2 months normal to move from white belt to yellow in 2 months?(kenpo)

***JohnnyCache*** · Posted On: 3/10/2006 2:54pm

If you go into a judo class and you already know most of the curriculum, like say, you took ten years of aikido and only need to learn to deal with the contact and learn to tap out, or you've done the same sort of falling in another art or something, you can get jumped up in rank quicker

**GoldenJonas** · Posted On: 3/10/2006 5:12pm

Originally Posted by JohnnyCache

If you go into a judo class and you already know most of the curriculum, like say, you took ten years of aikido and only need to learn to deal with the contact and learn to tap out, or you've done the same sort of falling in another art or something, you can get jumped up in rank quicker

Ah, ok.....makes sense

Originally Posted by Da SHreDdA

why do u say slapfighyting? eevrything so far is punches,kicks,elbows and knees,combos with punches and kicks , like american kickboxing, in sparring its full contact, i told the slapfighting ****

full contact sparring with elbows? knees? doesn't sound like your typical kenpo to me but sounds like good training.......I thought you didn't want to get hit in the face?

**Roidie McDouchebag** · Posted On: 3/10/2006 6:55pm

Like I said before. If kata's and slap fighting (BUT NO CONTACT!!!!! damnit) are what you want, TMA'ish, then Kenpo's cool.....better than playing with pink fans.

You're in Florida, go see Bart Vale. I didn't say Kenpo couldn't have any sparring, only that a black belt in 2 years isn't unreasonable if you apply yourself.

**moosh** · Posted On: 3/11/2006 4:32pm

On the grand sceam of things, belts don't mean anything, that being said, for some people working towards a specific rank can be very motivating. Having trained in TKD (ITF style btw) and achieving a black belt working from rank to rank hand having specific skills that I needed to developed helped me improve and gauge my progress.

In terms of your own developement do not let other's pressure you into testing until you are ready. If you are honestly trying to be the best you can be at your art you will know when you are ready. I personally would feel that I was ready and then normally take an extra month to really make sure I was sharp.

2 1-2 months from white to yellow is pretty normal at least in TKD, 2 weeks NO.
As you go up in rank the time between belts should be considerably longer.

**Darren San** · Posted On: 3/31/2006 3:50pm

Originally Posted by ItOnlyHurtsOnce

Pretty standard for traditional karate.

I am sorry.....I cannot let that slide !! That is certainly not the standard for traditional karate. That is the standard for American "sport/hollywood/bullshit" Karate.

A traditional karate dojo typically uses three belt promotions; green, brown, and black. You get a white belt with your uniform ... so it doesn't count!.

In a serious traditional karate dojo it can take anywhere between 1 to 4 (yes, I said 4) years to get to green belt. It depends entirely on the student training habits, work ethic, and physical toughness. When he student can perform the requirements at an acceptable level of proficiency he ( or she) gets the next belt.

I have students who have been with me 7 months and they are progressing nicely, however, they are nowhere near green belt level yet. I have had students quit because they would never get a green belt. They went down the road to some KARATEUSA school and got their black belts in about 18 months. Oh Well!!

**Shuma-Gorath** · Posted On: 3/31/2006 4:11pm

Define "traditional". My instructor is three generations under Funakoshi and we use the expanded range of belts.

Also, I think it's pretty silly that you're trying to shock people with an upper bound of 4 years on the green belt when the students probably have less comparitive technical knowledge than a BJJ blue belt, which for the vast majority of students takes less than two years.

**Punisher** · Posted On: 3/31/2006 5:59pm

Originally Posted by Da SHreDdA

is this normal? 2 months in and i train for yellow which is basicaly showing the basics? let a ninja know:angry9:

also this site has me overly concerned about all martial arts being bullshido and kinda makes me feel there is no such thing as a good school

this is about kenpo remember

My kenpo school has a set curriculm that operates on two month cycles. All the students below the rank of black belt test every two months. There are 3 steps in each belt color, so if you pass every test you get a new belt every 6 months.

