Skipping Belts

[mal103]

Apologies for not reading all five pages but just wanted to add my support for evaluating new students, we've just had a guy return to training after a 20 year gap, he got near Black belt as a teenager but then stopped due to "life"

We allowed him to train for several weeks then started him off as a 7th Kyu and he will grade next month to 6th Kyu. I fully expect him to settle into training and will then look to accelerate him up with a couple of double grades (so long as he trains hard!)

If all goes to plan he will spend enough time at each level to get back up to speed and will make a good Shodan.

The org we work with has a minimum of 3 years training for Black belt and takes into consideration any previous training, at our discretion, we can double grade twice on Kyu grade but not 1st Kyu.

I certainly don't agree with skipping ranks above 1st Kyu, my journey to Nidan is only 2-thirds practical, I expect my journey to Sandan to be less (but more)

To think about standards then think about getting a few students in a Dojo in civilian clothes and ask them to do the first Heian/Pinan Kata - or first Kata in your style - you should be able to guess their level by their performance.

The 9th Kyu should perform the Kata correctly, the mid Kyu levels should be fast execution and very sharp.

The Black Belt should be the one who is trying to knock a hole in the floor with their foot and sends a shiver down your spine when they "KIAI", they should also be out of breath on completion but be willing to do the Kata over and over...

[armanox]

I've seen quite a few schools that do "accelerated" grading for students with previous experience. For our school, you still start at white and move up, but the time requirements (prior to shodan) are flexible based on your prior experience and current skill level.

One TKD school I visited (and debated joining before I found out their price) told me I would start at white, train until their next grading (two months IIRC) and then test to where ever my skills let me fall in their grading system (I had been doing martial arts for ~5 years at that point). And I've seen many schools that you have to follow the same ladder as everyone else - either because that was the rule, or it was a style that most other styles skillset didn't overlap (Aikido and Jujitsu come to mind).

[yamesu]

In a similar outlook as has been posted by others, I dont see any problem in "skipping low Kyu grades (up to about 4th kyu, and certainly not above there), IF the practitioner has skill requisite to the level they are being brought up to.

In my experience this has mainly happened with persons who have previous experience in Martial Arts, before coming to a new Art, where they may be accellerated through lower ranks a bit more quickly.

On the other side of the coin, some people cannot make their gradings, and so next time round will go for two - they have still done the time, and built up the technical knwoledge and conditioning required.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I believe skipping grades is ok. As you may be a white belt but you might be demonstrating a skill level that is way above the level of yellow belt. That is the only reason why i would allow a double promotion.