A true black belt? or a fake?

[YoungMan]

There is a difference between showing a few basic techniques to someone as kind of an introduction, and actually organizing a curriculum and teaching a class. To do this, you need to be recognized by your Instructor and his organization as qualified to teach.

[bushido_man96]

There is a difference between showing a few basic techniques to someone as kind of an introduction, and actually organizing a curriculum and teaching a class. To do this, you need to be recognized by your Instructor and his organization as qualified to teach.

That is a good point. However, it is not always the case. Before organizations were created, it was done differently. You can also take Bruce Lee as an example. However, that is a very special circumstance; perhaps the exception that proves the rule.

[YoungMan]

Bruce Lee's way worked for him. It wouldn't work for 99% of students out there. They just are not at that level. And you need an Instructor guiding you to make sure things are being taught correctly. One person simply cannot do it alone.

[mantis.style]

Why do you need a formal curriculum? All styles that I have trained in are in themselves organised in basic training, related training and fighting training and everything begins with learning how to move and how to punch. The forms themselves are progressive and I only need to teach you how to perform the form before I can get you to start taking the form apart and using it as you see fit. Once you know how the movements are used, you will naturally change how you perform the form. There isn't much teaching involved as most of what I do is purely and based on experience. There are things that I won't be able to explain to you. Ther have been times during some sparring or drill training where I've been asked "what did you just do?" or " how did you do that?" and I honestly couldn't answer them because well, I just do it when it happens. I reacted in a certain way to a certain stimulant and that can't really be replicated after the event. I can give general examples but in a lot of cases, you learn by practice and experience. Perhaps that is something that is down to the fact that the three styles tha I have most experience in are all semi-related and are all short bridge styles that emphasis short drills as part of training.

The difference between learning from me and learning from a guy who has run a class for the past 10 years isn't what he knows more than me; it's how much more hands on practical experience he has than me. After all, when the style has at most 7 short progressive forms, there's not a lot of "knowledge" to absorb. There is however a lot of possiblities when it comes to using those forms.

That is also why it is always so much easier to talk a good fight than it is to fight one. I can go on and on about the principles of fighting and I can name moves from my three styles to use against near enough anything you can chuck at me. Whether or not I can do it is another matter. So while I have the knowledge, I don't have the experience or skill.

A curriculum doesn't mean I have the experience or skill.

Let's go back to my original point, what makes one qualified to teach. How do you judge whether or not someone can teach? Does black belt or what ever mean they are good enough to teach. Can't a beginner be a good teacher if he knows his basics perfectly?

[bushido_man96]

Bruce Lee's way worked for him. It wouldn't work for 99% of students out there. They just are not at that level. And you need an Instructor guiding you to make sure things are being taught correctly. One person simply cannot do it alone.

This is a good point, and in many cases, is what we all perceive to be true.

[bushido_man96]

Let's go back to my original point, what makes one qualified to teach. How do you judge whether or not someone can teach? Does black belt or what ever mean they are good enough to teach. Can't a beginner be a good teacher if he knows his basics perfectly?

I think that one of the most important aspects of being able to teach are the ability to relate things to others in a manner that facilitates learning. Not everyone who knows something can do this with their knowledge.

Also, experience helps to make someone qualified to teach. However, we can't all get first-hand experience, so we train under someone who already has the knowledge and/or experience, and trust them to show us the way.

[ps1]

Bruce Lee's way worked for him. It wouldn't work for 99% of students out there. They just are not at that level. And you need an Instructor guiding you to make sure things are being taught correctly. One person simply cannot do it alone.

I agree. I think the same can be said for many if not all of the great martial arts masters in history. They were/are just a step above and were able to understand and make inferences that the rest of us would likely never see without help and instruction.

That's it!! YoungMan sealed it for me. I don't think the guy is a legitimate black belt! It's fake. He may be a decent fighter, but if he wants to wear a black belt, go earn one like everyone else.

[KarateEd]

He may be a decent fighter, but if he wants to wear a black belt, go earn one like everyone else.

Well stated ps1!

Ed

[Sensei Rick]

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.

I was gonna post here, but just reread this and you have the best answer to your question.

[KamasandSais]

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.

I voted real. But after reading this post I think i voted wrong. Hes probably a good fighter but he doesn't have the disipline(sp?) needed to be a true black belt.