Frequency of promotions.

[quinteros1963]

How much time should there be between promotions? Some believe that you should stay at a certain rank for X amount of months before promotion. I say that one should be able to test once he or she can perform set requirements. If that means progressing rapidly thru the lower kyu ranks (10,9.8,7th), so be it.

[joesteph]

For adults who attend regularly (at least twice a week), every three-four months there is a test for promotion from 10th Gup through to 6th Gup, if my teacher believes the person to be ready. This means white belt, white belt with blue stripe, orange belt, orange belt with blue stripe, and green belt.

After reaching green belt, it remains important for the adult that s/he continues with regular attendance (hopefully a third time a week regularly, but it's hard when you're an adult), and has enough months of training--perhaps six in the case of someone like me--before she feels you are ready to test for promotion. The Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation's rules will permit the three months minimum to remain, though, until the student reaches 3rd Gup; then it must be six months from 3rd to 2nd, 2nd to 1st, and a full year before testing for 1st Dan.

One of the adult students comes from a martial art background in Europe, and he is able to attend four times a week, so I'm not surprised when I see that he's at each testing time minimum. He did wonderfully at testing on Friday, so I'm sure he made 4th Gup--green belt with two stripes.

Just for completion, the Federation's manual gives minimum times at dan levels to be permitted to test for promotion:

1st Dan--42 months; 2nd Dan--2 years; 3rd Dan--3 years; 4th Dan--4 years; 5th Dan--5 years; 6th Dan--6 years; 7th Dan--7 years

There is only one 9th Dan in the Federation, and that is Grandmaster H. C. Hwang.

[BDPulver]

It's funny, the only time you know your being tested is for black belt. Other then that, almost all our promotions are surprises for the student.

[tallgeese]

I think with a previous background of dan rank or so in the ma's, you shuold progress as quickly as your skill and talent and training time allow.

However, if you're new and this is your primary system, then I'd say some sort of time frame is acceptable. Think of it as a probationary period. When you start getting ranked, you start representing that style and school. It's not a bad idea to get an idea if your a fit or not for the school prior to ranks being awarded.

[tori]

In our school, you test when the head instructor feels you are ready and not anytime sooner. One thing you definitely do not do at any rank is question when you will be tested.

[bushido_man96]

Our organization holds a testing every 2 months for colored belts. However, I don't think I like this idea that much. Once you hit 1st dan, you have to wait 1 and a half years to test for 2R, then you have to test for 2D within 6 months, or fall back to 1D. From 2D to 3R, the wait is 2 and a half years, then another 6 months to test for 3D. At that point, it is 3 and a half years to 4, then 4 and a half to 5th, and so on.

I think I would prefer to see at least 3 months between colored belt testings, and maybe some more time at the higher ranks, like brown belt. However, our school's curriculum consists of learning forms, one-steps, and then sparring for testings, and board breaks for higher ranks. Class time consists of basics, forms, one-steps, and sparring. The curriculum just isn't that deep. This bothers me, a lot.

[Kruczek]

For adults who attend regularly (at least twice a week), every three-four months there is a test for promotion from 10th Gup through to 6th Gup

I hope you mean Kyu

My sensei has a policy of, when he feels they are ready. Which is not only fine, but that is also they policy I use with my students. The problem is that he tests almost monthly I test ... a lot less. We teach the same curriculum and learned from nearly all the same teachers (except he is mine obviously)...so who is correct?

Having federation or organizational time requirements, guarantees that black belt 1 has at least the same amount of time to get experience as black belt 2...and that is good.

[Erin]

In our school, you test when the head instructor feels you are ready and not anytime sooner. One thing you definitely do not do at any rank is question when you will be tested.

Yep. Asking "when am I testing? When can I test" can seriously jeopardize your chances of testing.

[ps1]

In Shotokan testing occoured just about every 3 or 4 months. That made it take between three and 4 years to earn black belt. After that it was 2 years to 2nd degree, 3 years to 3rd degree, 4 years to 4th and so on...

In BJJ you test every two and a half to three years. Basically it takes about 8 to 10 years to black belt. You get a stripe (degree/dan) every three years after that. Additionally, you must be 16 years old to earn blue belt and 18 years old to earn black.

[Stlthofnight]

For adults who attend regularly (at least twice a week), every three-four months there is a test for promotion from 10th Gup through to 6th Gup

I hope you mean Kyu

Kyu is used for Okinawan and Japanese styles.

Gup is the Korean word that means the same thing.