what rank does everyone hold?

[Revario]

A bit sidetrack but asking, do you feel rank is equal to proefficience with the art or depth of knowledge or a combination of both?

Reason I am asking is basically that I see and know many who may outrank me in time spent in a specific organisation yet their skills (whether to teach or to combat or understand Kata and Bunkai that does not include 20 enemies coming from all angles) is lacking...

Officially my ranks are as is

Chito Kan- 1st Kyu

Krav Maga- P5

Chito Ryu- 8th kyu

My standards for myself are very very high and I have often refused to test even if I was seemingly (or from an exterior standpoint) "better" than my peers. I felt more needed to be complete to pass to something else, I require a proper mastery of my own level to go further. And to be very very honest, I feel like a beginner and do not know much and probably should start everything from scratch again. (but that is not true, I already know too much to be a true white belt).

I also am a bit hurt when some seminars or classes are specific to Shodan and higher yet they are discussing and exploring concepts that I fully understand (because it is taught earlier in different arts such as the concept of blocking and attacking at the same time, basic concept of Krav Maga but advanced concept in Karate) and wish to practice but am restrained because of the "belt" I have.... My knowledge is vaster than what my belt rank... And at the same time, I still feel like a beginner and have much to learn. Perhaps I am simply due to test...

Hence my initial question; what does rank mean to you? I am pretty sure I could join a McDojo and be awarded a Black belt and a few dan levels within a month, but that would also not be legit and feel like a lie.

Therefore, I am not sure to fully understand the nature of the question.

Sorry for the sidetrack and I am truly curious as per why asking? (with all respects, i do not mean this in a disrespectful manner).

[sensei8]

What does rank mean to me? These two questions pop up here at KF from time to time...

What is your rank?

What does rank mean to you?

Both questions are harmless across the board.

Seeing those questions are harmless, I will answer the latter question.

To me, rank means nothing!! Not anymore and hasn't been in a very long time. It's more of a nuisance that varies as much as the wind does. Rank is ineffective, and without effectiveness there is no knowledge/experience and without knowledge/experience there is no betterment.

There was a time that I sought after rank like the flower seeks after the rain until I earned my Sandan. Then like a light switch, I no longer sought after rank because within rank there is no effectiveness. I seek effectiveness. Rank is the last thing I ever want. Back then, I sought after rank to Sandan because I needed Sandan to open my own dojo. After Sandan I needed to improve my MA betterment through knowledge and experience, and not through rank.

Yes, over the many decades, I earned rank as well as Shogo Titles. Yet, I never sought after rank/titles; that was up to my Soke and Dai-Soke. I've turned down Testing Cycle invitations many times for my personal and MA reasons. I sought after anything, other than rank after earning my Sandan, in order to improve my effectiveness through my knowledge and experience which was dependent on my MA maturity.

Knowledge and experience without effectiveness, no matter the rank, has no fruitful bearings whatsoever.

What does rank mean to me? It means nothing. Rank has its place and purpose. Whatever respect I might have towards rank is that I respect the maturity that rank can never bring.

Rank? Proof is on the floor...now and forever.

[bushido_man96]

Bob makes a lot of good points. I think the longer many of us stay in the arts, the less we thing about rank and what it might mean, where the more important aspect is what can someone teach? If I can learn something from someone that I don't know and find valuable, then their rank is really unimportant. I do think it's important to understand and see if someone is a fraud or not, but like many things, this comes with time and experience.

My current rank basically means that I can teach someone the fundamentals of TKD, and I can confidently convey the aspects of the techniques to them, along with some concepts behind self-defense. How good someone thinks I am is pretty irrelevant to me; I know me pretty well, and am comfortable with my abilities. Can I teach ground skills? Not too many of them, and not really well. So, I'd recommend someone seek somebody other than me out for that, and then tell me who they found, so maybe I can go learn from them, too.