New School -New Grade?

[quinteros1963]

So I am starting a new school now and will be able to grade at the next testing. My old school taught Kata in a different order as well as some other Okinawan Froms. As a result I will be able to test for 1st kyu to Shodan. I'm not sure how I feel about this. It is taking all of the excitment of belt progression I had when I started. I thought I would be so much better when I was ready for the BB. Is this what everone means when they say rank is no big deal? The whole thing seems rather anti-climatic.

[GeoGiant]

My training has only been a few months as opposed to years so my opinion may not be what your looking for but... I think your belt should be completely based on your level of competence. For that reason I don't think there is a problem with you testing higher. I don't see the point in holding someone back for the sake maintaining a time standard.

To me it'd be no different than if you were testing at a 10th grade reading level when you were in the 8th grade. Would it make sense to leave you with the 8th graders or move to the 10th graders so you may continue to learn?

The focus should be learning, practice & strive for perfect.

[joesteph]

To me it'd be no different than if you were testing at a 10th grade reading level when you were in the 8th grade. Would it make sense to leave you with the 8th graders or move to the 10th graders so you may continue to learn?

I think GeoGiant gave an excellent example. If you have the knowledge, if you demonstrate proficiency, then should you be held to a timeline that was likely established for the average student? No one expects someone who hasn't yet reached readiness to have to test just because that's the time "everyone else" is going by. Why shouldn't acknowledgement be extended to someone who's a step ahead? After all, it's permission to take a test that permits the student to prove that s/he is worthy of the BB.

Is this what everone means when they say rank is no big deal?

I've noticed that dan members are in a better position regarding this, in that they are often knowledge seekers, including from martial arts other than their own. There's a topic I had posted, "Knowledge-based training," on the Forums and on another MA site, in which I referred to my desire to stop my belt progression (I'm at 4th gup), which involves regularly teaching test material on the part of my teacher, in favor of, for example, breaking down the forms I already know to learn/practice applications. The difficulty for her would be that it doesn't follow an established curriculum guide and would give unique individual attention to one student while conducting a class.

[Lupin1]

I think for him it's more that he changed schools and his new school has different standards. It's hard when schools all have different standards. The school I'm at now has pretty high standards in order to get black belt and I know if I worked hard and got up to 4th or 3rd kyu at my school and then switched schools and my new school wanted to hand me a black belt right off the bat, I'd feel cheated. You want to feel like you earned your black belt and if you've been working towards one standard of black belt and then all of a sudden someone has a lower standard and wants to just hand you one, it can cheaper your sense of accomplishment in achieving that black belt. I understand what he's saying, although I don't have many ideas on how to handle it.

If it were me, I'd see if I could continue training at the new school, but explain that since you did the majority of your work with your old instructor, you want to get your black belt from him. Be sure to explain it's a matter of him having trained you and so you want to allow him to give you your black belt, not that you don't respect your new school. Then after you train with your new school and you feel you're ready to test for black belt, see if you can arrange with your old instructor for you to go back there just to test and, if you pass, receive your shodan from him. If they're the same style, it shouldn't be a problem as long as you word it in a way that doesn't insult your new school (unless they're really commercial schools and money's an issue. All I know is the old school Isshinryu scene where everyone's worked with everyone else and they're all in cahoots with training the new generation and all the Masters have trained together and know each other and respect each other's teaching and students and stuff. I don't know how all these more commercial dojos work). That's what I'd do, anyway.

[sensei8]

Time in grade is important, but, imho, it's only important in the Dan rankings especially Godan and above, even then, time in grade is a very minuscule element of grading. Rank isn't important within its proper context, especially when rank is compared to knowledge.

Being held to a timeline can't be placed aside because even knowledge must be aquired within a timeline. Why? Because knowledge isn't always instantaneous; even then, knowledge must be nourished over time.

If we rush growth, we deminish or destroy the practitioner's desire to cultivate themselves as solid martial artists, no matter the rank, Kyu and Dan alike.

Imho!

[quinteros1963]

I'm cool with it now. No matter the rank, I still have alot to learn. I recall many BB's telling me "continue to train and it knowledge will come" or "the belt is no big deal, its just the beggining". So now I am 1st kyu and almost there so I thought, only to realize that there is so much more to learn. I guess I didn't listen or believe them. I thought I would be an expert ready for the movies, the next Yip Man or Jet Li. I see now that a belt is realy no big deal, so now I train for the sake of training. Now that I do my focus is on going back to early kata and breaking them down and I am learning so much from them. Martial Arts and the study of them is such a beautiful journey. I hope that I am able to do this my entire life.

[joesteph]

I'm cool with it now. No matter the rank, I still have alot to learn. I recall many BB's telling me "continue to train and it knowledge will come" . . . I train for the sake of training.

I'm glad you're okay with the change and rank position, Quinteros. I'm 4th gup/kyu in Soo Bahk Do, but 10th kyu in Universal Warrior. It's no problem for me because an interview with Shihon as to what I'm looking for (self-defense applications, contact sparring, takedowns) resulted in a program accommodating me. There's something special, often new, each class. And I'm starting over!