One year???

[ShotokanKid]

My cousin just visited us. She's like 13 and she's been doing TKD for a year in Korea. She's already had the chance to test for Black belt! She didn't because she injured herself, but she's going to be testing when she goes back. Only 1 year of training? What do you think about that?

[Shorin Ryuu]

I've always said this again and again. Largely in the East, the notion of 1st degree black belt meaning anything is new and a minority opinion. There are exceptions and some styles that do indeed promote what I call the "black belt mystique", but they are just that, more exceptions than the rule.

What do I think of it? Nothing really.

[granmasterchen]

there are many schools in korea, and japan that are just like those in the states....mcdojos......

BUT, it is POSSIBLE to gain the rank of first dan in a style if you train hard everyday with a good instructor, which is more possible in the orient than it is in the states.....

many people think that black belt is the top rung of the ladder.....but they forget the first lesson that any true black belt will tell you when you ask.......black belt is only the beginning.....it is only the start.....I have often heard that it is referred to as starting over with your white belt....others say that the black belt only shows that you have finally started the martial arts....also referring to the white belt....black belt is the start the beginning.....after that is when you truely start to learn the art.

hope that helps some

[ShotokanKid]

Yes, granmasterchen, I enjoyed your post. I agree that black belt is the beginning, but one year isn't long enough to begin.

[Shorin Ryuu]

Yeah, I've seen enough of Shotokankid's post to see he gets the whole "black belt means nothing" deal. While a year is somewhat odd to us, it all boils down to the fact that what is really important is how good the person is. It would be different if a person in your school or same system (i.e. tracing back to the same grandmaster in the organizational sense) was not "up to snuff". Once you cross organizational lines, there may be some rough correlation or similarity, but any attempt at meaningful comparison is rather futile. That's why I said "nothing really" to what I thought about it (belied by this post, of course).

[Adonis]

Joe Lewis I heard got his black belt in a year.

[ShotokanKid]

http://www.fightingmaster.com/legends/lewis/joe_lewis.htm

This Joe Lewis?

[granmasterchen]

Well, I personnally.....feel that receiving a black belt in one years time is ludacris...but that's me.....I also feel that gaining any type of advanced rank in that time frame just as crazy, whether it is red or brown.

I come from a school that only tests once or twice a year.....we only have 6 colors, white, yellow, purple, green, brown and black.....so in my style, after one year you have only started to touch on the intermediate ranks.....on average we would test once a year for each rank above purple just to show the amount of time it took to really "LEARN" the techniques.....you all know what i'm saying...so i'll just be quite and reiterate the point that I don't think it's right to get that rank in one years time.

[Shorin Ryuu]

http://www.fightingmaster.com/legends/lewis/joe_lewis.htm

This Joe Lewis?

Yeah. In Shorin Ryu, I might add. (Hmm...is that good or bad considering the discussion?)

[yamesu]

I think that when people already adept in some form of training start a second or third art, it is much easier for them to gain recognition for their skills, as the fundamental concepts of fighting/selfcontrol/mindcontrol/whatever are already instilled in a person.