What having a black belt means

[ninjanurse]

A Black Belt means something totally different to each person that wears it.

[Chaz]

Having a black belt means your probably wearing pants...

[Straight Blast]

so what if I am wearing a shirt? does that mean im wearing a belt?

or how bout if im wearing socks? am I wearing a hat?

[AnonymousOne]

After having been training for 41 years I have come to the conclusion that all Karate grades ought to be totally merit based.

Despite having to work within my school system, I disagree with the ranking system.

They put some many months between kyu grades and so many years between dan grades.

My attitude is that if someone can perform the criteria in terms of technique, what does it matter how many years they have trained between grades?

Years wont advance you, only hard training will. In our school and other schools as well, I have seen Nidans far more advanced than Yondans. Why? Because they outstrip them in terms of work out put.

One student might have been training for years at 3 per week and the other for a few less years but at 25 hours per week. Naturally the greater the volumn of training the greater the capabilities.

Back in the 1970s one of my teachers was graded to SanDan at the same time as 5 others, and yet he was our countries undefeated national champ 5 years in a row and was light years ahead of the others in skill, fitness, knowledge, power etc etc. But the system does not take into account his harder training because its fixed into a time system.

[Sandan]

To be, whenI got my black belt there was a period of being well lost for a while. I felt that I had done all this work and now I was a black belt and I didn't know what it meant for a while.

To me it is really a stage of having much more responsibility and stepping up to the mark so as to speak. I have now been a black belt for years and I can see the difference in people around me who are just gaining their black belt.

I've had to work hard in the meantime to maintain this level and so it's no surprise that along the way I've learned a considerable amount and have learned most of that by passing on what I know.

[markusan]

Have any of you noticed how students improve just AFTER they get their blackbelts. It's almost as if they now have permission to be good.

[Shorin Ryuu]

''only thing a belt is good for is to hold your pants up''

Wrong! I always have to correct people on this! It isn't to hold your pants up, it's to hold your gi closed. If you relied on obi to hold your pants up, there'd be a lot of cold legs and warm ankles, if you get my drift...

[pineapple]

After having been training for 41 years I have come to the conclusion that all Karate grades ought to be totally merit based.

Despite having to work within my school system, I disagree with the ranking system.

They put some many months between kyu grades and so many years between dan grades.

My attitude is that if someone can perform the criteria in terms of technique, what does it matter how many years they have trained between grades?

Years wont advance you, only hard training will. In our school and other schools as well, I have seen Nidans far more advanced than Yondans. Why? Because they outstrip them in terms of work out put.

One student might have been training for years at 3 per week and the other for a few less years but at 25 hours per week. Naturally the greater the volumn of training the greater the capabilities.

Back in the 1970s one of my teachers was graded to SanDan at the same time as 5 others, and yet he was our countries undefeated national champ 5 years in a row and was light years ahead of the others in skill, fitness, knowledge, power etc etc. But the system does not take into account his harder training because its fixed into a time system.

I agree with AnonymousOne. When people ask me how long does it take to become a black belt, I tell them that it is not a matter of years but how soon can you perform the techniques. If promotions were based on time, it should be done by hours not by years.

Is a student who trained 1 hour, 3 times a week. the same as a student who trained 2 hours, 6 days a week?

[pmeckiff]

Shodan literally translated means "lowest grade/first grade". Once you have achieved said rank, you are ready to start the "proper" training that the 9th-1st kyu have prepared you for. In my opinion, the run-up to the black belt is merely a test to see if you've got the right frame of mind and phisical ability required to "begin" the training. Having a black belt means nothing at all unless you accept that you've got a long road ahead of you to master the moves or whatever.

That's my opinion anyway...

P.

[ninjanurse]

And a fine opinion it is!