Sandan Grading, should I wait?

[Dobbersky]

All

I took my Nidan (2nd Dan) grading June 2009, now I have been using my own syllabus and it is written to my last formal grading up to 3rd Dan, I know the full syllabus as I teach it out and practice daily.

Now my assistant instructor, and a Senior Dan grade from the area say I am more than ready for it but although I said ok to take it in October 2011, I feel like I should wait at least until 2012.

Your thoughts please

Thanks

[Soheir]

If you feel like it, I think you should wait. It's important for you as a martial artist to know you've deserved your belt. Or feel really, altough you seem to "know" you're ready, for the sake of self respect, the feeling's important.

[sensei8]

Imho, only you can truly answer your own question!!

It's your journey, and it's yours alone. Many take tests for different reasons, but, one has to be able to look at themselves in a mirror, and in that, one must be very honest with themselves; furthermore, one must like what they see when they look into that mirror.

Finally, if rank is important to someone, imho, this is the worse reason to take any MA test let alone for being in the MA.

[honoluludesktop]

If your teacher recommends that you test, he should know and you should test. Unless, you suspect that they are only interested in the fees. If that's the case you should change schools.

[sojobo]

All

I took my Nidan (2nd Dan) grading June 2009, now I have been using my own syllabus and it is written to my last formal grading up to 3rd Dan, I know the full syllabus as I teach it out and practice daily.

Now my assistant instructor, and a Senior Dan grade from the area say I am more than ready for it but although I said ok to take it in October 2011, I feel like I should wait at least until 2012.

Your thoughts please

Thanks

What style will you be grading in?

Sojobo

[Soheir]

If your teacher recommends that you test, he should know and you should test.

I don't think it's enough, if the student isn't sure he's ready. Especially when ranking that high.

[sojobo]

I agree,

If you have to ask (yourself or others)....?

[Dobbersky]

The style I practice Teach is a Mix of Ashihara Karate, Tang Soo Do and a pinch of Wado Ryu. But if I was to say where its core is I would say Ashihara as all sparring etc is Knock-down Karate rules

The grading will be done Free of Charge apart from the cost of the Certificate.

I feel I will be ready in October to take the grading, my only issue is it will be less than 3 years from my 2nd Dan. How do I expect my students to wait if I didn't.

Not one person from my Dojo or from the Dai Shihan's dojo has said wait, I also want to technically grade as it would be my last formal grade and could concentrate on the Ryu and not have to worry about my own gradings any more.

With regards to whether grades are important, no not really, if I didn't have to grade again I'd be happy but I need to be promoted in grade so as to not prevent my students from advancing up the grades themselves. I would be able to look at myself in the mirror, I wear my belt with pride and I am karateka for life not just till I reach the grade I wanted.

I have heard of 2nd Dan's jumping to 5th Dan when they open their own school but I refuse to go down that road (one being a huge organisation from Australia).

Edited May 3, 2011 by Dobbersky

[sojobo]

So will you be graded by an examiner who practices, Ashihara, Tang Soo do or Wado.

Or all of the above?

[edit] What style does your dai-shihan study?

[Kruczek]

I went through a very very similar situation when I tested for my Sandan. I waited about 3 years between my Shodan and Nidan test, and then 2 years after my Nidan, my instructor wanted to test me for my 3rd Dan (mainly because I was leaving the state for school).

He did not charge a test fee, so that was never an issue. I knew I was completely competent in both the curriculum and my ability to teach. My concern was that, unlike in the past, I was being tested by a board of local black belts (1st - 5th dan) rather than a single 10th Dan. This isn't a problem, but I was concerned with the legitimacy of my rank should I join another school or work with other black belts.

What is important to remember, if you know your stuff - no one cares your rank. If you don't know your stuff - again - no one cares what your rank is. If you would recognize a third degree with the same knowledge, it seems reasonable that we would recognize you as a sandan.

Please shoot me a PM if you want to talk more about this as I was again in the same situation. I would also love to see what you consider a sandan "should" know. Maybe we can compare.

Good luck either way.