What age should a black belt grade to adult (senior) black b

[Hawkmoon]

(Sorry if I duplicated a past thread)

There a few threads asking various things about a black belt grading:

http://www.karateforums.com/10-year-old-black-belts-vt43415.html

http://www.karateforums.com/how-many-belts-should-there-be-vt43542.html

http://www.karateforums.com/opinion-on-number-of-candidates-at-gradings-vt45771.html

http://www.karateforums.com/how-many-years-to-black-vt39196.html

A shodan in our dojo who also has a 3rd dan in another style was chatting to me the other day and mentioned that he has a 'black' belt, 15yrs old, who has asked to grade to senior (adult) black belt.

For me as a Kyokushin student that means knockdown bouts, and as he was chatting to me, I felt he was looking for fighters to fulfill the grading needs.

I really was not comfortable with where that idea was apparently leading.

i.e

As in a trained knockdown fighter facing a 15year child from a none knockdown club.

Thankfully he wasn't looking for fighters, just a chat, but it raised a question, so...

What age does a child/young adult become eligible to grade to adult/senior black belt?

To me and form a Kyokushin point of view, that would be earliest 16years (based on ability) else 18 years of age.

[sensei8]

Should the student, at 15, grade to Shodan??

NO!!

I'm a firm proponent on the Junior Black Belt (JBB). I was one, and it didn't hurt me, and it was the ideology of our Soke and Dai-Soke.

Without listing any pros and cons for a 15 year old grading to Shodan, and there's ton of reasons for both to argue, I'd like to say that everything should take its time and allow one time to train in order to increase their MA betterment, and not their rank.

Why the rush?? This isn't just a kid thing to rush, it's an adult thing too. "How long to black belt?". Let the ranks take care of themself and manage ones training to learn the MA, which should be, imho, over the concerns for rank.

Imho, we should respect the governing bodies that do OR don't test students to Shodan. It's the governing bodies decision, and not mine/our, to imply and/or impune those who can or can't grade to Shodan.

Besides, Shodan is just another rank, and in that, there's nothing really special about it. Why? We all start as a white belt and then in time, we can wear the other colors as they are warranted by the governing body, including ones sensei/instructor.

18 years old is the earliest that I'd allow anyone to apply for said testing cycle. I will continue to honor that!!

[devil dog]

I am not a proponent of child black belts. Our rule of thumb is a minimum of 16 yrs old, however that is at the instructors discretion. If the instructor thinks that the student is not mature enough or does not possess the abilities to test for Shodan then they are not tested.

Most of the students after seeing what the Shodan test entails are not too eager to jump the gun. You do not want a child fighting adult black belts. They tend to get hurt beyond what is reasonable.

That being said Kyokushin and what I've read and seen of it is pretty hard core comparitively to my art. It reminds me of my early days in the arts when you were lucky if you could walk out of the dojo after your Shodan test. If he is expecting this 15 year old to stand toe to toe with adult BB's in knock down bouts I would say you have a good reason to be concerned.

Personally I have never promoted a 15 year old to Shodan and very few 16 year olds. The ttypical age in my dojo is 17 to 18 years old.

And by the way we do not have junior BB's. We use the Shodanho (provisional) rank for students under the age of 16.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Honestly he seems a bit too young to grade to Shodan. But I am certainly aware that at my dojo we do have a couple of students who do hold the rank of Shodan at my dojo and that are 15 years of age.

Although admittedly i do train in a Goju-Ryu School.

And those 2 students that do hold the rank of shodan that are 15, have shown to be exceptionally skilled in the art of Goju-Ryu Karate.

We only grade students to a dan grade if they are under the age of 16 or 17 is because they are exceptionally skilled and proven themselves worthy of being eligible for grading for a dan grade