Awarding 2nd degree black belt for time fighting cancer!

[Luther unleashed]

As some of you know my daughter Angela was diagnosed with cancer in December of 2015.  Only 8 short months ago.  She is in the fight of our life and has been through a tremendous amount. She often has visual problems, dizziness, he throws up a few times a week, numbness in parts of her body and many more things.  She's sick most of the week and we have had to switch to homeschooling, it means I can't hold a day job and martial arts instruction in the evening is all I have to help financially.  She is as of now, in full remission but has 2 more years of treatments and hospital stays and spinal reps to make sure they kill all of it.

Angela has stopped training since December of 2015, but she has never stopped helping me teach.  She misses classes of course depending on how she's feeling but she has never completely stopped helping me.  She knows material to 2nd degree, she helps me with videos, she takes groups aside to teach them, she even occasionally runs a full class back to back.  This is a tremendous amount of weight for a 14 yr old but she does it with a great attitude.  She has made me watch what I complain about, and I have come to realise that she's is probably more deserving of her rank then some adults.

I am holding my first black belt testing tonight for a young lady, and I have not only decided to let her sit at the table with me (a notion I have toyed with but never done) which is a pretty big honor, but also I'm going to be awarding her, her 2nd degree black belt.  She earned her 1st degree black belt under Master Chris Guffey in September of 2014, which is exactly 2 years.  This is jr rank and upon reaching a certain age she will have to learn more to earn adult rank, however I do not take jr rank lightly and give it away.  This is a complete surprise and he doesn't know. 

Each black belt level will receive a different color lapel stripe color.  This I submit why hers is going to be yellow, because that's for second dan.  White is my other student who is testing for 1st dan. 

What do you guys think?   Some may read this cringing.   I'm ok with that.  Feel free to put your opinion out there, I'm always open for an argument of pojnts, and I welcome others opinions.

Short video to give you visual perspective. It would be better with the ending being her earning her rank, but not till tonight.

https://youtu.be/5c5gz5IrD6k

[sensei8]

Lex,

First off, Angela's in my thoughts and prayers, as you and your family as well. She'll fight that fight, and with God's grace, she'll beat this!!

As far as your post, it was both moving and thoughtful, and I thank you for sharing it. As far as the MA things, you do as you feel, no matter what anyone thinks; Angela's your daughter, your blood, your everything!!

Don't let anyone sway you from the path that you've decided upon, no matter what the MA might preach, and no matter what opinions might be...from anyone!! You've got my support 100% across the board!!

Be there for her on and off the floor; anything else, can wait!!

[Luther unleashed]

Thank you very much of course. Things are very good and we have weathered a huge storm and we are in a very positive place.

As for testing I'm open to people's opinions but certainly I've decided to do it as already ordered everything. I once witnessed something similar in my old dojo, where due to injury a long time student tried to cone back and finish t O black belt, he couldn't and after a few years they awarded him the rank anyways. This is where I got the inspiration. When something is earned something is earned, I don't think it always has to be within the same structure.

[IcemanSK]

Lex,

First off, Angela's in my thoughts and prayers, as you and your family as well. She'll fight that fight, and with God's grace, she'll beat this!!

As far as your post, it was both moving and thoughtful, and I thank you for sharing it. As far as the MA things, you do as you feel, no matter what anyone thinks; Angela's your daughter, your blood, your everything!!

Don't let anyone sway you from the path that you've decided upon, no matter what the MA might preach, and no matter what opinions might be...from anyone!! You've got my support 100% across the board!!

Be there for her on and off the floor; anything else, can wait!!

I couldn't have said it better. Praying for Angela and for you.

[JR 137]

Lex,

I'm very happy things are going well for Angela and the rest of you. I pray that it continues.

I felt exactly what sensei8 posted, but he's far more articulate.

[Luther unleashed]

Thanks guys, I took the video posted above and added her being awarded 2nd degree black belt at the end of it. I had just gone through and evening of testing and paused at the end to make the announcement, she had no idea and it was a special moment for sure.

Thanks guys again, it takes a lot to put this kind of thing out there so I don't take those that posted lightly. It's potential controversial and a topic many might not want to touch. I want to make it clear that no matter what some will see it as pity rank, and I understand that perspective but it's not. As a stated my inspiration was a guy once that hurt his knee too bad to finish to black, although he was right there. I saw him awarded black belt at the end of testing and I took it as he had earned it plenty on the mat, and was understood why he couldn't complete testing. I look at this the same way, for me, and as it was for me, you tested every night you stepped on the floor. The "Testing" is just a formality. It's in this way I awarded her the rank, not out of pity and having not earned it.

At the end I said bow to the flag, and bow to angela. This is not the norm, and it should have been bow to instructor Lex. Just teaching students about respect and humilty, I never even mentioned me. Great night.

Final video

https://youtu.be/z2HqfsTERxY

[ninjanurse]

There are many out there with great skills but whose character is questionable, and many with questionable skills whose character is exceptional. While there has to be a physcial standard to be met I am of the opinion that Black Belt is more about the person wearing it.

[Luther unleashed]

I agree that a certain level of charter and skill should be involved in black belt graduates. Every single person has their own standards, some closer to the concepts of others and some much farther. With any Jr rank one must place less emphasis on phisical in most cases then middle aged or young adults, many kids just haven't found their footing so to speak, with phisical activities and many are clumsy and haven't had it all come together yet.

Summer programs will never award black belt to Young students and others will create programs where they are black belt and then move up to the next age group to train from white belt again. When dealing with older people I believe it's very similar as well as they are not going to have the same physical abilities.

In the case of my daughter who knows the material she unfortunately does not have the physical abilities to achieve some of the things she used to in the way that an older person would also not have the same ability that used to. She can't walk the same or do many of the activities the same so it becomes more character as it would in older adults or very young students.

The standard that many try to set in stone is often manipulated by the demands of each particular dojo. It is often changing and growing and refining as it needs to accommodate the particular students who enter. There are times I work with kids with Down Syndrome or ADHD or Autism. I do not teach them a different technique as if they are not capable however in many cases that same technique is not going to look the same or even have the same emphasis on power and in some cases it will never. It is in this way that you must set a specific standard for each person as an individual rather than let your program be stale when did standards. I personally believe as an instructor that martial arts as well as my personal program need to be a living breathing things and always evolving and if we only stay stuck in standards and one way of doing things it becomes Limited.

This is just my opinion and it definitely varies from many opinions here as I have seen and many martial artists out there will agree and disagree with me, this does not make me feel outcasted or befriended but in fact it makes me feel that it is what brings Beauty to martial arts. Everybody is different and pulls something different from it.

[bushido_man96]

I think this is a very cool way for you to award your daughter. I will pray for her as well. Tell her to keep up the good fight!

[wayneshin]

So pleased to hear your daughter is in remission. To remain involved while undergoing treatment is extraordinary. I wish her and your entire family all the very best for her ongoing treatment.