The Meaning of Rank

[jaypo]

Great post, Devil Dog! I get a greater feeling when I help someone learn something than I do when I learn something myself. It's a sense of accomplishment.

Maybe helping this guy with the things he lacks would help to create the next great martial artist, and you would have a lot to do with that!

[ps1]

Henry Akins is a master of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Rickson Gracie. Here were his words regarding this same subject. I believe they hold weight here:

“What does a belt in Jiu-Jitsu mean? I've been asked some form of this question a lot lately. Like one person told me they did not feel they deserved the belt they were given, another person asked me what is the difference between a blue and purple belt and had someone else say they are a blue belt but should be a purple... I'm sure many of you have heard something similar.

The truth is: THERE IS NO UNIVERSAL STANDARD IN JIU-JITSU FOR WHAT ANY BELT IS! It is completely based on your instructor and even with the same instructor, instructors hold different students to different standards.

Sometimes these standards are based on performance like placing well in tournaments or if someone is able to submit a certain level of their training partners in training. Sometimes the standards are based on having a certain level of knowledge so a test might be given. Sometimes the standard is based on the amount of classes attended assuming that after a person has attended a certain amount of classes then they should have a certain level of knowledge.

One of the experiences I had that really made me start to think about what a belt means and who deserves one was after a brown belt test done by Rickson for 8 guys probably around 2008-2009. Rickson rewarded all 8 guys with their brown belts even though I was there and helping to grade and I felt about half the guys failed the test. Afterward I asked him why he gave the belts to one of the guys that I thought had failed and he told me this. This guy was 50 years old, had been training consistently for years once a week, every Saturday. He would never achieve the level of world champion in any belt but it doesn't mean he does not deserve to get promoted for his persistence and dedication. This was the first time it really dawned on me that the belt is not even based on performance and level or knowledge. This was a guy that was really strong, and tough, was excellent at making tiny adjustments to defend so he was tough to tap out but had almost no offense at all. He didn't have a huge arsenal of techniques and wasn't necessarily smooth at all either, what I thought would kind of be the standards for a brown belt, those were the standards I felt I was held to. Rickson however made me realize not everyone has the potential to reach the same level but everyone has the potential to become a black belt with hard work, persistence and dedication.

If you think about it, even within a certain school where everyone was promoted by the same instructor, even among guys with the same belt and stripes no one is ever of equal skill level and training level. Some guys are faster, some guys are stronger, some guys are heavier, some guys have great guards some have great defense, some guys have great mounts or cross-sides, but even with twins their skill level and performance will be different.

So my message to you all is do not worry about the color of your belt, focus on learning and growing. The most important thing is you are improving as a person and a martial artist, let go of your ego and focus on becoming more efficient with the techniques of Jiu-Jitsu, if you put the time in the belts will all eventually come.”

If anyone wants the source of this quote, I can provide it in a PM.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Rank only has meaning within a dojo or an association. It is just meant to be a teaching tool that was developed to teach large groups of students. Ranks are markers to remind the teacher of each person's approximate level of knowledge based on established standards and material.

Even within the same dojo, not all shodan ranked students will have exactly the same skill level and understanding. What they will have in common is a general understanding of their system, its basic techniques and main concepts.

Just like highschool graduates: all of them earned their diploma, but not all have the same grasp of the required credit subjects

Outside of this context, only actual skill level matter and that is not something that can be easily shown by a given rank. I had a 3rd dan in my ryuha before I re-started the same style under a different sensei. I knew and could perform all the kata in my system as well as having a basic grasp of applications.

None of it mattered! My previous rank was not even considered and just like everyone else I had to start all over. Only one person in my dojo had no previous rank and training. A year and a few months have since passed and I don't even think about what rank I used to have or which I have reached. Only my teacher tells me what skills I gained so far.

My skills are different from others and so are my weak points. I do not know or concern myself with what the other 2nd kyu students can or cannot do well. Focussing on personal advancement and efforts is more important than considering rank.

Also, the proliferation of self-appointed pompous sounding ranks should be something to keep in mind. It perfectly illustrates how subjective the notion of rank really is.

[DaveB]

Great post Sparticus.

[sensei8]

Great post Sparticus.

Yes...solid post, indeed!!

[kinetickick]

Rank is a record of proficiency. Many do not realize true rank can be lost with inactivity.

[jaypo]

I had to have a conversation with 3 students this weekend. They were set to test for Orange belt this weekend, and one of them kept asking me to go over a certain kata with him before class. When he felt he got the movements memorized, he asked our M.I. if he could test for "advanced orange because he knew his kata". Our M.I. told him no, and that he would test for the rank he should be testing for.

The next day, about an hour before the testing, I had that student and his brothers working with me. I gave them a 30 minute diatribe on what rank means. I used the old "I'd rather be a white belt that could beat a black belt instead of being the black belt that gets beat by the white belt" argument. They're about 10 years old, so they seem to be enamored by the "colors". But I told them what rank meant and told them the story of the dojo that makes everyone train in pink belts to remove ego from the equation. They seemed to understand. But when it came time for kumite during their test, they relied on old habits. We usually allow the person testing to use leg attacks first, then hand strikes, then free sparring. The senior belt just defends. In this case, each one just wanted to chase me down and throw whatever strikes they could to try to land them instead of using the skills they've been taught. For one of them, I just kept using his momentum to slow him down- he would bulldoze towards me throwing haymakers, and I'd sidestep and get behind him. He abandoned his karate strikes and just kept throwing wild hooks. A few times, I'd intercept the hook and return a backfist to his forehead (with no power, of course!). For the higher rank testing that day, the sparring was more controlled with a lot of great techniques. I told those 3 orange belts that the difference in "rank" could be seen in the kumite from that day. The higher ranks were controlled, precise, and they used their knowledge from their training rather than just trying to blindly land shots.

