Returning To The Ways Of Old...

[cathal]

This is one of the reasons as to why I've authorized the removal of ALL Yudansha RANK indentifiers in Shindokan, no matter the rank.

Titles are, in Shindokan, a trillion times harder to earn than rank; titles are rare. That's why title indentifiers are the ONLY things that's allowed on any Yudansha.

The black belts in my system do not have any strips etc. Just the text on the ends of the belt. Nothing else. No stripes, ticks, alternating colours, et al. Just black.

[Wa-No-Michi]

Titles are, in Shindokan, a trillion times harder to earn than rank; titles are rare. That's why title indentifiers are the ONLY things that's allowed on any Yudansha.

Why do you feel that titles have to be idntified any more than dan grades? Granted they may be rarer to obtain, but isn't the honour of being awarded one enough?

WNM

[Wa-No-Michi]

Also, in my experience many senior Karate-ka within a lot of groups, seek to offset the natural "depreciation" in terms of their physical ability (within grade) with positions of bureaucratic office.

I suppose this is human nature really but again, not really within the Karate ethos of things IMO.

WNM

[sensei8]

Titles are, in Shindokan, a trillion times harder to earn than rank; titles are rare. That's why title indentifiers are the ONLY things that's allowed on any Yudansha.

Why do you feel that titles have to be idntified any more than dan grades? Granted they may be rarer to obtain, but isn't the honour of being awarded one enough?

WNM

Why do you feel that titles have to be idntified any more than dan grades?

As the title of this topic states..."Returning To The Ways Of Old", this is what the Shindokan has done in this regard.

For example, most Okinawan senior karate-ka's will agree that originally, there was no ranking system or uniform used in the art of karate in Okinawa. Most Okinawan styles of karate, Shindokan is an Okinawan style, make use of a separate type of stripe system than does the Japanese karate styles. In most Okinawan styles there are no stripes worn to denote the ranks of Shodan thru Godan, but, I've gone one step further by not denoting any rank stripes, Shodan thru Judan.

These titles don't speak about rank, but, these teaching titles speak about knowledge. Which is more important; rank or knowledge? KNOWLEDGE! Teaching titles are MORE than dan grades, imho, and this is enough.

Granted they may be rarer to obtain, but isn't the honour of being awarded one enough?

Yes! Still, Shindokan will identify Renshi, Kyoshi, and Hanshi as previously described. Shindokan isn't the only Okinawan style that does this, Uechi-ryu, to name just one!

Edited September 6, 2009 by sensei8

[sensei8]

Also, in my experience many senior Karate-ka within a lot of groups, seek to offset the natural "depreciation" in terms of their physical ability (within grade) with positions of bureaucratic office.

I suppose this is human nature really but again, not really within the Karate ethos of things IMO.

WNM

This doesn't describe any Shindokan karate-ka's! It's not a sin against the karate ethos, imho, because we're recognizing the Do and not the individual!

[sensei8]

For those styles of the martial arts that use dan stripes, or, for those styles of the martial arts that don't use dan stripes on their Yudansha's, I say this to you...

Your way is your way, and in that, I find no fault whatsoever!

[bushido_man96]

Why do you feel that titles have to be idntified any more than dan grades?

These titles don't speak about rank, but, these teaching titles speak about knowledge. Which is more important; rank or knowledge? KNOWLEDGE! Teaching titles are MORE than dan grades, imho, and this is enough.

I hadn't thought of it that way, but it makes a little more sense.

Ideally, though, I would think that rank should denote a level of knowledge, as well. But, I understand the route that you have taken here, as well.

[sensei8]

Ideally, though, I would think that rank should denote a level of knowledge, as well.

Rank denotes a certain level of knowledge, granted, just as long as rank isn't more important than the knowledge achieved. A Shindokan karateka must have a certain rank first before one's even considered for any teaching title(s), but, it's then not the rank that decides the qualifications for the teaching titles. No, it's what the Shindokan practitioner has done while in that rank. What has the Shindokan practitioner done for the betterment of the martial arts before the betterment of themselves. Again, teaching titles are extremely difficult to achieve, therefore, teaching titles in Shindokan are rare. There's no test for teaching titles, like there is for rank!

Shoot, time in grade allows acquisition of knowledge because if you're in something long enough and you're truly seeking earnestly/honestly, knowledge avails itself.

I just want every karateka of Shindokan, to think of rank in its proper context and to stop thinking about rank as though it's only a stepping stone to higher rank. That vanity has no place in Shindokan! Shindokan wasn't founded for the sake of rank, but, for the sake of effective knowledge obtained within/without the rank.

Removing every possible distraction, i.e. rank indentifiers, allows the Shindokan karateka to seek the doors of knowledge with a sincere heart, not a vain heart.

[bushido_man96]

Well said, Bob. I see where you are coming from.

[wouldbemaster]

If you are moving truly to the old wys then no belts and no marketing i.e. teaching in secret and to select people only.

I personally don't have a problem with as many titles and different coloured belts that anyone wants towear the bottom line is that we are all only as good as the person inside of us both in terms of technique and principles/morals.

Ego in any walk of life is not good looking and we should all try to become the best we can be, we are not tye keepers of others only ouselves and those who value our thoughts.