Maintaining Your Belt Rank

[Alan Armstrong]

It is one thing obtaining a belt ranking but another story or thing maintaining it.

Use it or lose it!

I believe that the efforts require towards obtaining a belt rank needs to be maintained, otherwise why bother?

The skills developed up hill to that point of reaching a higher rank, will slip away down the other side of that hill, till eventual back to novice level.

As there seems to be a hurry to gain a higher rank but what is the urgency if not willing to maintain it.

Martial arts and maintaining it is a commitment and an investment in one's self.

Gaining a high belt ranking is an achievement well worth while maintaining throughout a lifetime.

Happy training

Now an another example, this time with a lot more practice and maintenance

Old is Gold

94 year old practicing martial artist

[sensei8]

Rank can't be taken away once earned; rank is forever!! We only demote if an act of moral turpitude has been proved in a court of law.

In the first video link in the OP, there was no sense of needing to maintain anything because, imho, there was never any quality of knowledge or experience with those shown in said video; can't maintain quality when quality never existed.

I train everyday, albeit, I don't train to maintain rank because rank means nothing to me compared to knowledge and experience, but to maintain effectiveness through live resistant training as well as the 3-Ks.

Nonetheless, I've just turned 62 years old, and I've medical concerns that might take my sharpness away, but I'm on the floor as often as I can. Whenever my health concerns interfere on the floor, then my assistants do those physical attributes under my ever watchful eye.

My physical abilities might wane away from time to time, but my knowledge and experience remains, and my effectiveness remains as tangible as ever. I just reached my 55th year in the MA, and while I might not be in my peak anymore, I'm as effective as ever, if even more so; a fine wine gets better and better with age.

[Alan Armstrong]

Not talking about demoting.

Am talking about maintaining.

If anyone is going to do public martial art demos, they should be, at the very least, worth while to watch.

As this is something which makes a mockery out martial arts when done wrong.

No wonder that when none native martial artists of a system they practice, are deemed as inferior maists by those from the place of origin.

[sensei8]

It is one thing obtaining a belt ranking but another story or thing maintaining it.

Use it or lose it!

Kind of sounds like demotion!!

However, forget rank because rank means nothing whatsoever. If one doesn't seriously train on and off the floor, then yes, they lose the ability to remain sharp and effective.

Rust sets in when one becomes sedentary to such a degree, that any effectiveness once obtained is lost to some degree; the lower the ability, the harder to regain an effective edge....doable, but difficult.

Train as though your life depends on because one day it just might!!

[Alan Armstrong]

Teaching is a way of maintaining skills and beyond.

This is why I believe in teaching martial arts in person is important, which maintains one's own skills and being able to share with others a high lever of proficiently and professionalism.

As it not only helps the one learning to perform properly but also for the one teaching to continue on teaching at a high standard.

As how can any person teach another, without demonstrating how the way it should be done, in any other way except properly?

When watching demonstrations of martial artists that teach and yet have not maintained their skills, it is an issue.

As this is passing on from teacher to student, a message, that maintaining one's skills is irrelevant; to my mind is very wrong.

Also teaching a student how to be sloppy in techniques (as the teacher has not maintained their skills) passes on to other subjects, to the point of degrading the martial art being taught.

Boxing could be an exception, as good trainers are not looking like prime fighters but have the ability to instil and inspire boxers to do very well despite their appearance.

As boxing trainers are not usually putting on public demonstrations trying to impress anyone, with hitting focus pads.

The message I am trying to get across is, what you practice with your students you get to keep; this maintains one's abilities and quality of Instructing.

If I am wrong, please point out why?