The good news is that these students are very respectful, and in the short time they've been training, they've made tremendous strides in skill and in their attitudes. I think they'll come around in the next few months.

[sensei8]

I had to have a conversation with 3 students this weekend. They were set to test for Orange belt this weekend, and one of them kept asking me to go over a certain kata with him before class. When he felt he got the movements memorized, he asked our M.I. if he could test for "advanced orange because he knew his kata". Our M.I. told him no, and that he would test for the rank he should be testing for.

The next day, about an hour before the testing, I had that student and his brothers working with me. I gave them a 30 minute diatribe on what rank means. I used the old "I'd rather be a white belt that could beat a black belt instead of being the black belt that gets beat by the white belt" argument. They're about 10 years old, so they seem to be enamored by the "colors". But I told them what rank meant and told them the story of the dojo that makes everyone train in pink belts to remove ego from the equation. They seemed to understand. But when it came time for kumite during their test, they relied on old habits. We usually allow the person testing to use leg attacks first, then hand strikes, then free sparring. The senior belt just defends. In this case, each one just wanted to chase me down and throw whatever strikes they could to try to land them instead of using the skills they've been taught. For one of them, I just kept using his momentum to slow him down- he would bulldoze towards me throwing haymakers, and I'd sidestep and get behind him. He abandoned his karate strikes and just kept throwing wild hooks. A few times, I'd intercept the hook and return a backfist to his forehead (with no power, of course!). For the higher rank testing that day, the sparring was more controlled with a lot of great techniques. I told those 3 orange belts that the difference in "rank" could be seen in the kumite from that day. The higher ranks were controlled, precise, and they used their knowledge from their training rather than just trying to blindly land shots.

The good news is that these students are very respectful, and in the short time they've been training, they've made tremendous strides in skill and in their attitudes. I think they'll come around in the next few months.

Solid post!!

[sensei8]

Henry Akins is a master of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Rickson Gracie. Here were his words regarding this same subject. I believe they hold weight here:

“What does a belt in Jiu-Jitsu mean? I've been asked some form of this question a lot lately. Like one person told me they did not feel they deserved the belt they were given, another person asked me what is the difference between a blue and purple belt and had someone else say they are a blue belt but should be a purple... I'm sure many of you have heard something similar.

The truth is: THERE IS NO UNIVERSAL STANDARD IN JIU-JITSU FOR WHAT ANY BELT IS! It is completely based on your instructor and even with the same instructor, instructors hold different students to different standards.

Sometimes these standards are based on performance like placing well in tournaments or if someone is able to submit a certain level of their training partners in training. Sometimes the standards are based on having a certain level of knowledge so a test might be given. Sometimes the standard is based on the amount of classes attended assuming that after a person has attended a certain amount of classes then they should have a certain level of knowledge.

One of the experiences I had that really made me start to think about what a belt means and who deserves one was after a brown belt test done by Rickson for 8 guys probably around 2008-2009. Rickson rewarded all 8 guys with their brown belts even though I was there and helping to grade and I felt about half the guys failed the test. Afterward I asked him why he gave the belts to one of the guys that I thought had failed and he told me this. This guy was 50 years old, had been training consistently for years once a week, every Saturday. He would never achieve the level of world champion in any belt but it doesn't mean he does not deserve to get promoted for his persistence and dedication. This was the first time it really dawned on me that the belt is not even based on performance and level or knowledge. This was a guy that was really strong, and tough, was excellent at making tiny adjustments to defend so he was tough to tap out but had almost no offense at all. He didn't have a huge arsenal of techniques and wasn't necessarily smooth at all either, what I thought would kind of be the standards for a brown belt, those were the standards I felt I was held to. Rickson however made me realize not everyone has the potential to reach the same level but everyone has the potential to become a black belt with hard work, persistence and dedication.

If you think about it, even within a certain school where everyone was promoted by the same instructor, even among guys with the same belt and stripes no one is ever of equal skill level and training level. Some guys are faster, some guys are stronger, some guys are heavier, some guys have great guards some have great defense, some guys have great mounts or cross-sides, but even with twins their skill level and performance will be different.

So my message to you all is do not worry about the color of your belt, focus on learning and growing. The most important thing is you are improving as a person and a martial artist, let go of your ego and focus on becoming more efficient with the techniques of Jiu-Jitsu, if you put the time in the belts will all eventually come.”

If anyone wants the source of this quote, I can provide it in a PM.

Solid post!!

[sensei8]

Rank is a record of proficiency. Many do not realize true rank can be lost with inactivity.

I believe that rank is forever; once earned, it can't be, and shouldn't be taken away as though a punishment is being leveled to said practitioner. Knowledge is there, although the physical prowess isn't as it use to be.

This is a bad analogy, but...

A General, for example, retires from active military service. Is he/she still a General? I believe...yes. The Military rank was earned and awarded. That General is still referred to as a General by those who interact with him/her. When you read about said General, that General is referred to as a General, although the word "Retired" is tagged on the end their name. What this General has achieved is still recognized, therefore, said achievements can't be disputed nor taken away.

Imho.