Karate Schools today...

[Montana]

Does anyone agree with me that many karate schools today are complete crap??? I am a counselour at a camp and some of the kids were talking about how they were almost black-belts and these kids are under the age of ten. I just feel that the term "black-belt" should be held for someone that actually has incredible martial art skills and not just little kids. I just wanted to see if anyone agrees with me.

100% in agreement with you bud!

[bushido_man96]

So while all in all at times it seems unfair, or harsh, or inhumane, hopefully I have given my insight on the issue without offending anybody. No where do I want you to think handicapped people can't be Martial Artists, but I do think they need to be set at standards, and when we bring black belt into the picture, especially then, standards shouldn't be lowered. My above story is factual, and just an example.

I'm not saying that I disagree with you, but how and where do you set the standards?

For TKD and Judo, is black belt reserved soley for those who can compete and win in national and international competitions? For BJJ, those who can win in submission matches? Would achieving full splits and exceptional flexibility be a requirement, as well? I think that there are a lot of different factors that go into ranking, and not all factors fit all people the same way. That's why I ask how one thinks the standards should be set.

[ironsifu]

A long, long, long, lo....you get the point, I was a Jr. Black Belt. I earned it when I was 13 years old and I wasn't allowed to advance in rank until I turned 18 years old. In Shindokan, one must attain the age of 13 years old minimum to earn a JBB.

Having said that, the current kids today are getting black belts AND rank as young as 7 years old; I don't like that for personal and private reasons!

I concur with those here who've said that it must be looked on a school to school basis as well as the school must have a solid syllabus/curriculum. Even then...7 year old black belts...what's next? A 5 year old black belt! Help!

7, 8, 9, 10 years old black belts? Many of todays "Karate" schools are in business for one reason and one reason only...that's right, you've guessed it....MONEY! Some to the tune of 100, 200, 500 thousand annually in "sales!"

What's one to do! Some school are riddled with integrity while others don't even bother with it! Why? You can't deposit integrity in your bank account! I guess I'll stay in the poor house...and love it!

i dont have a problem if a kid has developed way above average. i think the problem is when the black belt is given to poorly skilled kids who really dont know anything or cant do anything. true the black belt has change, but it dont mean we should just throw it at whoever will pay for the test, which is what many schools today are doing.

the black belt is supposed to be the best of the best, and at least the best a teacher can produce. the only except i would make might be a disable student who has a limit that he can do, but he pushed himself past his own limits. everyone can improve from where they are, and the moment you become a black belter should be probably the best you can be. schools who do not value the belt, dont care, its do you know the material and afford the belt testing?

5 - 7 years old black belts, well that is just baloney.

i actually have 4 kids in my school (we are an adult school, with only 20 kids) who will probably be the first young black belters i promote, but they will be teenagers by then, but they are on their way.

my idea of a kid with a black belt? check these kids out

they really cannot be average, and every child can achieve it if he really works for it, even though not all kids have it in them to achieve it. but the black belt and true martial arts training is not for everyone either, is it? when teachers make it so easy anybody can do it, they make that martial arts training lose value.

[The BB of C]

Those kids would whoop a good number of teenagers I know.

[ironsifu]

i think when teachers lower the standard for black belt, they dont realize that students can develop to a really high level if we ask them to. any kid who puts time in to practice and works hard can develop this kind of skill, no matter how they come, fat, skinny, uncoordinated. it is the teachers job to make anyone who wants the results, get the results. it is lazy teaching, to promote for the heck of it and not demand hard work and skills achievement.

but yeah, those kids can probably beat up some school owners i know of

many times a teacher might not know how to teach it is a special kind of skilled teacher, who can make a coward into a fighting machine. we all dont have the luck of signing up athletical students in our schools. many times, we will get the guys who did not do well in football, basketball or other sports. in my place, we have overweight guys, nerds, and everything else, but they are paying me to teach them to fight. so the result at the end is a good fighter, just that some guys have to work harder than others, but they all can do it.

but again, not every student has enough courage to go through the training. if they can get past there fear of pain and hard work, that's the hardest part, then we teachers can take it from there.

[Chuck]

check these kids out:

Somebody may have already stated this:

Keep in mind in JKA Shotokan all 1st Dans under the age of 16 is provisional and only counts in the school they're learning from.

The 1st Dan (under 16) standing allows them to compete against other 1st Dans at their age level in tournaments and that's about it.

At 16 the student will be re-test for 1st Dan.

[bushido_man96]

Very nice. Very talented youngsters there.

[Chuck]

What would you say these guys should rank?

In our school these kids would stay at 1st kyu (brown) for a long long long long long time.

[bushido_man96]

I can see some things that I would work with them on, or rather, that should have been worked on more before they arrived at that rank.

[ninjanurse]

I guess it really is up to the school who they give Black Belts out to....each has it's own standard. Unfortunately, schools that give Black Belts to 6 & 7 years olds who can barely kick present an image to the public that affects us all.