A true black belt? or a fake?

[mantis.style]

I question the fact that he "challenged and beat" others - especially head instructors/owners.

i question the whole story

[ps1]

Great story. I find it difficult to see how someone who trains alone can learn the essentials of fighting like, timing, distance, and proper angles. That leads me to question the skill level of those he challenged.

All that aside, if his system was designed just for him and not to teach, why have a belt at all? The only purpose of belts is to determine which students have certain skill sets. It makes it easy for instructors to quickly determine which techniques a person needs to know.

I don't think what your friend did is wrong. It's certainly dangerous and not suggestable to train without a qualified instructor. But anyone can go to a tournament and enter any division they want. If he goes to tourneys in the BB division and does well, good for him. He can wear a chartreuse belt with little yellow polka dots for all I care. I suspect, though, that he would get wiped up in a good school. Hopefully, he will find one and get to learn the things he may be missing.

[username8517]

i question the whole story

Glad I'm not the only one

[AngryDelldo]

Short answer: No.

To me, and what I am taught in my own school is that being a Black Belt is more than just being able to fight. It's about many things, it's a personnal journey and an ongoing journey. If your friend has this big intrest in Martial arts than he would know that there is more than just fighting involved, he would want to learn the Kata's and so on.

I could go on and on. I'm only yellow belt and I feel like I know more about being a Black Belt than he does and if thats the case then no he isn't a "real" Black Belt. He may be a great fighter, but he should probly just where boxing shorts and a tee-shirt or something.

[ps1]

Short answer: No.

To me, and what I am taught in my own school is that being a Black Belt is more than just being able to fight. It's about many things, it's a personnal journey and an ongoing journey. If your friend has this big intrest in Martial arts than he would know that there is more than just fighting involved, he would want to learn the Kata's and so on.

I'm gonna play Devil's Advocate. It sounds as though his friend is on a personal and ongoing journey. As far as learning kata, there are several martial arts that do not have or teach them. Does that make a BJJ black belt any less of an achievement, since they don't have kata. I can't think of many who would agree.

I agree that the kid is a little hung up on rank. It's pointless, as I explained above. But if he worked hard and learned to get where he is, how is his achievement any different than yours?

If a person can play Motzart on the piano, but received no formal instruction, does that make them any less a piano player? If I can go out an bat .350 in the major leagues, but never played ball in school, am I any less a ball player?

[bushido_man96]

If a person can play Motzart on the piano, but received no formal instruction, does that make them any less a piano player? If I can go out an bat .350 in the major leagues, but never played ball in school, am I any less a ball player?

This is a very good point.

[KarateEd]

I am curious why he felt the need to purchase a black belt.

Ed

[ARADOX]

If this guy has developed the discipline, dtermination and the actual moves by himself and hs used them (all of them) successfully in full contact matches with qualified martial artists then he more than deserves his black belt, however He really shoulden't have just bought it to start with, but if this story is true then, yes he deserves it.

[USCMAAI]

To me the most disturbing thing about this story is that someone with little or no training beat so many black belts in your area. This just goes to show that a problem exsist in the martial arts. Too many people have been promoted to black belt who really do not deserve the rank. I am "old school" and remember a time when holding a black belt in any style meant that you were capable of defending yourself in most situations. Nowadays it seems that a black belt in some schools is nothing more than a money making device for the school. It saddens me to see this, and makes it difficult for true black belts. After running into one of these "paper tigers", bullies and thugs think that we are all pushovers, thus they think that we are all going to be push overs. I have personally had to deal with this type of problem in my area, and although I don't like to fight, I have had to because of stuff like this.

As for your friend being a black belt...Does he understand the priniples of motion. Can he break down, analyze and reassmble the moves that he does? Does he understand reverse motion , balance disruption, striking principles, or even the intracaies of stances and footwork? It takes a lot more than being a good fighter to make a black belt. To me your friend is a good, maybe even a great fighter, but not a black belt.

[YoungMan]

By definition, you are not a black belt if all you do is put some moves together and call it your own personal style. You may be skilled in your own right, the same way someone may be skilled in teaching themselves music or english. However, you are a black belt when a legitimate Instructor and/or organization deems you worthy, through accredited testing, of being a black belt. Until that happens, you may or may not be a skilled practitioner but you are not a black belt.

Otherwise, anyone and his brother could call themselves a black belt.