Why most people retire at shodan?

[ninjanurse]

Modern society is in to instant gratification plus many seek to collect as many trophies as possible to prove their worth-moving from one sport/activity to another when they feel they have "conquered it". Martial arts is a breeding ground for those kind of people and hence, they stop when they get "the prize". Too bad for them that they did not learn the lessons their instructor was teaching them and realize that martial arts is a way of life, not a collection of trophies/belts, etc. Then again, shame on their instructor for failing to teach them.

[Truestar]

I think another thing is how you won't keep on getting new belts and ranks after blackbelt. It takes years to grade again and a lot of people don't stick it out till the next level. Physically and mentally I think its a lot tougher as you are expected to keep your standard high throughout.

Unfortunately I think that's the biggest downfall to colored belts. If someone can look beyond that I think they would stick with the Martial Arts a lot longer.

Few actually realize that continuing past Shodan is very rewarding.

Then again, personal lives generally do get in the way. I just received my belt this past Sunday, and I graduate from high school in two years. College I think will be the toughest thing to continue training through. You can't simply throw your education and basis to life away for a belt, black belt is already quite the achievement.

That doesn't mean when life smooths out you shouldn't get back on track.

A black belt of ours got his Shodan and we haven't really seen him since. It kind of makes me wonder how serious he takes it as he still has a year before he graduates. He has plenty of time he could devote to continuing, he just chooses not to. I'll never understand why.

[tallgeese]

All good points.

Also, some people are inherently goal oriented. They set a finish point that they desire to acheive and get there. A black belt, in may systems, is a sign that you've achived a great deal of unarmed skill in particular method of combat. Not a bad goal.

On the other hand, some are process oriented. For us, it's the actual steps that we take that make the journey worthwhile, not the final product. For those people, it will always be easier to continue past such a milestone.

Still others. enjoy the arts and thier benifits, but truely haven't made them part of their life. For those people, it's easy enough to experiment to balck belt and move on. Heck, how many of us have walked away from hobbies in the past for one reason or another? It's because we don't make those things part of what identifies us. For those who leave at black belt, it may be much the same thing.

[NY_Karatedork]

I actually want to get past my Shodan, My goal is to get to San dan and go even further, I like to think of the colored belts as High school, then your dan belts are college. Harder, fun but much harder.

[tori]

Once an individual achieves rank of Shodan in our school, their picture is put up. We have one wall covered with pictures. I was looking at all of them the other day and noticing how many are no longer training. LOTS! It made me think of why they left, as I knew almost all of them. Some moved away with college, marriage, what have you. Most however, began losing interest before their black belt. It is around 2nd and 1st kyu when are beginning to really prepare them for shodan. You know, working extra technique in all previous requirements. Up until then, they may have thought everything was fun, but when they realized that they had to represent themselves, the school, and the instructor as a black belt, many of them could not handle the responsibility. So after achieving that shodan rank, they just stopped coming. Some quit after their first black belt class. Many do not want the challenge of having to give 100% all the time.

[ShoriKid]

I would go with many of the others that say that life just happens to the biggest number. When your young and can still train all the time, getting to black belt isn't that hard, commitment wise. Later though, when you've got a job, one that has to pay real bills, and a family that needs your time, it's very hand to stay in.

A lot of people aren't really the ones to quit if they still could give it all the time they wanted to in order to keep training. They just get to the point in life where they get less and less time to keep up and they get discuraged. They drop out because they don't feel like they have time to keep up.

Others get to black belt and then their school fails them. They have a clear cut path to get to shodan. Once there though, the curiculm isn't laid out in a nice, neat line for them to follow. So, the instructor, not having taught many past the level of black belt, flounders in the effort to find what to teach them and they get bored, frustrated or disappointed and quit.

[doug_kissaki]

This is a topic that has always been a "hot button" for me.

The common misconception is that, as many have said already during this discussion, black belt equals mastery. And many schools actually perpetuate this myth. I have been into many dojos where there is a sign (some the size of an entire dojo wall) that reads "YOUR GOAL IS BLACKBELT". It's ingrained into us from the very beginning.

Many of you have said it already that black belt is not the end of the journey, but the beginning. The best explanation I have heard along that line is that earning a black belt means simply that you have learned all the basics.

[Tiger1962]

This is a topic that has always been a "hot button" for me.

The common misconception is that, as many have said already during this discussion, black belt equals mastery. And many schools actually perpetuate this myth. I have been into many dojos where there is a sign (some the size of an entire dojo wall) that reads "YOUR GOAL IS BLACKBELT". It's ingrained into us from the very beginning.

Many of you have said it already that black belt is not the end of the journey, but the beginning. The best explanation I have heard along that line is that earning a black belt means simply that you have learned all the basics.

I already stated my opinions but I also agree with you here. And when parents put their tots into karate classes, they need to impress upon these kids that getting a black belt is not the "end-all". I have seen little kids who cry because they aren't getting a black belt after their first or second testing. Of course they are crying because that is all they are interested in ! Parents need to explain to them and sometimes repeatedly, the true value of taking karate lessons and not because of a receiving a black belt. Because let's face it, I'm sure there are plenty of masters out there who have the black belt and high rank but can't produce what it stands for.

[bushido_man96]

I already stated my opinions but I also agree with you here. And when parents put their tots into karate classes, they need to impress upon these kids that getting a black belt is not the "end-all". I have seen little kids who cry because they aren't getting a black belt after their first or second testing. Of course they are crying because that is all they are interested in ! Parents need to explain to them and sometimes repeatedly, the true value of taking karate lessons and not because of a receiving a black belt. Because let's face it, I'm sure there are plenty of masters out there who have the black belt and high rank but can't produce what it stands for.

The only problem with this is that it is really hard to make children, who tend to think in fairly concrete terms, understand such an abstract idea. That is why keeping them goal oriented with different ranks and requirements has become a norm for teaching children, in just about anything.

The common misconception is that, as many have said already during this discussion, black belt equals mastery. And many schools actually perpetuate this myth. I have been into many dojos where there is a sign (some the size of an entire dojo wall) that reads "YOUR GOAL IS BLACKBELT". It's ingrained into us from the very beginning.

I agree. Although I don't like to refer to black belt as "just the beginning," I do like to make it realized that it is just another stepping stone.

[doug_kissaki]

For teaching kids, I actually think ranks are a good thing too. Otherwise it would be like signing your child up for soccer ("football" for the Europeans among us), making them go to all the practices and never letting them play in a game.

True understanding of martial arts can only come with maturity. And if a child has grown up learing the physical part of martial arts, the philosophical aspect will come easier.