ramymensa Posted February 20, 2003 Posted February 20, 2003 Now that's not OK. Talk to your instrcutor to provide you with REAL instruction, if not leave. It's not right to have a beginner teach the classes, because an orange belt is a beginner. I would accept to have a class run by a brown belt, anything "lower" wouldn't be acceptable. No offence World Shotokan Karate
reddragonmaa Posted February 28, 2003 Posted February 28, 2003 Yes I would train under someone less than a 3rd Dan. I started my training overseas while my father was in the USAF. There was always someone transfering in from the Far East & Martial Arts teachers transfering out to different Bases. The 1st question you need to answer is "Can I learn from this person?" The 2nd question - "Is this persons knowledge of any quality or are they lacking in knowledge?" A final suggestion - Do not group all 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc... dans in the same group. I have meet some 3rd and 4th Dans that are not worth the time of day & I have met some 1st Dans and Brown belts that had a lot to offer. RANK DOES NOT MAKE A MARTIAL ARTS INST. KNOWLEDGE & PRESENTATION DOES!!! Martial Arts - 20 years+
isshinryu kid Posted March 2, 2003 Posted March 2, 2003 Usually When a person becomes sandan,He/SHe will go out own there on & start a school.BUt If 1st dan is not qaulified to teach.When becoming a shodan you've just begun to learn. I've been in the MA for 14 yrs & I'm a sandan. PS The Journey is long,BUt its worth the trip. PS I COme to you with empty hands,I Have no weapons,But Should I be forced to defend myself,My Prinipals or my honor,Should it be a matter of life or death,Right or wrong,Then here are my weapons my empty hands.
IAMA_chick Posted March 28, 2003 Posted March 28, 2003 it defiantly depends on the instructor! my instructor is a 3 dan and she is awesome, honostly, i don't think any one could have been a better person. so, yeah, of-course! Tae Kwon Do15-years oldpurple--belt
karate_woman Posted April 13, 2003 Posted April 13, 2003 Absolutely. In fact, with karate, the higher the Dan rank, the more suspicious I become - we wait a long time between Dan rankings, so when I see a 25 year-old 7th Dan it makes me wonder...did they get their black belt 3 years before they were born, because that's what it works out to in my style. Not that young people can't be highly ranked...I've met a wonderful 5th Dan in Kempo Karate that is 29, but I know her background and she's legit. Anyway...getting sidetracked again. I'd want to make sure the 1st Dan was still training, but other than that, if they are a good instructor why not? The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. -Lao-Tse
hobbitbob Posted April 13, 2003 Posted April 13, 2003 It would really depend on the instructor. I taught at a rec council program as a Shodan, but it was understood that I had a higher ranked person who was teaching me. There have always been Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm!
AndrewGreen Posted April 13, 2003 Posted April 13, 2003 Well I run a school, so I'm on the other end of this. Very few of my students know my rank, I have no desire to get any more. Didn't have any desire to get what I got either... I very rarely even wear a belt, basically just for grappling with a gi. Dan rank should be irrelevant, what does they guy know and what can he do and how well can he pass it on to you? If his biggest credential is a old smelly belt, then go look somewhere else cause that all you'll likely ever get training with him. Andrew Greenhttp://innovativema.ca - All the top martial arts news!
hobbitbob Posted April 13, 2003 Posted April 13, 2003 Dan ranking, as a product of lineage, is of great importance in styles that identify themselves as "tradtional" or "Classical." I'm not going to get into an argument over traditional vs. "reality combat flavour of the month non-traditional" styles. There have always been Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm!
wcnavstar Posted April 16, 2003 Posted April 16, 2003 I have trained in Japan for about four years now. And our style stems from Okinawa. Now to be an instructor of your own seperate school you need to be around Godan (5th degree) level. However you can stiil open a Dokokai (Branch Dojo) of the Hombu Dojo (main school). And at Shodan you can take on some teaching responsibility. In the end it all comes down to respecting your teacher. Regaurdless of your rank or how good you precieve yourself to be. If your teacher gives you permission to instuct others, then in my opinion you are starting off on the right foot. "We work with being, but non-being is what we use" Tao Te Ching
theswarm Posted April 22, 2003 Posted April 22, 2003 my first instructor was an orange belt he was actually a fairly alright teacher - and was personally trained from the beginning by an all styles champion. I didn't know the belt level of this sensei for a long time until after he had left. I've trained under a variety of senseis' - two second dans (one I still train under) some senseis were green belts and blue belts and one of them I swore from ability he was a 1st kyu. There definately is a difference, generally i think higher grades teach kata better, but basics is pretty much on the level between the lower grade senseis and the black belts. I find that sometimes a lower belt sensei can offer a better solution to a problem than a black belt or above just because a lower belt might have experienced something similar not so long ago, whereas with a higher belt it might have been eons ago.
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