Stopping at Brown belt

[IcemanSK]

I hate to be a downer (and I don't want to be) but I was thinking about students that leave & stop training.

I've talked with many people over the years who've told me they "used to train." When I ask them at what rank they stopped, more than any other rank, "brown belt" seems to be the answer. I spoke with a friend, who has been teaching since the 70's, who told me his theory. He said, "there seem to be a barrier at brown belt that some folks can't imagine themselves crossing over into BB. They want to forever say, 'I was almost a BB," but not reach that step."

Do you find this to be true? Is reaching BB a mental/emotional/physical hurdle that many can not cross? What can be done to combat this for our students?

[Archimoto]

Interesting post.

I have a different take.

At brown belt I think most people think it's close enough.

These folks aren't lifelong practitioners and are in it only for the belt.

And brown belt sounds pretty good. Know what I mean?

[IcemanSK]

Interesting post.

I have a different take.

At brown belt I think most people think it's close enough.

These folks aren't lifelong practitioners and are in it only for the belt.

And brown belt sounds pretty good. Know what I mean?

I absolutely see your point. I see your point as an extension of mine, however. "Brown belt is close enough (I don't need to, don't want to....go farther)." Thanks for that insight!

[CredoTe]

Yeah! I'm experiencing that right, now, actually. We have a student that's been a dedicated, take-the-bull-by-the-horns practitioner since he started years ago. He reached 1st kyu over a year ago, meaning his time-in-grade has been surpassed to be eligible for the Shodan test. However, ever since he make 1st kyu, his dedication has dropped like a stone... For the life of me, I can't figure it out. He has some personal issues to work out, but so does everybody... I've tried to approach him about it, but I just can't seem to put a finger on it...

The longer he languishes, the longer his Shodan test will be pushed back. I hope he doesn't just sit on brown belt row for a while and then leave...

[Wastelander]

Honestly, the vast majority of people that I've met who say "I used to train..." stopped at the lower ranks. That said, I have definitely met some who stopped at brown belt, and usually they say that they couldn't make it work with their schedule anymore. That may be true, or it may be that the fear of testing for black belt drove them to overtrain and burn out, and they started to find excuses not to train. It's hard to say, really. I've been a brown belt for about 6 years, and it's impossible to imagine stopping.

[Archimoto]

I had an instructor that was very bothered by this.

It didn't and doesn't bother me much.

I personally can't imagine stopping but I also think that most people do the best with what they have and that often it happens that life simply gets in the way.

Life : try your best, results will vary.

[BlackKnight]

That's never been our experience. The majority that quit our style/system is/was at green belt level, then after that, shodan.

Green belt for us is about the midway point. For us that was a level that the student wasn't learning as much. They were still learning, but not at the level they were before. That was a plateau for them.

After that we see people stop training after shodan. Apparently they felt like they were finished.

To that end I still get asked by the uninformed: Aren't you done yet? Or: Aren't you finished, yet?

Nope, far from it.

Edited May 10, 2014 by BlackKnight

[Archimoto]

To that end I still get asked by the uninformed: Aren't you done yet? Or: Aren't you finished, yet?

Nope, far from it.

Big thumbs up!

[Zaine]

After that we see people stop training after shodan. Apparently they felt like they were finished.

I've seen this more than brown belt for myself. I suppose there is just this feeling that after BB you're done! You've completed all you needed.

[mal103]

Brown belt row.... There is another type of student who has so far found the training relatively easy, they are then pushed to go faster and put in much more effort, this they find awkward as they are normally quite fit and not used to sweating.

Sometimes is because the syllabus is similar since around green belt so repetition plays a part in them getting bored. Also they may think "is this it"? I haven't been taught to be a superb fighter or can't defend myself against several attackers.... They assumed they would be awesome by now and either can't see where they are because it has happened gradually or they haven't been taught very well.

I used to cringe when I was at that stage and an instructor was showing the kids applications to kata because that's all they had been shown.

Shodan's should have been guided better to realise that passing BB can be difficult and an anti climax, it isn't the end - just the beginning