What belt should you compete at?

[white owl]

I got a question for you guys. I was at a recent tournament and ran in to someone from my old school which is now know more. This person is training at a different school and is a white belt and told us that he is getting ready to test for his yellow there, but he was there in his black from the old school. I'm little puzzled if he is repesenting his current school should he not wear the belt that is assigned to him by his current instructor?

[JohnC]

Assuming relatively consistent practice, in my opinion if someone has a higher rank in an art (e.g. studying karate at a new dojo having studied karate before) AND is in an open tournament (not an intraschool tournament) then they should participate at the highest rank they have been awarded. This doesn't hold if they've switched arts (e.g. a karate blackbelt in a judo tournament.

A question comes up around what if someone was a blackbelt 20 years ago and hasn't practiced since until joining the new school, then what rank is more representative of ability?

[tallgeese]

I'd say it's approprite for him to compete in the division that he most likey has the skill to compete in. It would hardly be fair if he had enough time on to earn a black belt and he was fighting yellow belts.

There would be concession given I would think for a drastically different art (as teh above example). All things being equal, it's much better for him to compete in a bracket that reflects his skill level.

[Traymond]

In my school, we allow for them to where the highest rank that they have ever achieved, but we stripe their belt with the color they should be in, in our style. They still compete with black belts if they are blackbelts, and they will still receive the respect that they have for their rank, but it will be known that an orange belt in my style has more knowledge then they would in my style.

[JohnC]

An interesting way of doing it. Hadn't thought of that approach.

[Traymond]

We should all respect people for their rank, but they should also respect the hall that they are visiting by not trying to show off as well, and this does just that. it shows their rank and the rank we give them.

[bushido_man96]

I agree with John and Tallgeese's approach. The skill set and level should determine what level one compete's in.

[white owl]

Thank you, for your imput you guys, you easy my mind a little.

[Tiger1962]

My guess would be that either his current instructor permitted him to compete or else did not know he was there competing in his rank from his former school...

Different schools have different "rules" - some are very lenient in their rules and others are not or not so much. I think it all depends on the person, if he consistently trains in his former style then I guess he is capable of competing. I assume there was no conflict of interest with his current instructor about him doing this then?

[Ozpunker]

In my school, we allow for them to where the highest rank that they have ever achieved, but we stripe their belt with the color they should be in, in our style. They still compete with black belts if they are blackbelts, and they will still receive the respect that they have for their rank, but it will be known that an orange belt in my style has more knowledge then they would in my style.

We have a similar system at our school. Most people choose to wear the regular coloured belts. Depending on their skill level, they are sometime allowed to do multiple gradings and skip belt colours as long as they meet the requirements (In our style, each belt sort of represents a new skill e.g. yellow- elbows/knees, purple- takedowns/self defense, green- ground fighting etc). I heard the head instructor tell one new student that he wouldn't make anyone take off their black belt because that would be like saying that you have 'unlearned' everything you already know.