Independent assoc./org.?

[Wa-No-Michi]

Why do feel the need to belong to an association? If you are happy with what you do, just teach, and practice...

I'm a little lost here because in the other styles I have been invovled in there was no requirement as far sparring. Does your old Shito ryu Org have sparring requirments? I mean aside that you will be required to demostarte sparring at your test? Are you required to win a certain number of matches? I think only Knock down styles had sparring requirements like you had to win a certain number of matches to grade successfully. If that's not the case with your old traditional styles why not test and when it comes to your sparring you just won't do well. So you will still get passed as long as everything else was in order like your kata, bunkai, weapons, kihon, pre-arranged sparring. So on your test your point sparring doesn't look as equel as your other performances. You still get promoted and the rank you think you nned to open a school. Also why not request to demostrate your free sparring with full contact or kick boxing they might go for it.

Good advice from both here. If you do what you do well its just a peice of paper at the end of the day.

Don't throw your money at a junk organisation (or a pukka one for that matter) just to buy a rank.

You are as good as you are.

[kansascityshuffle]

I wonder,

why would you be graded by "allround" people who probably have little real knowlegde of any of the styles they practise?

Also, I think if you have enough skill adjusting to semi contact just for an examination shouldn't be a problem.

Maybe you should wonder why you want to reach yondan. Is it for yourself, recognition by others or is it to "legally" open a dojo.

AJ

I agree with AJ here. If the only thing stopping you going back is the sparring, well surely you should be able to adapt. Also, small price to pay in order to get a bone fide dan grade you can be proud of.

"Budo Association" type boards who issue "generalised" Karate dan grades are only after your money, and its money that is willingly given by many, it would seem, in order to receive that all important grade advancement.

Personally I would go back to either the Shito or Goju group you were part of and work up to your Yondan. It will be far more valuable to you in the long run.

Otherwsie its a case of Yondan? Yondan in What?

On your last note, Yondan in what, I don't know..I'm currently trying to network with the kakutogi people I was shortly in contact with years ago.

However, I still spar with people that are muay thai title holders, MMA people, etc. You can't make that switch successfully going back to point sparring, at least I can't and I haven't met anybody that has or can go back and forth. It's even hard to do going from muay thai/kickboxing rules to knockdown kumite rules. If I fought under knockdown rules I would quit muay thai sparring for about a month and would do the same to go back to muay thai. To be able to go to WKF rules sparring would be near impossible for me unless I was to completely give up muay thai and knockdown kumite which I am not.

I'm asking if anybody can give some type of advice to meet what I'm asking?

If you yourself have never fought in muay thai and knockdown kumite and tried to go back to WKF rules kumite I don't think you have any idea how hard that is to do.

[bushido_man96]

It sounds to me like you have quite a dilema, KCshuffle. If you can't meet the testing requirements for a rank in an organization, then you most likely won't be testing. You may have to take some time to adapt your sparring if that is something that you really want. However, couldn't you test for the rank in one of the knockdown styles that you practice in? That might be the easier way to go.

[Wa-No-Michi]

I think that the desire for promotion should be driven by the want to learn and improve - from others.

Promotions in this way are given as recognision of imrovements, not just recognision for the sake of it.

[Patrick]

Thread closed at the request of the topic starter. Thank you.