Does a piece of paper make you better?

[jaymac]

It is all about credibility and nothing else. I agree with bat. With the internet at hand, you can become a freaking black belt without even stepping one foot in an actual dojo. People make alot of money by selling instructional DVD's and ranks to inexperienced individulals just because they can. It is shameful what you can get from the internet sometimes.

[RichardHangHong]

In the grand scheme of things I don't think it makes you any better. But from a business point of view it adds credibility to you as an instructor and creates less hassle. My old organisation didn't register their black belts with any governing body, no idea why though. It doesn't cost much and makes life a bit easier. In my club now, all of our dan grades are registered with our GB.

[Geng]

Short story.

One young black belt was fighting a middle aged yellow belt.

the yellow belt scored, knocking the black belt down.

When the black belt got up, he said "wow, I am embaraced" a yellow belt hit me. The yellow belt pointed to the material around his waist and answered "this did not hit you, I did"

I guess the moral of this story is clear.

[lordtariel]

Short story.

One young black belt was fighting a middle aged yellow belt.

the yellow belt scored, knocking the black belt down.

When the black belt got up, he said "wow, I am embaraced" a yellow belt hit me. The yellow belt pointed to the material around his waist and answered "this did not hit you, I did"

I guess the moral of this story is clear.

I liked that one.

[cathal]

Me too, that's a good story.

[bushido_man96]

Short story.

One young black belt was fighting a middle aged yellow belt.

the yellow belt scored, knocking the black belt down.

When the black belt got up, he said "wow, I am embaraced" a yellow belt hit me. The yellow belt pointed to the material around his waist and answered "this did not hit you, I did"

I guess the moral of this story is clear.

Very nice

[concrt]

Yeah, nice story. I've felt some of this as I recently ...well okay, a year or so ago, got back into the arts. I had trained for 4 years before, but was treated at first differently by some of the more advanced students untill they learned, at times in sparring, that I wasn't quite a complete novice.

I never hid my prior training, but the white belt was all they saw. In any rate, back to the first post, I think the piece of paper question depends on how it's done.

A certification from a larger organization, has merit, and if the group has a history of being credible, then you should have met some real standards for the certificate.

Does it make you better? No, but it shows you met a realistic threshold to achieve it. Think a degree on the wall. Can mean nothing or can mean much. Do you remember all/what you were taught? Well.....not always, but at least at some point you knew enough to get it.

In my school, we're part of a small association (C & S Self Defense Association) that registers all black belt dans, and anyone can look them up to see if someone is legitimate. It even lists the disgraced ones who are no longer "certified".

[IcemanSK]

A story of 2 people.... One guy, Chris, has a degree from Harvard. He graduates & becomes a non-important person in a field that is far beneath his "status" as a Harvard grad. The other guy, Bill, leaves Harvard without graduating & becomes the richest man in the world. Did it matter who had the prestigious degree? No. It came down to what they did with what they had.

All things being equal, I think it does matter that you have an organization behind your rank. For all the blood, sweat & tears we put into our arts, there should be more to show for it than just a certificate from a guy on the corner of 5th & Main in my town. Cuz someday, I might move to where no one knows or cares who that guy is. Yeah, I'll carry the skill (if I continue to train). But I'll want my students to be able to do the same thing when they leave town. My credentials mean as much to my students as they do to me.

[patusai]

It something like a college degree. It too is a piece of paper which can open doors for you that would otherwise be closed.

[RichardHangHong]

Short story.

One young black belt was fighting a middle aged yellow belt.

the yellow belt scored, knocking the black belt down.

When the black belt got up, he said "wow, I am embaraced" a yellow belt hit me. The yellow belt pointed to the material around his waist and answered "this did not hit you, I did"

I guess the moral of this story is clear.

Short and sweet, nice story