Don't Want to Advance Too Fast

[Jacob]

I was a tae kwan do student for a couple of years, and now I plan on starting Shotokan karate. I liked the school and teachers very much, but I got a sense that students were being asked to test for their next belt too quickly.

How do I diplomatically question the sensei at my prospective new school to make sure that they do not do the same thing? Unlike most people who are impatient to advance, I am reluctant to be promoted before I am really ready (and I am not being hard on myself here).

[Spirit At Choice]

It's perfectly natural to have that concern considering your experience. This is a common thing for people: we know what we *don't* want based on what we experienced.

I would suggest that rather than ask the sensei of a prospective dojo anything regarding expedition of ranking, why don't you just tell them one of the reasons you left your TKD studies was because of a concern over premature advancement.

That way you make your statement very clearly without puting the sensei on the spot. Likely, the sensei will ask you if you have prior martial arts experience. When you say yes, (s)he will ask about it and ask why you left/transferred.

Once you've made your point, the sensei will probably explain the procedure for advancement so that your concerns will be addressed.

If your concerns aren't addressed, just ask, "How do you determine a student's readiness to test?" and "What is the average time between testing periods for a student who trains x times per week?"

I suspect that the dojang you were at was trying to increase revenues by collecting test fees, and trying to keep students happy by advancing them so they don't feel like they're failing all their tests. It's been known to happen, unfortunately, based on what I read here.

Best wishes.

[patusai]

Spirit At Choice said it very well.

[Bluetulipx]

I think this is a very important question and I feel the same way that you do. I have realized that I want to do the martial arts for many years and I would like a black belt at some point but have no desire to rush through the gradings especially if I don't feel ready.

I do three martial arts, aikido, tae kwon do and kick boxing and I tried to figure out how to ask this diplomatically as well. In the end I decided to ask my instructors straight out.

I explained that because I have three martial arts that I don't want to be doing gradings every month (although it did start this way). I would like to be a black belt at some point but because I am doing this for myself, not for others, I do not want to rush it.

The way I addressed it though was to address it as a personal issue. I said that an important issue for me is not to feel that I must do the next grading when I am not ready. I did not mention other people, that is up to them.

Because I very carefully made it clear that this was an important issue to my instructors, they ask me if I would like to take the next belt as they say they think I am ready. I am then able to say 'yes' or 'no'.

For people in the class who have not made the same request, I do not think that they have been provided the same choices.

Anyway, that's just my experience, but I find that if you state at the beginning that this is an important personal goal of yours then hopefully they will listen to it.