Everyone passes until red belt? Serious question.

[FangPwnsAll7]

This isn't really much of a question. Just a discussion. I have took Tang Soo Do for 10 months and I'm 7th gup (orange belt, green stripe). In class a few weeks before the most recent belt test, I heard someone say they always pass everyone until you get up to a red belt.

I had a test at the beginning of December, and there was this one white belt that failed the test. Then, everyone made fun of her because she failed. She was only 3 years old, and the instructor even thought of passing her to yellow belt. But the instructor can't pass anyone without permission of the grandmaster.

Now for my thoughts on this... the grandmaster only passes people who they think are ready to move on to the next belt, and that's a fact. It doesn't matter the age, the personality. What matters is the enthusiasm, the spirit, and whether or not you know the requirments and understand them. I discussed this with my friends from karate, and I have had opinions from both sides.

What is your opinion?

[kensei]

if they can do the technical requirements then they pass in my Dojo..if they can not then they dont pass.

[Harkon72]

In our Dojo, a pass is earned. You don't pass because you have paid your fee. When students join us from other schools, they hold their grade but maybe for a long time. When they reach the standard, then they grade and even then they can fail.

[seikokaistudent]

Belts shouldn't be given freely out at any level, mate with slightly more relaxed testing standards for children. People should not get to upset when and if they fail a belt test, because really belts don't really translate into skill. Belts should never be given away however.

[Tempest]

I am not sure I understand, why would a 3 year old need to be concerned with rank at all?

This is part of the reason I am not a fan of starting children quite that young. The other part is they do not typically have the kinesthetic awareness to correctly perform a technique, or even a stance or position, the way it should be done.

It seems to me that a belt, or rank, or any other merit denoting a martial arts accomplishment should perhaps be earned rather than given and most 3 year olds are not going to do a technique correctly. Many do not know left from right consistently at that age and following directions comes later than that in a childs developement.

[Harkon72]

I agree, I know it's controversial, but I don't think you can teach any real Martial Arts to children. Please guys, stop mis-leading them, your just making money out of ignorant parents.

[Dobbersky]

At 3 year old these gradings are token gradings. If they are a bonefide school and doesn't have 9 year old Full blackbelts then no reason to worry. If they are the same as adult grades, if you don't like it, find somewhere else to train. Tang Soo Do is Korean Shotokan so you would adapt better into that style

[seikokaistudent]

I agree, I know it's controversial, but I don't think you can teach any real Martial Arts to children. Please guys, stop mis-leading them, your just making money out of ignorant parents.

I agree somewhat. I think kids should be 10+ before starting a martial art, but some people are fine with paying for young kid to be enrolled in martial arts because they get to dump their kid off for an hour and go have a coffee with a friend or something.

[Lupin1]

I think three year olds can learn a lot from martial arts, but I don't think they can actually learn much martial arts. If you're going to have a three year old class and give them belts (belts are fun), give them white belts with colored stripes. The vast, vast majority of kids probably aren't ready for a colored belt until they're 7 or 8. And if I was there and heard someone making fun of a three year old, I'd put them on their butts and then verbally humiliate them.

[kensei]

First off you should look at not passing a belt as needing more time in a particular level...not as a failure of a person. Also, children should be in Karate, it has many lessons that they can learn that are missing today. However an adjusted belt system may be needed as we have way to many 10 year old black belts.