Kyokushin training

[Glen Vassallo]

Hello all, this is my first post. First of all I live in Malta and have a 7yr old son who has been practicing Kyokushin for almost 2yrs now. he has taken part in 2 tournaments so far, one in Hungary and one here in Malta. He did good in both tournaments!! A few days after the second tournament we received some really bad info from Hungary about his sempai (he is Hungarian). The people that sent the info are well known marital artists and wrote that the sempai is not a black belt, does not have a license to teach and has joined and then left many organizations . Should I let my son keep on training with him or should I search for another dojo. There are no other Kyokushin dojos here in Malta but he can start either Spirit Combat or karate. Another thing, my son has achieved a yellow belt, is this valid since his sempai does not have a license to teach? I would appreciate any opinions that you may have. Thanks

[Harkon72]

This is a difficult question, I can only relate to my own experience. Who can give an instructor a licence to teach? Who has the right? Why would he need one? Who is qualified? My first Karate teacher was a family friend. He had spent 25 years in the British Merchant Navy in the far east. He had trained with Okinawan Karate Masters and fought and lived with martial artists from different backgrounds. He called his style Shorinji Karate. Was he qualified to teach me? Did he need a licence from anyone else? A licence from a governing body shows that the teacher has passed an exam for his grade maybe or that he owns a safety certificate. But what does that prove at all? I know of many martial artists who have even bought the right to teach, at least on paper, but this doesn't necessarily mean they are good teachers. If you want a certified teacher with pieces of paper and endorsements, go for it, but talk to your son's sempai first.

[Archimoto]

I agree with Harkon however add the following question: was the sempai honest about his background?

Personally I don't think that he needs to be a black belt per se to be a good teacher, but to be a good influence he needs to be honest.

[scohen.mma]

I don't think there's any certification that one needs to teach Karate. To my understanding, back in the day, belts weren't given to show experience. One theory is that a Karateka is given one white belt, and over time it gets darker and that shows experience. I'd think of it this way: if you think your sons Sensei is teaching good and he is learning, then is it really necessary to switch schools? The quality if the teaching is more important than all the "certifications" one might need. That's just my opinion though. Good luck!

[Archimoto]

A few days after the second tournament we received some really bad info from Hungary about his sempai (he is Hungarian). The people that sent the info are well known marital artists and wrote that the sempai is not a black belt, does not have a license to teach and has joined and then left many....

Scohen.mma I agree with you except I can't overlook the sentence above - it seems to me like someone was misled. I could be wrong of course, but if not, the sempai should be dropped yesterday.

[Harkon72]

This is a worry, If a martial artist is not honest about his history in the art, then he may have confidence issues or he may think that he needs some status to teach that he doesn't have; so he's been dishonest. Talk to him, you'll know what kind of person he is. If he's a good teacher, as was said, his grade doesn't matter. I've known certified so called masters and they cant teach for toffee.

[Glen Vassallo]

Thanks guys for your replies. But can anyone guide me if the belts that my son achieved so far are valid? Thanks again

[wagnerk]

The belt or grade that your son has received is valid within the current organisation that he practices with.

If he (or you) wants to leave the current organisation and join another one, then it's up to the future organisation whether or not to accept his current grade. This is irrespective of your current situation, this happens within other arts and styles. Eg going from one established Shotokan association to another, they may do any of the following:

1. Accept the grade

2. Not accept the grade

3. Accept the grade for a test before a retest, where they may demote you, keep the same grade or promote you.

Back to the instructor...

You've received news that:

He's not a black belt... Ok, in some organisations you are allowed to teach and grade (up to a certain grade) once you get your 3rd kyu (this would be the first brown belt).

Does not have a license to teach... How to they know? Do they speak for every martial art association?

Has joined and then left many organizations... That's nothing really to be that concerned about, lots of people move between different associations due to fees, politics, etc...

[andym]

Thanks guys for your replies. But can anyone guide me if the belts that my son achieved so far are valid? Thanks again

Are the grades registered with a governing body ? Is it on Malta or in Europe ? If it just a Maltese body, then yes the grades may be valid - if they still recognise the instructor. The point here isn't about, are your son's grades valid : but is the instructor a valid instructor ? Both the instructor and your son seem to have the skill. The problem is everything is undermined (invalidated ?) by how the instructor seems to be behaving in his relationships with governing bodies. Your son is an unwitting victim of this behavior.

[Nidan Melbourne]

If his school was registered (with a governing body) when he graded through his ranks (up to his current one) then they will be considered valid.

If you leave the organisation and go somewhere else, the school you join will most likely either a) accept your childs rank or b) grade your child to see what rank he is at in their school