Bizarre grading requirements

[moriniuk]

I personally think that things like push ups etc have no place in a martial arts grading, but I was recently talking to a lady who was a 2nd dan in Tang Soo Do in the UK.

She told me that one of the requirements for 1st dan was to perform a number of push ups with a mouth full of curry powder.

Has anyone ever heard of this before, or any other bizarre requirements?

H.

[tallgeese]

No. Hadn't heard of it.

Sounds more like a post test hazing ritual than part of a test. I'm not bagging on that either mind you . A bit of hazing in good nature isn't bad. But as an actual part of a test, not so much.

[joesteph]

She told me that one of the requirements for 1st dan was to perform a number of push ups with a mouth full of curry powder.

Any reason given? Just because there's a "reason," it doesn't mean that it's "reasonable," but it's often interesting to find out what the rationale is. It's even possible that different students have different perspectives on why it's done, perhaps only in a certain school, and no one has the guts to ask the chief instructor.

If my school says that you have to do pushups with a mouthful of tacks, does that make my school and art "tougher"?

[bushido_man96]

I think some people just enjoy seeing how much command and control they can exert over another and use the "study of the Martial Way" as their excuse for making them doing silly things like this.

Sure, I can see where it would drive one to push through a difficult circumstance and succeed, but, there are more sensible ways of doing this than using curry powder.

What if I am allergic to curry? Guess I couldn't be a Martial Artist then, huh?

[sensei8]

Bizarre grading requirements?!?!

First of all...RUN! Run from any martial arts school that has as well as enforces any bizarre grading requirements.

The martial arts wasn't founded on the bizarre, well, most weren't. Therefore, there should NEVER be any bizarre requirements to obtain rank.

This is why the up-front interview session with the school is so important. Both, the sensei and the student, can see if either is above board or just looney-tune.

[sensei8]

If my school says that you have to do pushups with a mouthful of tacks, does that make my school and art "tougher"?

No...just bizarre...crazy...coo-coo...looney...off-their-rocker...

[Tiger1962]

I personally think that things like push ups etc have no place in a martial arts grading, but I was recently talking to a lady who was a 2nd dan in Tang Soo Do in the UK.

She told me that one of the requirements for 1st dan was to perform a number of push ups with a mouth full of curry powder.

Has anyone ever heard of this before, or any other bizarre requirements?

H.

I'm sorry but I find this utterly outrageous, unnecessary and irrelevant to training. If I was that lady, I would have refused and left the school. Just goes to show you how some head instructors have an overactive ego and inflated vision of themselves.

[Chuck]

That's just silly.

That kinda stuff belongs in a kung-fu movie.

[still kicking]

sensei8 says:

The martial arts wasn't founded on the bizarre, well, most weren't. Therefore, there should NEVER be any bizarre requirements to obtain rank... This is why the up-front interview session with the school is so important.

Yes, but on the other hand, it probably wouldn't occur to me to ask in an initial interview if I would be required to do pushups with curry powder in my mouth in order to obtain a black belt. I wonder if it was mild curry powder or super hot curry powder, that might make a difference.

[still kicking]

Forgot to mention...

Tiger1962 says:

Just goes to show you how some head instructors have an overactive ego and inflated vision of themselves.

I totally agree with this! It amazes me how often at the top levels in MA, principle # 7 (in our school/organization) gets neglected; that is, "I will train with the spirit of humility". While there are many senseis/instructors worthy of great respect for not only their skills, but also their character, I think it's sad that there are so many, all the way up to heads of major international organizations, whose need for power and control seems to increase over time rather than decrease. What's up with that? How can we expect little white belt kids to live up to that, with this kind of behavior? Rant off.