Should children be given black belts?

[JiuJitsuNation]

Or should there be an age limit?

[Lupin1]

You should try to do a search on this issue. I think there are already a few dozen topics on it.

[mr_obvious]

[username13839]

Hello,

I have been doing aikido and now karate and in both you need to be 18 in order to attend the black belt test.

In my opinion children should not be given black belt, because they don t have yet the required maturity.

Seb

[sensei8]

Black belt? Yes. Rank? NO!

[mr_obvious]

Heh, heh....true. Blackbelts are available, cheap, to anyone with either a credit card or PayPal account.

[bushido_man96]

Lots of variations here, and not many answers will be the same. But, here goes my usuall stab at this.

Its going to depend on what the black belt means to each style. But, I like to compare it to things like Wrestling, Boxing, Muay Thai, etc. You go and learn, and skill level, etc, is decided by how good you are, who you beat and who you don't. You practice lots, then have tryouts, and then the pecking order gets established (in Wrestling, anyways). Everyone may have learned the same things, but not everyone applies it equally. Yet, there is no arguement about rank, or what one should or should not be taught. Unfortunately, many Asian Martial Arts have put this barrier on, using the black belt, and defining certain meanings to it...maturity levels, etc. So now, we have to decipher what the black belt represents...knowledge? Kids can retain all kinds of knowledge, so sure. Fighting ability? Well, I don't know any kids that can beat me up, so sorry, no dice. Maturity? Hehe, I have a 14 year old who is mature one minute, and childish the next. Oh, I know adults like that too. So, flip a coin here.

Thats my stake on it. And, I'm pretty sure I didn't answer the question, either. I'm not sure it really has one.

[sensei8]

I'm with Brian on this one...I don't think we'll ever find a one difinitive answer to this. Opinions, oh yeah, we'll find those a plenty.

[DWx]

It was actually a topic on this that got me to sign up to the forums, wonder how my opinions have changed on the subject...

I got my 1st dan at 14, my sister got hers at 12 and in my school and style its not uncommon. We do have age limits on the dans but you can hold the rank below that age, it just won't necessarily be recognised outside your school. Maybe we were a bit young... I don't know. Not too young to keep learning but maybe too young if you really want to associate things like maturity with the belt.

I like Brian's reasoning There's no real reason why a child can't learn the same amount as an adult. Think with stuff like this its up to the teacher's own discretion about what constitutes a blackbelt and who deserves one.

[Soheir]

No. But, in Japan and in China, it's not unusual(?). I think it's .... not right, something's weard on that....

We don't have any age where you can or can't get a black belt, but there is a certain time that you have to practice until you can get it. And of course you have to also be able to do all that stuff.