People with bad intent quitting before 1st Dan?

[Canoe2fish]

My little rant:

I don't understand people who train up until they are ready for Black belt grading and then quit. There are two people I know of (that I presume) quit because they didn't to be registered with the authorities or something. I'm now focusing on getting to my Brown belt, and couldn't imagine just quitting because of such a foolish notion. If there is a law that states you need to be registered...what does it matter? We train for self defence, mind, phisical fitness and spirit right? If we use our skills for the right reasons then it shouldn't matter IMO.

That being said, I'm dismayed to see how some of the "wrong" people still train. For example; (And I'm not an FBI profiler here...so I could be way off) I have a co-worker who has a very dominant personality has made several comments in the past about returning to get his Black belt. (Not that I believe that....he's one of the guys I mentioned above) This guy has threatened verbally and physically pushed his weight around our workplace. (at least 6 different people) He has even displayed a weapons Kata like a peacock in front of several people. The fact this guy is a hot-head and has made references to the firearms he owns makes him in my eyes a very dangerous man.

I guess there's no way of screening these guys though.

[The BB of C]

This is why I don't train people unless I trust them.

[bushido_man96]

You will find people like this in all walks of life. Martial Arts doesn't get an exemption. When dealing with people like this, it is best to just stay away from them, and let them bring themselves down.

As for being "registered," as in registering your hands and feet (if I understand you right), that is really a bunch of malarky. There is no state in the U.S. (if that is where you are posting from) that requires such a thing to take place.

I have seen many students get so close to black belt, and then quit. It happens a lot. Many of them think that it is an ending point, and don't see much beyond it. It takes very special people to go beyond, and keep the fire going. If it were easy, then everyone would do it.

[mantis.style]

I don't understand people who train up until they are ready for Black belt grading and then quit. There are two people I know of (that I presume) quit because they didn't to be registered with the authorities or something.

Excuse me but what? Register with the authorities? For what?

[Canoe2fish]

I don't understand people who train up until they are ready for Black belt grading and then quit. There are two people I know of (that I presume) quit because they didn't to be registered with the authorities or something.

Excuse me but what? Register with the authorities? For what?

Perhaps I'm mistaken. I recall hearing this years ago...maybe its a misconception or maybe our laws are different here? In any case, I'm not about to ask the question in the dojo. (1; It doesn't matter to me if it were true...I live my life by the law, 2; I don't want the ridicule if I am wrong...and its starting to sound like I might be...lol)

I did come across another club's website a few months back that had the names of all their "Registered Blackbelts" right on thier site...so perhaps this is just a fomality of a specific club??? I don't know.

[Menjo]

My little rant:

I don't understand people who train up until they are ready for Black belt grading and then quit. There are two people I know of (that I presume) quit because they didn't to be registered with the authorities or something. I'm now focusing on getting to my Brown belt, and couldn't imagine just quitting because of such a foolish notion. If there is a law that states you need to be registered...what does it matter? We train for self defence, mind, phisical fitness and spirit right? If we use our skills for the right reasons then it shouldn't matter IMO.

I think you have a very strong message there, I can totally relatee to your frustration.

However there are some circumstances that can be taken into consideration...

By the time I was 1st Kyu in Shotokan I had my eye set on various training and fighting methods but,

One day my instructor told me that I was going to get my black belt, I politly asked him to give me 6 months more training, he responded by saying that "your going to pass anyway, just go".

I left that school and went to a serious one, 1 year later I did the black belt exam at the new school, of course I passed, but that didnt matter. It was memories from before from sparring with training and going through real pain that I was proud of.

My point is, some people may not see the benifits, and some may find they don't want a title that really doesn't have any real value, (depending on the school).

And as mentioned before, there are just some lazy people who will never understand martial arts.

Edited June 26, 2007 by Menjo

[G95champ]

Im pretty sure as well there is no law that forces you to register your hand and feet. I think the JKA did it for people in the 70's and 80's. but I think this was more so a way to expand the martial arts base. Today there are so many people teaching and MMA is so bag there is no way you could ever register them.

Like I have alwasy said I can teach you to be a fighter in a few weeks but it will take me a life time to teach you karate so who needs registered the blakc belt or the rookie?

[ps1]

I did come across another club's website a few months back that had the names of all their "Registered Blackbelts" right on thier site...so perhaps this is just a fomality of a specific club??? I don't know.

It's more likely that they were talking about their black belts being registered with a large certifying body. Not the local authorities.

[ninjanurse]

In my experience most people that quit at that point in their training do it out of fear and lack of confidence...that should tell you a thing or two about your co-worker. As far as registering, like ps1 said, most governing bodies register their black belts under their association name to keep track of them, etc. Law enforcement has nothing to do with it.

[Kante]

The reason they quit is because they're afraid their "winning streak" might stop.

Where we train we are bound to sometimes have a "crowd" watching. And usually after we're done with Kumite someone of the crowd has to mention the fact that he was practicing Karate before and could of gotten the black belt but quit.

I also get that when someone spots me still wearing my gi.

Does that say anything to you? They're obviously full of regret and want to make it up for themselves by shoving that fact in your throat whenever they get the chance to.

Now back to why they quit. Well in my opinion they quit so early because they want to still be known as the guy who got the brown belt and could of gotten the black one but just quit.

Because obviously they prefer that "definition" of them rather than the guy that failed his black belt test. And also, some of them might even find that equivalent to having the 1st Dan and just don't want to risk the chance of failing or maybe even just put so much effort into it.

I also have some input about the whole black belt registration thing.

First of all, if you practice Shotokan then you probably already know that your sensie cannot under any circumstances give you a black belt test.

I suppose it depends on the "legitimacy" of the whole training ground. You see anyone can give his students a black belt and assume that hes qualified to do so.

Now I don't know about you, but over here to get a black belt test, the tester has to be a 6th Dan minimum, and it's in fact very genuine. Because in the end everything comes down to the big guys back in Japan, or even Hirokazu Kanazawa (10th Dan) and the SKIF (Shotokan Karate International Federation) where you'd be registered as a black belt with their approval and given a diploma after some paper work.

So in the end it all comes down to the organization you're under. I mean you can make your own organization and throw around black belts without students having to worry about actually being worthy of it. And some instructors do in fact do such things just to spread the word about his dojo and his countless black belts.