Skipping Belts

[Koei-Kan]

Do you think that it should be right for a person to skip belts? If so what belt should he or she stop skipping belts?

[Pacificshore]

Skipping of belts is totally up to the instructor, and the knowledge of the student that can properly demonstrate the requirements of all belts to be skipped, and to the rank they are suppose to receive.

As for the question of which belt they are to stop skipping....again that is arbitrary and up to the instructor in my opinion.

[jarrettmeyer]

We used to allow belt skipping, but now we don't. We used to have a promotion every 4 months, and you could promote as much as you had graded off. If you were graded off from orange to purple, then you could skip green and blue.

That's not so anymore. 1 kyu every 4 months, with a 48 month minimum between 10th kyu and shodan.

[Grenadier]

Different strokes for different folks, and this depends on the instructor as well as the students in question.

This is a GENERAL guideline that I use:

If someone with previous experience in another closely-related style of Karate comes to the dojo, I would let him start out as something more advanced than a white belt (but never as a dan rank) after seeing how well he does on a class or two. Good Karate is good Karate, after all. The rank itself, though, would be unofficial until he tested for a rank at the next exam.

If someone with significant previous experience in a significantly different style of martial arts comes to the dojo, he would start as a white belt, but I wouldn't hesitate to train him at an accelerated pace, since he could most likely handle it.

If a student comes in with no experience at all, but shows a knack for learning things quickly, can execute the techniques, and perform to an excellent level (requirements for the next belt), and if there's sufficient time before the next examination, I would certainly consider teaching him the requirements for the belt after what was supposed to be his next one. This is far more likely to happen at the lower ranks (say, their yellow belt levels) than it is at the advanced ranks, of course. Note: just because someone has learned the techniques for the rank beyond the one he is testing for, does not necessarily mean that he will test for that rank at the next exam! He might take a private exam after the regular one, or could be double promoted at the regular exam. It all depends.

Some students have a better knack for learning than others, and sometimes, it's better to simply let the students who demonstrate better techniques, etc., to continue on ahead, since the time could be better spent.

[Sauzin]

It really depends on the circumstances. Under ideal circumstances no, skipping does not occur. The instructor and student will be there during the entire process of progression and will test when appropriate. No need to skip. But weird things do happen. Generally this is handled on a case by case basis.

[G95champ]

In a perfect world no but I can see and have made exceptions.

1. A person has a background in another MA that allows him to develope faster.

2. Mental Age. Althought it should not sometimes you get an adult in a kids class or a kid in a adults class and they are above or below the rest of the pack.

3. Time. Lets say this person had not tested in like a year but has been training the entire time.

Im not a fan of skipping ranks but I did skip one. I was so upset. I have skipped two students both had previous training in other styles.

[ShotokanKid]

Do you think that it should be right for a person to skip belts?

Yes, I think it's okay, if they have shown they meet the requirements.

If so what belt should he or she stop skipping belts?

Whatever rank they stop going beyond what is required of them, and are just doing it right. To skip, you should be better than just doing it right.

[ninjanurse]

Consider it an honor and never forget.

[Uechi Kid]

I think if your sensei has you skip a belt it really means he/she hasn’t been paying attention the way they should. Shame on them.

[Killer7]

I think it depends a lot on the training style of your dojo and also how many belts there are. For example: In my style there are many "extra" belts on the way to black belt. There are many kind of "half step" belts that don't really have any difficult requirements associated with them. In short, I think it is a bad idea if you just have four or five belts before black. If you're like me, however, and have 11 belts before black I think it's OK.

I never skipped a belt, but I tested for one of the really easy belts one week and the next up belt a couple weeks later because I knew a lot past the previous one. I find in many Americanized styles of Karate there are a lot of less significant belts just to keep young children enthusiastic about karate and advancing.