Do Karate schools suspend/Demote black belts???

[MasterPain]

You can't take a qualification away from someone who genuinely earned it.

In academia, if someone earns a degree in physics but ends up in a career that has nothing to do with it, that doesn't mean it negates their qualification!

K.

I understand what your saying but in boxing if a skilled out-boxer who won the golden gloves stops practicing and tries to get back in the game. Chances are his skills will be dulled and he may have to work his way up by starting from foundation training until he regained his skills.

Maybe to fight, but chances are, if he had teaching ability, he'd still make a good coach. At some point, everyone's fight career will be over due to physical limitations, but they can still train a bit and pass on knowledge.

[DWx]

You can't take a qualification away from someone who genuinely earned it.

In academia, if someone earns a degree in physics but ends up in a career that has nothing to do with it, that doesn't mean it negates their qualification!

K.

I think it depends on your personal views but I myself would say I have a degree in physics but I'm no longer a physicist. How can you be when you've not kept yourself up-to-date and your knowledge and skills current?

In our dojang we've never had a situation where someone who was training was slacking for an extended period of time but when someone stops training completely, we call them and "inactive" blackbelts until they start training again and work their skill level back up.

[Kusotare]

You can't take a qualification away from someone who genuinely earned it.

In academia, if someone earns a degree in physics but ends up in a career that has nothing to do with it, that doesn't mean it negates their qualification!

K.

I think it depends on your personal views but I myself would say I have a degree in physics but I'm no longer a physicist. How can you be when you've not kept yourself up-to-date and your knowledge and skills current?

In our dojang we've never had a situation where someone who was training was slacking for an extended period of time but when someone stops training completely, we call them and "inactive" blackbelts until they start training again and work their skill level back up.

I think that's fair comment and in the real world of work, qualifications have to be updated regularly if you are stay up to speed with your career requirements.

However, the obtaining of a qualification at University for example is more than just a measure of someone’s expertise in a particular field. More importantly, it demonstrates a person's capacity.

As Masterpain points out, we all have our "shelf-life" when it comes to athletic ability and perhaps this is where we come to the fork in the road when it comes to comparing sports (like boxing) to Budo!?

K.

[bushido_man96]

I think some schools and organizations can do this, if they feel it is justified. They can't take the knowledge away from them, but they don't have to recognize them, either. Each school would be a bit different.

[Kusotare]

I think some schools and organizations can do this, if they feel it is justified. They can't take the knowledge away from them, but they don't have to recognize them, either. Each school would be a bit different.

That depends.

If your grades are registered with a national / international groups (JKA, WKF, JKF etc.), your name is written down in a big book!

Short of receiving "Hamon" (as Chunmonchek points out) - your grade would never be expunged.

K.

[bushido_man96]

I think some schools and organizations can do this, if they feel it is justified. They can't take the knowledge away from them, but they don't have to recognize them, either. Each school would be a bit different.

That depends.

If your grades are registered with a national / international groups (JKA, WKF, JKF etc.), your name is written down in a big book!

Short of receiving "Hamon" (as Chunmonchek points out) - your grade would never be expunged.

K.

I think it could. The organization can do what they like. But I think it more likely that a suspension or something of that nature could happen. I have heard talk of more "old-school" types stripping belts in classes, but few and far between.

I haven't stripped any rank, but I have moved high ranks to the back line of the room to prove a point once.

[DWx]

You can't take a qualification away from someone who genuinely earned it.

In academia, if someone earns a degree in physics but ends up in a career that has nothing to do with it, that doesn't mean it negates their qualification!

K.

I think it depends on your personal views but I myself would say I have a degree in physics but I'm no longer a physicist. How can you be when you've not kept yourself up-to-date and your knowledge and skills current?

In our dojang we've never had a situation where someone who was training was slacking for an extended period of time but when someone stops training completely, we call them and "inactive" blackbelts until they start training again and work their skill level back up.

I think that's fair comment and in the real world of work, qualifications have to be updated regularly if you are stay up to speed with your career requirements.

However, the obtaining of a qualification at University for example is more than just a measure of someone’s expertise in a particular field. More importantly, it demonstrates a person's capacity.

As Masterpain points out, we all have our "shelf-life" when it comes to athletic ability and perhaps this is where we come to the fork in the road when it comes to comparing sports (like boxing) to Budo!?

K.

Capacity alone isn't worthy of merit.

I agree that there is only so long we can physically train hard but even when our bodies start to wear out you can still be mentally training and be active in your chosen style that way.

[Kyleman1]

Only if you use Karate outside of class in an anger promoted, offensive, way.

[kensei]

In our club/Org. you earn a black belt and its yours. Now if you stop training and come back we make you wear a white belt for a period of time to symbolize the restart of training. if you behave poorly or embarasse the club you are simply kicked out and your rank is struck from our books as it were. You are still a Yudansha but not training with us.

If you get a Ph.D in something you are a Ph.D in that area regardless of your activities. My father has a Ph.D in education and was a principle of a school here in Canada, he is retired and does not teach, but he is still Dr.J! cool eh!

The thing is that you may earn a higher rank and then have to stop training as hard or step away from training for a bit, that does not mean your rank goes up and down.

What about pure skill schools that test based on fitness and skill level. does this mean that an old timer can never gain rank or loses rank as they are physically unable to perform as well as they did in their 20's??

[DWx]

Although it is a good analogy I don't think university degrees should be the standard for how we deal with blackbelts. The vast majority of degrees are knowledge based and not skill based whereas blackbelts should require some sort of physical competence too.

Interesting thought on the Ph.D as I was actually talking to my boss last week (has a Ph.D in Chemistry), he has 2 business cards, one with Dr. on it and one with Mr. depending on the situation and who he's presenting his card too. Maybe it's a cultural thing but I also have a several friends who choose to omit the Dr. titles and letters after their name and stick with Mr/Mrs unless it is relevant to the situation they are in. I would equate it to titles like Sensei, Shihan, Kaicho etc. and only using them when in the martial arts and not signing anything else off as them.

What about pure skill schools that test based on fitness and skill level. does this mean that an old timer can never gain rank or loses rank as they are physically unable to perform as well as they did in their 20's??

Well that is up to the individual school or organisation. FWIW, if the criteria is purely based on purely on physical skill and not knowledge then maybe what I said about having a physics degree but no longer a physicist should be applied.