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General Martial ArtsDiscuss General Martial Arts here
I remember when I was a Red and Brown Belt I got a little full of myself but when I achieved my Black a wave of unworthiness came over me and now I feel a tremendous responsibility to be an example and not dishonor my teacher, school, art, or the belt am I alone here or are there others who have the same feeling
Actually I think that what you described is kind of the goal. You sort of just realize that your 1st dan is something in comparison to the school/other people, but so many others know so much more than you do.
It was just suprising that it came on so quickly, it was like wow look at me I am a Brown Belt and a Martial Artist to Oh my God I am a Black Belt am I worthy and I have to live up to it.
Im just comming back after a 10 year break. And I get to come back where I left of... a black belt. I am always feeling the pressure to be as good as I was when I left, which is hard since I just got back. But yes...a lot of responsibility.
Styles: Taekwon Do, Tang Soo Do, Wrestling, Soo Bahk Do, Iaido, Jujutsu, Karate, and a tiny bit of wushu
Posts: 149
Home Country:
After my 1st Dan test, (and I mean IMMEDIATELY AFTER) I moved back to my hometown from college. One of the first things I did was look for another school, and one of my worries was that all the hardwork that I had put in would have been for nothing, or that I would not be good enough and would dishonor my instructor, my training. At one school that I looked the instructor flat out told me that 'you must train a minimum of six years constant training before you are ready to test for your black belt. You would likely be a red or brown belt, with 2 more levels of brown to go here. Now, you can wear your belt, but no one here will take it seriously. our tests ....' and basically called my previous training crap. Needless to say I did not go there. I also worried that I would not live up to the moral obligation of the black belt. Not because I am immoral (I am not perfect, but as a youth minister, I would like to think I try harder than most, not that I succeed more), but because to younger kids, who I tended to work with, being a black belt is like being a superhero. They might as well issue you a cape with your black belt for how many kids look at you.
I understand where you are coming from shogun I cannot walk into the studio without a half dozen kids hanging off me and the teens are always looking up to me. I feel I have to work harder and to lead by example and that is hard to do since I am getting on in years.
I would like to think that the blackbelt is a more of previlege not a right. It proves to your instructor that you've learned well what they've taught you and at the same time, it's also something for the others behind you to look up to you and guided by you. It's certainly not a light responsibility.
Shogun: He told you 6 years from where you were or six years white to black? Either way that seems like quite a long time to spend training for just that rank.
Techincally a 1st Dan in Tae Kwon Do (it is that style you are talking about right?) is recognized by any school that follows WTF guidelines, so he really didn't have a right to say you aren't 1st Dan. Now, as for holding you back for 2nd Dan, that's much different. He will have his own personal standards of what a 2nd Dan should or should not be.
Styles: Taekwon Do, Tang Soo Do, Wrestling, Soo Bahk Do, Iaido, Jujutsu, Karate, and a tiny bit of wushu
Posts: 149
Home Country:
Chapel: 6 years white to black, which would leave me another year or two according to his standards. The style I trained up in was ITF based not WTF based, though the school that told me that it was 6 years minimum is also ITF based.
I believe the reason they do that is because they want their black belts to look better than everyone else's, so they hold them back rank wise. their 1sts have as many years as most other school's 2nd's, their 2nd's look like other school's 3rd's. etc.
A 10 year min for a black belt is a really long time. I understand expecting more from your students, but that's when you just don't test them until they meet your standards. If he looked at what you were doing and said that you probably won't be up to his standards for the next promotion for atleast 6 years it would be one thing. But him saying that 4 years isn't enough, you need another 6 is just silly.
I guess what I'm saying is that putting a specific number of years of training is not a good measure for promotion.
The belt should be based on the skill level, not how many years you have been "in training".
I've switched styles twice and both times I had to start all over with a white belt. Humbling experience considering I was a blackbelt before. However, I let my previous experience do the talking and I was able to advance much quickly due to my skill level at the time, not because I were a different colored belt before or how long I've been in training.
I appreciate the instructors who can recognize hard work and ability whatever the time limit. Those who only see minimum times are either a slave to some ideal or are threatened by passion and ability.
Many times "skill level" is a direct reflection on "years of training" and vice-versa. I am currently at blue advanced belt and I am feeling a little of what The Kidd is speaking of. I tend to be more critical of myself and feel that I am not worthy of the rank I am at. I feel this way especially during sparring - if someone gets a good shot in on me and I couldn't block it, then I feel as though I have lost, even if I have gotten many good shots in myself. That one move or combination of moves that I could not block or did not anticipate drives me crazy. My instructors say I am doing very well in sparring, but sometimes I feel that is their job, to encourage you, and they are not really telling me the truth. I guess part of it is that I don't want to let these folks down, but the biggest thing is that I do not want to shortchange myself. I want to get all I can out of my trainng.
Many times "skill level" is a direct reflection on "years of training" and vice-versa.
It may be the case in many cases but not all. Just because someone was in the exact same class, attending the same class, and getting the instruction from the same instructors, doesn't mean they will be at the same skill level after x number of years. So, the difference can be even bigger if two people don't attend the same class and get different training. Also, someone going once a week vs. 6 days a week will also have difference in skill level.
Belt Responsibility
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