GB olympic team "Fighting Chance"

[Toptomcat]

Well, there a lot of countries like China out there where their government-sponsored training program for their Olympic martial sports isn't all that notable because they have huge government-sponsored training programs for every medal-granting Olympic sport. It's quite common in more authoritarian countries, almost to the point of it being the norm.

[ichigotora]

My question is do you have to have a blackbelt to compete? Shouldn't it be judged by years training? All dojo's have different requirements for there curriculum. Used to be when dojo's had dirt floors your blackbelt was the same belt as your white belt but as you worked more in the dojo it got dirt on it and I assume it eventually turned black. Some styles don't use any kindof belt or sash. I personally would rather compete as a brown belt then get accelerated to a blackbelt I didn't deserve. It could be an advantage people will assume less of the lower belt.

[bushido_man96]

In TKD, its usually required to be black belt to compete in national competitions like that on the teams. I'm not sure that good candidates are "fast tracked" to black belt just because they want them on the teams. I don't know that that is a problem.