How do you pursue rank/promotion in your marital art of choice?

**k_raben** · Posted On: 2/27/2013 11:23am

Where I train there are ranks, but it is up to the individual to test. Guro doesn't identify material based on the level, he just teaches. Students know who has been there longer and there is no "I am a higher rank than you so..." B.S.

It is nice because there are some students who are just there to learn, and don't care about testing. For those of us who want to advance, we have to take it upon ourselves to learn new material for new ranks. Sometimes it's frustrating getting new material, but this also doesn't limit to just belt level practice. We are always practicing multiple level curriculum.

Myself and another student started a Saturday morning class focusing on curriculum for the lower students who want to advance.

**franginho** · Posted On: 2/27/2013 12:09pm

My take, from my limited experience, the belt is to hold your cloths/pants... Rank is maybe nice when you are wondering to whom you should listen when you have a question and some times it is nice when you want to compete, but other than that, nobody cares.
I myself opted for my last promotion after ranking in my category/weightclass on national level and holding myself against folks two belts higher.
Over all I just want to have fun and simply be the better every class.

**Krijgsman** · Posted On: 2/27/2013 2:00pm

Originally Posted by baby_cart

how do RANT/promote MARITAL arts of choice?

post babes.

Lots of 'em.

Ooops. Spelling is hard

**Krijgsman** · Posted On: 2/27/2013 2:05pm

Seems like "shut up and train" applies once again. I shouldn't be surprised. I guess I caught myself getting slightly invested in ranking up despite all I have learned here and in training.

**NeilG** · Posted On: 2/27/2013 4:30pm

Rank to me is helpful for a few things:

First and foremost, ranks are mileage markers on your personal road through martial arts. Try not to compare the rank you have with the rank of someone else. A shodan given to someone at 50 who started in his 40s is just as valid as the shodan given the 17 year old Olympic hopeful for banging through a bunch of his peers, even if the 17 year old would kick the old man's ass.

Second, they are useful for rough divisions in seminars and tournaments. Not so practical in judo these days where due to small numbers they pretty much throw everybody into one category by weight, or maybe sometimes two. Kendo we often have 4 maybe even 5 categories by rank. Seminars I like to divide up by rank, depending on what we're teaching. For example, if we're teaching referee skills we might have the 3dan+ guys reffing and everyone else doing the fights they are judging.

Rank is a necessary evil for dealing with the organizational aspect of it. Most organizations won't let you have your own dojo below a specific rank. Especially if you deal with Japanese people a lot, rank carries weight if you want to be heard in the org.

You gaining rank reflects well on your sensei. They like to see you succeed in part because it means they have succeeded.

Finally, despite all that don't get too hung up on rank. Especially kyu. If they want you to skip them, skip 'em. Nobody gives a damn about kyu except mudansha.

**Mr. Machette** · Posted On: 2/27/2013 4:56pm

It's just a belt, dude.

It's not the color that counts, it's the experience of the practitioner wearing it.

My school had no belts. The only "ranks" were what level of instruction you were allowed to undertake on your own. I.E., the very first "rank" is junior instructor. (Generally takes between 1-3 years depending on the student.) There is no belt that goes with it. Just a nice piece of paper and a cool honorific.

You'l find even among belt schools there is a difference in the number of colors, the order they are awarded in and the time to reach the next belt.

If they think you're up to a brown belt test, then get your brown and be proud of it!

**NeilG** · Posted On: 2/27/2013 5:04pm

Originally Posted by Mr. Machette

My school had no belts. The only "ranks" were what level of instruction you were allowed to undertake on your own. I.E., the very first "rank" is junior instructor. (Generally takes between 1-3 years depending on the student.) There is no belt that goes with it. Just a nice piece of paper and a cool honorific.

Why put rank in quotes? Your school had ranks, and actually that sort of rank by instructor level is relatively common in older Japanese systems. We don't wear belts in kendo either, but we have ranks and the whole system is very rank-conscious.

**Eddie Hardon** · Posted On: 2/27/2013 6:05pm

Well, the route I took (mainly to provide moral support to my office manager....) me along a prescribed Learning Curve with known Syllabi. Concepts were introduced at each Belt and gave a sense of progress. As said above, it also allowed grouping at seminars, where Techniques would be imparted commensurate with the level of the students.

Much was empirical and as a student, the grounding had already been learned for variations/developments of higher techniques.

As a motivator, my Sensei would encourage us to look at higher kyu grades and say, "He's a Green/Blue/Purple/Brown Belt???" A useful tool. As a purple, I remember looking at a Brown Belt and thinking, "She's doing Black Belt??". This at an International Seminar. A perfectly reasonable confidence builder.

After Black Belt, an older Black Belt asked me how long it had taken me. I said "3 and a half years" [I had missed a kyu grading through illness and you can only grade Dan twice a year.] He said, "I did mine in 3 years". So he had met the minimum. He then said "Could you do it all again?" I replied "No". He said, "Nor could I". haha.

A long, painful and injury laden path. Of course, the interest remains so I continue on the path. There really is only The Journey - there is no Destination.

I am also reminded by the quote of a 5th Dan at a seminar (when I was the pained uke). He said, "The Belt only holds your trousers up so the rest is up to you to cover your arse".

Remember some Dan/Kyu grades can be great fighters but can't teach to save their lives. Others are great teachers but less adept in Sparring/Randori. All should have their place if they have demonstrated the necessary level of skills consistent with the Grade. They should reinforce that legitimacy through Criminal Records checks, Personal Insurance, First Aid training etc.

That do ya?

**Rivington** · Posted On: 2/27/2013 6:08pm

Unusually, the branch of shuai-chiao I'm training in does use a colored belt system, and has belt tests, but they're sufficiently casual about them that you can apparently kick around for a decade and learn stuff and train without bothering to take a test. The belts seem to have utility primarily in motivating children, and in seeding some tournaments.

**Vieux Normand** · Posted On: 2/27/2013 6:38pm

When I trained in Japan, Judo belts for adults went from white to black. Only kids got coloured belts. I left that dojo with a shodan aftera couple of years of in-house and regional competitions, but I'm pretty sure it was just a going-away present (shodan doesn't seem to be that big a deal over there). It was mad fun, but I really never thought I was particularly good at it (a college wrestling background may have given them the impression I knew what I was doing). Anyway, I learned some nice nagewaza and newaza which turned out to be useful at work.

Karate here, same deal: I went from white to black (though I had previous experience there too: as well as the wrestling and judo, I had some years of bouncing and training in a KK derivative), but formal testing was involved. As I never paid much attention to belts, I had to be reminded by the teacher that it was time to test for shodan, nidan and sandan.