10 year old Black Belts!

[Lupin1]

1st point - if you have no confidence with your instructors at your chosen style - Why train there?

IsshinRyu is a Truly awesome style one of the original Okinawan Ryu that has some excellent strong lineage and Bunkai and Shu Ha Ri is part of its ethics & Ethos.

Aikido - describe by Kano Sensei as perfect Judo, again this is an awesome style which takes more mental and spiritual training than physical

Grading is NOT bums on seats, its about time served, one must encompass what Shu Ha Ri is all about for it to become part of you not just a Japanese Dance where yeah one can perform the techniques, do the Kata and maybe win competitons with it but is it all worth it if one doesn't "understand" what it is all about, the what's why's when's where's and how's that comes only with experience and TIME. I suggest you raise these issues with your senior instructor that you could do a better job than his/her black belts I sure he will take on board what you say, OSU

No, no, no. Our INSTRUCTORS are awesome. But not all our black belts are instructors. I'm talking about several black belts who aren't instructors who were just trying help me randomly during class or while I was doing partner work with them. I have a feeling they understand what they're doing themselves, but just don't have the skills to pass that understanding to others. Which I see as fine, because not all black belts are instructors nor do they have to be. That was my original point.

[T3chnopsycho]

Hi guys

This talk about junior Dans is quite interesting

Well my personal thought is that if your sensei is a qualified and good sensei he will know when you are far enough to do your Dan. I also find it ok if you have a differentiation between a junior Dan and an adult Dan.

But still I think it isn't always good to get your Dan at a young age. I got mine at age 16 so I'm already a first Dan for 3 years. But still it's like you say when you get your Dan you begin with Karate. A Dan for me shows that you know the basic techniques and you can now start on focusing to increase the techniques get a better understanding of these and so on. That is also the reason why I think it is too early for young children like age 12-14 and younger to already be black belt.

Also a BB should be someone who can explain to the lower belts how something works. Well I don't really think that there are (m)any kids who could do that despite their BB.

Another negative part of a BB at such a young age is like another user mentioned that it can start to stick to their head. Like: "I'm Dan, I'm the best"...) If you start thinking that way you stop to progress.

Still JBB have something good in a way that they motivate kids to keep on training because especially kids that age don't have that much motivation if they don't see a progress. Although giving a BB to a 10 year old is too early in my opinion

Cheers

T3chnopsycho

[bushido_man96]

I don't think the "I'm the best attitude" is all that prevalent with kids. I've not seen it the past. Its up to the instructor to discuss with students of any age why its important to continue along after black belt.

[ps1]

Honestly, I've never understood Jr. Black Belts til a certain age and then testing for a black belt. Seems kind of confusing. Instead of having Jr black belts, why not just add a few belts. Seems like nothing more than a way to string a kid along for a few more years to get the money out of him.

Admittedly, this statement is a bit hypocritical of me because I tend to look down on schools that have lots of belts. But this is probably because I was never at a school with more than 8 belts. Chuan Fa and Aiki Jujitsu had 4 belts/sashes, BJJ has 5 and Shotokan had 8. So it could be that the idea of 10 or 12 belts is just too foreign to me.

That said, I'm not sure that a young black belt makes a place a McDojo. I think it's a McDojo when a young person has a black belt and is then supposed to be treated as though they are not a child. A 10 year old should not be delving out punishments, running classes, or talking about philosophy. This is very demeaning to an adult and just silly, IMO. They should certainly be encouraged to assist in running drills or helping other kids with forms and techniques...that's character building. But they should be under constant supervision from a trained adult when doing so.

As a funny side story. I was at a Relson Gracie seminar once in a large TKD school (not TKD bashing...it's just where we happened to be). Relson is an 8th degree coral belt and the second oldest son of Helio Gracie. Anyway, a young 4th degree black belt, who couldn't have been more than 15 years at best stood up in the seminar, looked at Relson and said, "Relson, we're both masters here! We teach to avoid the fight. Why don't you teach that first." The look on Relson's face was priceless as he responds, "You're a master?!! This is good to know my friend."

I'm not a fan of the word master because of the connotation it carries. But I feel to give the title to a child is absolutely stupid. I realize it's often tied to a certain rank. And having an adult, who has lived some life, receive the title is ok with me. But a child should never, IMO, be led to believe he's a master of anything. He can't even survive on his own for goodness sakes.

[quinteros1963]

10 year old blackbelts should not exist! Its a marketing ploy to make money. At 10, a kid still lacks the motor skills to be a true blackbelt. Then again if a group wants to do it, thats up to said group.

[Harkon72]

The youngest Dan grade I have met is my Sensei's 11 year old Daughter. She was doing Karate from the time she could walk. She might not be able to knock me out, but her Kata and Kihon are very good. The children's mentor in our classes is a 16 year old Nidan. I heard from a slightly jealous rival that she shouldn't have graded to Nidan until she was 18. This may be true in his club, but I call her Sempai, she is senior to me in Sensei Williams' club, even though she looks to me to teach her. I was requested to take a junior 5th kyu to one side to polish his Kata before he is tested to grade, my karatedo is respected even though I am a 5th Kyu myself. My 26 years of Karate has left me as a senior friend and teacher to all my Family within the Dojo.

[bushido_man96]

10 year old blackbelts should not exist! Its a marketing ploy to make money. At 10, a kid still lacks the motor skills to be a true blackbelt. Then again if a group wants to do it, thats up to said group.

I don't think this is the case. I've seen some 10 year olds with very good motor skills. Our kids are always running and moving, and in better shape than I ever have been.

[ninjanurse]

A 10 year old Black Belt should be compared to another 10 yr old not an adult. If the instructor is doing his/her job their technique and understanding should be commensurate with their age not their size-of they meet the requirements they should be granted the rank. That being said, systems that cater to society's penchant for instant gratification and design their curriculum's to allow 10yr olds to test for black belt do not have the best interest of the students or the integrity of their arts in mind.

[Mike1969]

I think its ridiculous that kids get black belts. nuff said

[bushido_man96]

I think its ridiculous that kids get black belts. nuff said

But why? Could you elaborate on your thoughts here?