semi-circle, and the Master points to random people, who attack you and you must fight them off.

 

Everybody who passed in that test deserved it. If they had sparred me, and lost, therefore not getting their belt, it would not have been right. They deserved it just as much as me.

 

In my humble opinion;

 

Parkerlineage