No Gradings! EVER!

[Harkon72]

I've just joined a local traditional Aikido club. Everyone wares a white bet, and that's for ever. Only the acting Sensei can ware a black belt even though most of the members have 10 years plus years under their belts. I attended a course there yesterday; there was hundreds of years of experience on the floor with only the course sensei and their senpai in hakama; and those had white belts too. I asked for he reason from a yudansha from Ireland; "We don't sell Ego here son." he said. I thanked an elder member for his tuition, he was from Holland; "Don't call me Sensei; I'm a beginner in life as you are." These guys have blown me away.

[Archimoto]

That's mind blowing indeed.

For nearly 10 years I trained at a school that was run the same way. Eventually I had to move but that was some of the best training and instruction of my life that I carry with me to this day.

Of course, on occasion an outsider would ask about my belt - when I said we don't have belts I always got a quizzical look like "what kind of Mickey Mouse school are you training at. Little did they know

[mal103]

I've been teaching for nearly 3 years and still can't get used to people calling me Sensei.... It just doesn't sit right, I'm happy to be recognised for knowing more than them and to be slightly better with technique but I certainly don't strut around like I'm anything special or get a buzz about being called Sensei and being bowed to a lot.

I use it occasionally when I'm in training or use the word osu (OSS) as an acknowledgement of their guidance.

It's when people with large ego's insist on being called by their rank, position or even the dreaded master that it makes a joke of the whole thing.

I am following the trend but I think I would prefer to scrap our belt system and just train, maybe just a 3 colour system of white, brown and black. It's a very western idea of needing to grade every few months to be able to mentally progress to the next stage and is seen by some as a money making method.

[Nidan Melbourne]

That is very mind blowing indeed.

At my dojo we do call instructors senpai And sensei. Very few will refer to fellow students whilst they're training as senpai.

[sensei8]

It's a nice way!! It's not a mind blowing thing, imho, it's just their way.

However, what they choose not to do, is what I choose to do because this is how I was raised in the MA, and this is how my students have been raised in the MA.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Very interesting concept and one that I have often considered. In this age there is too much focus on rewards: ranks, grades etc. Too many people care more about the tangible reward and cannot be satisfied with actually learning a skill. I think that doing away with the coloured belts can be a good idea if it helps student focus their attention on gaining and perfecting skills. That way ability and years of training determine where everyone stands. It then becomes obvious who is more capable.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Very interesting concept and one that I have often considered. In this age there is too much focus on rewards: ranks, grades etc. Too many people care more about the tangible reward and cannot be satisfied with actually learning a skill. I think that doing away with the coloured belts can be a good idea if it helps student focus their attention on gaining and perfecting skills. That way ability and years of training determine where everyone stands. It then becomes obvious who is more capable.

That is very true. Those who care to perfect their technique over the reward of a new belt are the ones i love to learn from.

Personally I am the same, i don't care so much about the ranks. Even though I am a yudansha and enjoyed getting a nice new belt when i was a mudansha and dan grade as a yudansha i preferred the learning of the skills.

even though i'm a yudansha, i still focus on what i know and will learn from people and also admittedly from youtube. But I acknowledge that people see me as a specific rank according to the belt system. But everytime i train I will work hard on the techniques but also will be more relaxed and have the pressure on at different times to surprise me to get a genuine reaction and to react in a way that is appropriate