Sandan Grading, should I wait?

[honoluludesktop]

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.

There are several other considerations regarding this issue in addition to the ones previously pointed out:

1. How can you see and evaluate yourself more objectively then your teacher? If the thrust had to do with a questionable moral issue, then you must use your judgement first.

2. If you can not thrust your teachers evaluation of your skill, he may not be fit to teach you.

3. If you can not thrust your teachers evaluation, how can you expect your students to thrust your evaluation of them?

Someone suggested you ask yourself and others. Who are others? Other teachers, fellow students, or outsiders? Bottom line is you need to thrust your teachers judgement, or find a teacher that you can thrust.

[Dobbersky]

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.

I'll pm you tomorrow I'm using a Blackberry and its awkward to type lol, I'm ex RAF and Army Sergeant so it won't be just Martial Arts we got in common.

Also my Dai Shihan is a Kenpo Karateka with many years experience (9th Dan), I will be graded by a multi style panel, with styles including Ashihara, Tang Soo Do, Kenpo, Judo, Jujitsu, Shito Ryu etc. My assistant Instructor used to be my Tang Soo Do instructor, now I am teaching him - the student has become the teacher.

[DWx]

Its ultimately up to whether you feel you want to do it. You're teacher can suggest its time but if you don't want to, that's your choice.

I waited a couple of extra years to do my 3rd even though my instructor wanted me to grade. Same as Kruczek I was leaving to go to uni. My minimum time was up and he kept asking me because he wanted me to leave the school with the appropriate rank. Pretty much every time I saw him he'd ask. But I kept saying no because for starters I was doing my A-levels and didn't have the time to dedicate to grading prep. Also didn't want to go to uni having just gotten a 3rd dan but not knowing all the new forms and stuff and having to try to teach myself all that. Better for me to go and keep practicing what I know rather than spending time learning new stuff but learning it wrong. I eventually caved to his nagging but felt better for waiting the extra time. My sister is in a similar situation, she's been a 2nd dan for 3 years but doesn't intend to grade any time soon even though she meets the time and standard requirements.

The way I see it, most of us are in martial arts for the long haul. There's only a finite amount of dan grades so might as well spread them out over your journey to keep it interesting and keep you motivated. No fun if you get it all out of the way in your first 20 years.

[sensei8]

Tenure is important, but only to a point and it's only a part of the testing/ranking formula.

I tested once from nidan to sandan with only a tenure of 1 year. Key was that I was a junior black belt for 6 years. I tested for shodan when I turned 18 years old. Then I tenured for just over 1 year before I tested for nidan. Then I was invited to my sandan testing cycle with only 1 year of tenure as a nidan by my sensei, who was the Kaicho of our Hombu and haichidan/hanshi; my testing cycle for my sandan was approved by our Soke.

I was informed by my Kaicho that I was more than ready for sandan, and I felt ready for my sandan. After all, I was a JBB for 6 years, and my Kaicho didn't want me to just sit idle as a JBB, so, slowly but surely, I'd learn and learn and learn and learn and so on and so forth. Was I ready....oh yeah!!

After my sandan, I not only was meeting my following tenure's from Yondan and up, but I was living in some of my tenure's, which didn't bother me, I'd test when I received an invitation to test. Some I passed and some I didn't. Sometimes I'd petition for a testing cycle and I was denied with no explanations as to why because our Hombu never explained themselves, and I was fine with that as well.

[sojobo]

How much will the grading cost?

Sojobo

[Dobbersky]

How much will the grading cost?

Sojobo

Just the price of a certificate from the NGB

The thing is I'll sit on the panel of their gradings too as I'm a senior instructor

[sojobo]

NAKMAS?

[Dobbersky]

NAKMAS?

Never if NAKMAS was the only NGB, I'd operate independantly. They allow GKR to have non Dan Graded Instructors to teach in classes around the country

[bushido_man96]

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.

I think this sums it up right here. If you feel you should wait, then do so. However, it also sounds as if others do have faith in what you can do, and if you trust their judgement, then it is unlikely they would ask you to test if they felt you were not ready.

We can be our own biggest critic, and this may by what you are bringing on yourself. With that said, there is nothing wrong with waiting another year if that is what you are comfortable with.

[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.

There are several other considerations regarding this issue in addition to the ones previously pointed out:

1. How can you see and evaluate yourself more objectively then your teacher? If the thrust had to do with a questionable moral issue, then you must use your judgement first.

2. If you can not thrust your teachers evaluation of your skill, he may not be fit to teach you.

3. If you can not thrust your teachers evaluation, how can you expect your students to thrust your evaluation of them?

That is all true. But if the student doubts whether he's ready, and I mean seriously doubts it, then he's not ready. Teacher's opinion on the techniques is undisputed, but when testing for a black belt one should be able to view his own technique, so that he may himself tell whether it's good or bad. Not everything ofcourse.