Skipping Belts

[Cobra_Kai]

I have personal thoughts on this seeing as I not only skipped one belt, but two. So the ranking at my dojo goes white-yellow-orange-purple-green-blue-red-brown-advanced brown-black. About a year ago after a really intense class my instructor approached me and called me into the office(I was scared because I had no clue what was going on). Once there he told me that he has been paying close attention to my training and thought that I showing exemplary(his words not mine) work ethic and drive, so after talking for about 30 minutes he finally told me that he had a surprise for me at my next belt test. So the time for the belt test comes and I pass but instead of awarding me my green belt(I was a purple belt at the time) he calls me to the front of the class and hands me a red belt. Needless to say I was very surprised, I was moved up to the advanced class and have been practicing and studying their since.

[nana]

I started Tang Soo Do last year with no previous martial arts experience and ended up skipping belts at my first test. Although I was held at white belt for about 5 months. In the early ranks our instructor gives you what he thinks you can handle, so the lines between the curriculum you're expected to know are a bit blurry. After what was supposed to be my gold belt test I was given a purple belt (the next step up). At this rank I've been allowed to do some of the more-advanced kicking, but none of the other curriculum elements that are above my level, so there definitely won't be anymore skipping.

My first week of classes as a purple belt I was slightly intimidated by myself because it occurred to me, "Oh crap, now I really have to prove that I deserved this." And I realized that getting promoted is only partially about proving that you're proficient in the skills and techniques you're expected to know; it's also about proving that you're ready to learn more.

[jimmyorttiz]

belts are benchmark who sets our training target. So, skipping belts can not be good idea eventually.

Are you saying that people who skip belts will not learn the skills they need for the belt that they are skipping? I can see that if each belt has specific skills that you have to show for each level. Have you seen any examples of that? I know that not all schools divide belts by specific skills.

For someone just beginning training, I do believe the belt system can be a motivational aspect of training. It was for me when I was young. However, if someone has 20 years of experience in a style and then goes to train in another, it could be that the belt isn't the motivator, and the knowledge is.

I also view the idea of skipping rank to how it relates to the rest of the student body. If you have a 2nd dan black belt of a TKD style come into another style of TKD school, and has great technique, picks up all the forms fast and does really well, is it right that they should move up through all the ranks one at a time when they are clearly head and shoulders above their peers? Now, if you really crossing up your styles, like TKD black belt moving to Judo, then you will see the noticeable difference between knowledge base. The kicking and punching won't translate as well to throwing. No need to bump ranks there.

Now, lets look at if from a different aspect; competition. If your TKD guy transferred from another TKD school, holds a 2nd dan, and you keep him at white belt, and he wants to go compete in your style, is it fair to allow him to compete with other lower ranked students?

So, when it comes to the skipping rank issue, I think its important to evaluate the totality of the circumstances involved with the transfer of these students, and the instructor should make an informed decision.

I am agree with you that belt system is motivational and I was exactly trying to say that Belts are inspiration for beginners and they feel something worth achievement to get belt. So, skipping belts is eventually not good idea.

[bushido_man96]

I think that if a beginner sees that they are earning a belt higher than those of his peers, he/she will still be motivated. If not more so than before.

[jimmyorttiz]

I think that if a beginner sees that they are earning a belt higher than those of his peers, he/she will still be motivated. If not more so than before.

Definitely, bushido you are correct here that earning belt still motivated and although more inspiring for willing to get more belts.

[Ein_Mädchen]

I know that in Kyokushin you can "skip" the first belt if you perform extremely well on the exam, so instead of 10th kyu, you are given 9th kyu. This has happened to some people in our class, who have practiced another martial art or some other style of karate before, but I don't think it's possible for higher ranks or am I wrong?

[sensei8]

High ranks skipping is very, very rare, imho, if the skip is a legitimate move by the Hombu and not a self-promotion for whatever that reason might be.

I've been witness to very, very few skips in the lower Dan ranks, Shodan to Sandan, for example, but they've existed with the approval of our Soke. Our Soke was the only one that was ever permitted the authorization of a Dan rank skip. And believe me, when I say rare, I can count them on one hand.

[barrypardue]

It really depends on ones skill level, If they pass the testing with correct form then they clearly deserve the belt.

[ps1]

If you have the knowledge, Skills, and abilities required of any given rank, why should you not be that rank?

[Harkon72]

ps1, I agree, some Okinawan students trained for 20 years before having any gradings, when they eventually did some were graded as high as Godan straight away. This was the Rank the Master thought they deserved.