With testings so close together, rank advancements aren't really seem that big of a deal. An "advanced" orange belt really isn't all that more skilled than and "intermediate" orange belt.

Once you hit green belt (about 2.5 years in) you start attending "advanced testing" and standards jump up quite a bit. At about 3 years of training, Brown Belt is the first ranking that's really anything to write home about. You can expect to spend 1.5-2 years in the various stages of brown before testing for black.

Keep in mind that a Black Belt in kenpo simply means you've gained proficiency in most aspects of the art.

**Roidie McDouchebag** · Posted On: 4/01/2006 1:22am

Punisher...that sounds awfully gay.

**Darren San** · Posted On: 4/01/2006 11:23am

Originally Posted by Shuma-Gorath

Define "traditional". My instructor is three generations under Funakoshi and we use the expanded range of belts.

Also, I think it's pretty silly that you're trying to shock people with an upper bound of 4 years on the green belt when the students probably have less comparitive technical knowledge than a BJJ blue belt, which for the vast majority of students takes less than two years.

Aaaaah... the generation claim game .... OK, lets play! My instructor is first generation under Shimabuku. Which I guess makes me a second generation under Shimabuku ... which by the way proves absolutely nothing.

Definition of Traditional: 1 : an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom)

2 : the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction

3 : cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions

First, I am not trying to shock anyone...just stating the facts.

Secondly, since you have no idea how my students train and what my promotion requirements are, you are simply blowing a lot of hot air. We train hard in kata, kumite, and weapons. We use no pads in kumite. We use traditional training methods like kotekitai, the makiwara, the nigiri-game, the chishi, and other supplemental conditioning and weight training.

I have trained with both BJJ and Russian Sambo people and I certainly respect the serious BJJ practitioners skills. I am quite sure that you take your training seriously. However, your claim that a student traing seriously in BJJ somehow has "greater comparative technical knowledge" than a student who trains seriously for 4 years at a serious karate dojo shows a profound lack of wisdom, is very egotistical, and just plain stupid! You are making the very dangerous assumption that all karate schools are created equal.

For my part, I was simply making the point that not all dojos follow the "promote students every 90 days whether they know anything or not to keep them happy and paying money" model.

**Hammer Fist** · Posted On: 4/01/2006 5:20pm

White to yellow is not that big a deal - at least not from what i've experienced in the Tracy's system. We learned 10 techniques, no kata, and basic strikes and blocks. It's not that hard if you're in any way athletically competent. I've trained at a few schools in the same system, so I can tell you that you should listen to the people who tell you that you should worry less about WHAT you're learning and more about HOW - to a point.

The school I started out at was hardcore compared to the others. We sparred, worked techniques at speed on a fully resisting opponent (when possible), and my instructor wasn't shy about telling us which techniques were more practical than others (which in itself raises questions). There was nobody at that school who couldn't spar or throw a jab - in short, we learned what it feels like to take a hit, which is a lot more than I can say for some other schools I've gone to.

On the flipside, one of the other schools I trained at in a different town was more like a housewives' club. There was no emphasis on sparring and when I could actually find somebody to work with, it was just terrible . . . terrible. There was a lot of interest in cardio and not so much interest in actually fighting, so I got the **** out of Dodge. It's too bad that the school was so shitty because it was really nice inside with new equipment, nice floor, etc . . . Can't judge a book by it's cover.

Kenpo is very hit or miss. Personally, I had some very good instructors over the years who taught me - or rather reinforced - a lot of basic movements for sparring that you'll find at any good kickboxing gym while working through techniques to make them effective rather than just letting me punch air and think I was d3@dly, which other schools were more than happy to do. I learned a lot of dirty tricks too, which is what Kenpo is supposed to be all about IMO. When it was good, it was a lot of fun, but at a crappy school it really sucks.