Double Grading

[cathal]

I have seen, through the years, a few students skip a kyu level from time to time. For example a 6th kyu grading for 5th going to grade, and is asked to grade for 4th after testing for 5th.

Does your style do this, and what are your opinions on double grading?

[Holland]

I don't do that in my school. If a student is particularly sharp I may let them cut some time off of their minimum time in rank (like doing 4 months in rank instead of 6) But even that is a rare occurance in my school.

[Sohan]

We don't do it at our school, either. I have seen very quick promotions a few times, but never a double. We're usually rather slow in moving up.

With respect,

Sohan

[aefibird]

At my karate organisation there are double gradings but they're rarer than hens teeth. I've only known 2 double gradings in all my years of training there - both from white to red belt (bypassing orange). One student was very very naturally talented and had learned the material for red belt quickly. The other student was a person who had previous MA experience.

At the TKD club I train at they also have double gradings, but it isn't that common and it is generally only for the lower kup grades/people moving from white belt - you wouldn't get somone going from (say) 3rd to 1st kup.

I actually triple graded (from 10th to 7th kup) - the only person in the organisation ever to triple grade! That was only because I have previous martial arts experience.

[NothingsShadow]

Our dojo is similar to Sohan in that no one gets double graded mainly because the gap and skill level between each grade is large. We have only 5 Kyu grades in our system and once you get to about 2 Kyu it would normally be 2 years or so between 2-1 and 1-Shodan (normally at least 6 months between each of the lower Kyu grades).

[cathal]

That's very interesting, so it seems there is a pattern of sorts with the student having previous experience. Thanks for your input

[lordtariel]

I had the opportunity to double jump when I got my first belt in karate. We have a list of requirements in order to advance to the next belt level and I had gotten everything checked off up to the orange belt level. Truth be told, we skipped a testing month due to getting ready for a tournament, but I kinda felt like I would be cheating if I jumped straight to orange.

[Isshinryu_heart]

the only time I have ever seen someone skip a rank was when one kid skipped a junior black belt rank (the JrBBs go through a grading system similar to the kyu ranks). He was definitely ready for it though. He tested for his BB the following year.

[patusai]

We never did it either. But..we only had three belts before black (White Green and Brown) Jumping that much was rather difficult. It would probably be easier to do if there were 10 different belts but that would depend on the ciriculum. To answer your other question, I would not like the idea but then I suppose that there are and probably should be exceptions.

[Spirit At Choice]

My kid skipped ranks twice, BUT... the kids' program has way more levels to work through than the adult program; he has a natural talent for it; he did a week-long program in this style before starting formal classes (thus learning many of the techniques); and he is older than most kids starting the kid's program. Essentially they were just pushing him through to his current level. Now he is in an appropriate class and working up one rank at a time.