How many years to black?

[Luther unleashed]

I think years is a bad measurement. The amount of time spent training is the key. If someone trains twice a week for a few years, and they're reasonably skilled, they can probably be a black belt at most US schools. If someone trains every day for 5-6 hours a day, almost like a full time job, they'd probably be a qualified black belt in a year. Really depends on the person and the school.

This is one of the most reasonable answers Iv heard to this question! I attend a school where there is no set time on testing for any rank! Testings are every two months and in many cases people skip belts based on where they are at. We always train ahead, and it is extremely clear who are the more capable students, and even more clear who are the ones that PRACTICE. I'm thankful to be in a school that treats each person as an individual with his/her own abilities, learning pace, and work ethic. Many people attend schools and rarely practice, my family and myself are 6 to 7 days a week, why should we be held to testing with students who attend class 2 times a week and practice very little? The politics in martial arts are such a turn off to me, but as long as you see what really matters, then you can REALLY learn! It's not where you get the belt from, it's the person who wears it that sets the standard!!!!

[wagnerk]

I think years is a bad measurement. The amount of time spent training is the key. If someone trains twice a week for a few years, and they're reasonably skilled, they can probably be a black belt at most US schools. If someone trains every day for 5-6 hours a day, almost like a full time job, they'd probably be a qualified black belt in a year. Really depends on the person and the school.

On average or the average person, about 4 years (give or take). However for the person who trains how isshinryu5toforever stated or one that has previous experience in a similar MA, then a lot less. For instance:

Ticky Donovan: 1st Dan under a year

Hirokazu Kanazawa: 1st Dan under 2 years

Chuck Norris: 1st Dan under 2 years

Paul Mendham: 1st Dan under 3 years

And there are many others

But who can train 5-6 hours per day 5 or more days a week? Professional martial artists.

[jaypo]

It took me about 2.5 years total to receive my black belt. I trained in Shotokan as a teen, and the school I trained at was strict about basics, so I got a really good foundation underneath me. When I picked back up a few years ago, I tested as a white belt to get to my previous rank, and I did so pretty easily. From there, I trained about double the amount of time other schools offer classes. I moved up at a normal pace from there.

At one point, I was kind of questioning whether or not I moved up too fast, but from everything I've watched and read, and from training with black belts from other organizations, I feel very confident with my rank. In my case, it is the amount of time spent training that has determined my rank, and not the time frame.

[SteyrAUG]

Depends upon the style, school, instructor and student as well as variables such as previous experience, natural ability and training schedule.

A general rule of thumb is 4-5 years for a legitimate shodan grade with serious dedication and training.

[Luther unleashed]

We'll all the answers here are good. The main thing that I think matters most has already been stated. How much work you put in is how fast you can move. If 4 years is average then I must be training the way I do for nothing lol. Most schools on the west coast seem to be around two. Most schools are 2 days a week for 45 min each. That's next to nothing. It's completely up to the students to practice. At least an hour a day can improve grading speeds but only in a school that doesn't have time required rank. My school has no time required in each rank, grading is each month and most students will test every two months. Some students who train hard, and the master can see it, will skip a belt on occasion.

There are too many politics in martial arts, and everybody moves at a different pace, certainly not all people train as much as would be required to advance quickly. But a handful train enough to advance quickly and I'd hate to think we are so wrapped up in a standard, that we lose sight of the individual who may excel, only to hold him back because of a standard that we base off of the general work ethic!

[Harkon72]

With our school of Karate, it usually takes 4 to 7 years to attain shodan. We tend to spend longer between 3rd kyu and shodan than most, 3 to 4 years at times.

[jaypo]

In our club, it's all based on the student. Our Sensei will offer a student the chance to test if thinks he/she is ready, but if he doesn't, he'll inform them of his concerns and try to convince them to wait. Our youngest black belt is 13 yrs old, but he's 6'0 tall, can do a full split, and has better technique than most of the people I have trained with. And he's like a sponge. He learns and applies faster than anyone I've ever trained with. And in our club, we have set times, but Shands Sensei is there every day for hours, and we can train any time he's available. So most of us train 3-5 times a week for an hour or more. Most schools here offer 2 classes a week at 45 minutes. So I'd expect our belt progression to be a little faster for those that train almost double the time the other schools do.

It took me about 2.5 years (total) to achieve Shodan rank. I had the benefit of a strong Shotokan technique teacher in my early years, and it translated over perfectly to my current system. I had to polish up my technique and learn a lot of Shorin Ryu, but it was a lot easier of a transition than if I switched to, say, TKD or jiu jutsu. I spent a few months getting back into shape, "remembering" what I had learned years before, and adding a few things. I then tested to get back to where I left off. I stopped training when I was about a month out from testing for 3rd kyu. So when I picked back up, I tested to 3rd kyu, and I actually achieved 2nd kyu in my new system. From there, I spent the next year learning. And I finally tested for Shodan, and I did better in that test than any other one that I had taken before.

[Do-gi]

2 years?! Wow. That seems very quick. I've been told that I could be a black belt in about five years time. I've been training for just over one. And my Sensei's very strict, so maybe not even then.

[Nidan Melbourne]

2 years?! Wow. That seems very quick. I've been told that I could be a black belt in about five years time. I've been training for just over one. And my Sensei's very strict, so maybe not even then.

It is usually an honest opinion in time to receive your black belt. As many instructors are strict on the basics (Kihon, Kata, Kumite) so it will take you longer to become extremely good at those techniques, and by the time you reach black belt doing those techniques is an automatic response.

I trained for 7 years (including 6 months off due to injury) to get my black belt. And it was in between training 1 day a week to 3 days a week, and it varied so much because of other commitments

[jaypo]

Do-gi-

I had some reservations about testing for black at the time I did because I thought about the time of training. However, since then, I've trained with a lot of black belts from other clubs (some Nidan ranks and above), and I can tell you that I now have no reservations!

I've also watched hours upon hours of footage of other Shodan level practitioners and above, and I can say with full confidence that my skill/knowledge does back up my rank (compared to others with similar rank).

I believe that there should be no set time constraints on testing requirements. That's essentially pigeonholing students. I've seen a lot of people that pick up very very quickly, and I've seen people that take 6 months to learn how to do a block correctly. If I set a time requirement of 6 months to test, why should the student that picks up a tecnhique in 2 weeks be judged the same as the one that took 6 months? I believe a student should be tested when the sensei feels he/she is ready to test. The quality of the student compared to their rank is a function of the sensei's experience and knowledge at that point. If the sensei is a bad judge, then the rank probably will be unjustified. However, if the sensei knows what he's doing, then the skill level of his students should coincide with the ranks of those students.