Belt/Rank progression discussion.

[Blackmojo]

Tell us stories of how you found progressing through the ranks of your martial art and what ones were most memorable, enjoyable or just plain horrible and what rank you currently are in your currently practiced styles or styles you progressed in then quit!

I'm currently red grade in kickboxing(the third belt) and an orange eblt in Japanese jiu jitsu and a yellow grade in Keysi Fighting Method. So far all have been fairly easy as to attain them is just to know the basics fairly well, though Keysi was probably the most difficult as I learned because right off from the beginning we have to memorise the names of everything or the combinations which are all in Spanish, but I still managed to pass somehow. Kickboxing thus far's been fun also and not too difficult, we just do the grading we need but in training we learn a mix from all the syllabus', I know 2 or 3 things from black grading, and so on, though certainly not everything! :D

How about the rest of you, how did you find progressing/how are you finding it? If you've completed a journey, be sure to offer wisdom for each step(Like did most of the people progressing with you struggle at some point?)

As always be civil and share the knowledge and good stories. :)

[goodlun]

No stripe White belt for life yo

[Petter]

With every year, I get a little bit better. With every stripe and every belt, I feel a little more pressure and the expectations feel a little bit higher. This ensures that I never feel good about myself. It's a very effective system.

[RurikGreenwulf]

though Keysi was probably the most difficult as I learned because right off from the beginning we have to memorise the names of everything or the combinations which are all in Spanish, but I still managed to pass somehow.

LOLZ I do Karate and spanish is my language its funny to me that they use spanish the same way japanesse is used in karate at least the japanesse invented most of the techniques so they can name it however they want, Why would the Keisy use spanish if they are more on the practical side? wouldn't that hinder the ability of new students to learn the techniques ? like it happened to you?

Well, I'm a Kyokushin blue belt I had test that for most point-karate (Kyokushin is full-contact bareknucle) would be excesive first Kihon and written part where you must write about a subject mine was the parts of the body in japanesse next one is positions, then a oral part of techniques, then pushups , then standing on your hands only (the darker the belt the more time and you must use knucle or fingers) then kata, then a flying kick (higher belts must also jump above a rope and break a board while in the air) and finally kumite because I was a white belt I only had to fight 3 opponents. All of this gets harder and harder as you progress.

I had no problem with any of that except the kata wich I nearly failed because of my lack of finesse also because I was getting used to kumite when doing a punch in kata I would do the footwork I mean pushing the hip and raising the heel wich is bad in kata.
I could take the yellow belt exam but I dont think I have the technique in most of the traditional aspect like katas and such

[battlefields]

Graded to blue belt in TKD too quickly for it to have any meaning. HKD I graded too slowly to yellow, which gave me the impression I was being held back for cash.

Been training in grappling for two-ish years now, in various schools, BJJ and Judo. Every single time there was a grading I was indisposed, so remained a clean skin white belt for a long time. Just got my first stripe. Was informed I am probably higher, but being that I was new to the school (only been at my current school for a month when I graded) I would have to wait. I earned that stripe through time spent over a few years on and off, I was distracted by other things in life but I put in a lot of time anyway. I will earn my ranks now because I am focussed, I am experienced enough to have fun with it, but inexperienced enough to have a tiny ego that wants to get better.

[slamdunc]

I will earn my ranks now because I am focussed, I am experienced enough to have fun with it, but inexperienced enough to have a tiny ego that wants to get better.

With age comes wisdom (most of the time anyway); a lot of my problem was breaks in training so it took me longer to get through the kyu & gup grades. I also trained in two, sometimes three styles during the same time frame. I was in college in the city and home on the weekends. Week nights TKD, weekend days CMA, until I found a good teacher in Chicago.
It took me nearly four years (4-6 hours a week) to make Shodan. By then, I had figured out that I needed to commit to one style at a time and see it through. I make this suggestion for ranking purposes more than anything else.

Now (30 years later) I teach one night a week and train grappling & groundwork twice monthly. I do it my way now.

[RhinoUP]

Bjj tappin machine whitebelt. Not in a rush. If it happens that this old ass body of mine makes it to blue belt level, i want there to be absolutely no question that it is well deserved. Dont care how long it takes, i enjoy training, train hard, get pushed to my limits, and am really starting to get friendly with the guys i train with. Love my school.

[top knot]

3 different nice, shiny, clean white belts for me ^_^

[hathor]

I have a blue belt in judo, been goin strong for about three years, five to six days a week depending on school and work ( i work early mornings, thank god). I have my brown belt test this fall, a little anxious about having to fight black belts soon at tournaments.

*I also do BJJ every summer when the university Judo club is closed, so right now its BJJ 2 days a week, judo 3 days a week. I am LOVING BJJ and even the bit I've taken has helped immeasurably with my groundwork. I plan to get really into BJJ at some point after I move to a new city and by then hopefully have my shodan in judo

[RWaggs]

I have a brown belt from my former Daito Ryu Aikijutsu training. Those belt tests consistently involved performing a number of compliant defenses, at least one or two kata per test, semi compliant randori and written history/terminology.

I'm a green belt in Kyokushin. Kyokushin tests are a bitch (especially my first one, which was taken alongside a couple black belt tests and was thus very long). They involve a couple hours of almost nonstop exercise and calisthenics, just to break you, then kata, then kumite. My last test concluded with me having to fight 7 or so rounds consecutively against fresh upper belt opponents (Sensei included), and then another 7 or so rounds against slightly less "fresh" opponents. My legs were in shambles.