How long does it take to get a black belt?

[bushido_man96]

To me, the longer it takes, the more its worth!

just enjoy the moment, enjoy your current belt level-whatever it is, try to continuously improve your basics.

you will eventually get one.

what is a black belt? a white belt that never quit.

True Story: A dad walks in where i train with his kid who is a 2nd dan black belt (10 years old) in a different style. The dad and child are upset that he keeps losing in sparring tournaments. After a class, my instructor explains to the dad that he is fighting way above his level. dad and child left, never to return.

Good story. Pride is a terrible thing.

I got my 1st dan in the ATA in a little over 2 years, and worked my way up to 2nd dan. When I left my hometown and joined a new school, I had to start over, and take almost another 2 years to get to my new 1st dan. Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise, after what I see here about the negativity received about 2 year black belts. I do know that if I were to run my own school ever again, I would probably have testing cycles about every 3 to 4 months, and do a lot of things differently than my instructor does now.

[Brandon Fisher]

3.5 to 5 years depending on the amount of training a person puts in. This has been the average for black belts I have promoted. Very few have done it under 5 years and only 1 of the 19 have done it in under 4. All others have been over that. Some have been with me 5 years and still are not brown belts but are very good.

[Abraham_lincoln]

That depends on a few things. First, age. I started as a 6 year old, and earned my black belt when I was 12. 4 to 6 years, as stated earlier, is normal for an adult, maybe a little closer to 6 for a teen. Also, if you make class a lot, and how hard you work. I go 3 days a week, for an hour a day. And, of course, I work hard.

One thing to keep in mind is that the black belt is almost metaphorical, in that it's the goal for martial artists. If you focus on it too much, then it becomes impossible to achieve, because you won't be learning properly, and for the right reason.

[bushido_man96]

I would like for people to say that they want to go beyond black belt, instead of hearing that they just want their black belt. Does that make sense?

[Shotokan-kez]

I would like for people to say that they want to go beyond black belt, instead of hearing that they just want their black belt. Does that make sense?

Of course this makes sense Bushido, i'm with ya there. There are too many people (especially the younger ones') who gain their black belts and thats that, they dont come back to training and think they have become bruce lee! When i do finally achieve my black belt it will just give me more determination to keep going and train even harder. There is so much more to learn after gaining black belt, training doesn't end there!

[bushido_man96]

I would like for people to say that they want to go beyond black belt, instead of hearing that they just want their black belt. Does that make sense?

Of course this makes sense Bushido, i'm with ya there. There are too many people (especially the younger ones') who gain their black belts and thats that, they dont come back to training and think they have become bruce lee! When i do finally achieve my black belt it will just give me more determination to keep going and train even harder. There is so much more to learn after gaining black belt, training doesn't end there!

Absolutely! I have already discovered several new things that I can approach my training with, and I am nowhere even close to being done!

[Brandon Fisher]

I agree. There is a lot to be learned after black belt in most cases. There are schools that don't have a curriculum after black belt and its sad. When I started Seijitsu Shin Do I made sure there was. Not so much to retain people just to make sure there was plenty to learn. However hopefully it will help retain people.

[Abraham_lincoln]

I would like for people to say that they want to go beyond black belt, instead of hearing that they just want their black belt. Does that make sense?

I'm a little embarrassed to say it, but that's why I stopped. People saying things like that is what made me go back.

[Sojiro47]

Despite what the belt to the left says (I still don't get that), I am a Sho-Dan in Shudokan Karate Do, and it took me six years to achieve. I think that four to six years is a great time frame to make a Dan. However, I know of other Dojo's in my city that give dans after two or three years. Why would anyone do that? Makes me want to cry...

Edited September 24, 2006 by Sojiro47

[sonofkanga]

Just a reminder,BB is called Shodan which implies beginners level.

 

After writing that,the ammount of time from day one to Shodan depends on the number of official training sessions taken.

 

Whith us (Kyokushin)you can grade every consecutive 90 training sessions (Ippan Keiko).

 

Grading for every Kyu , if you train every day would take 3 years to attain ShoDan level.

 

Two ippan keiko sessions a day will shorten the time to tw0 years.

 

I know of an individual that trained three sessions a day and it took him one year.

 

For the average trainee,two to three Ippan Keiko a week, should take between five to eight years.

 

That is in the style I practice,comparision to other styles is impposible as the sylabus and requierments are so different.

 

comments on the time to attain any rank without the proper context are frivoulous.