# Time to Black Belt?



## arnisador (Mar 17, 2002)

How long does it typically take to get to black belt in your Modern Arnis school? This has often been an issue in Modern Arnis--the relatively rapid ascent in rank of certain players. It's complicated by the large number of people who have previous or concurrent experience in other arts and the number of people who gained rank principally through attending camps and seminars and working on their own in-between.

As an aside, from the Professor's red book (1974) under the heading "Ranking of Players in Arnis" we have the following:



> After one year of continuous and religious training, a player may be awarded the rank of Lakan (for the male) or dayang (for the female). Before awarding this rank, however, an instructor must be sure that the player has already mastered everything in Arnis starting from the 12 striking techniques, Blockings, the 4 anyos or forms, to all the offensive and defensive techniques.
> ...
> Only one man holds the rank of _Lakan-Sampu_, REMY A. PRESAS



This book also states that Lakan-Isa through Lakan-Anim can be awarded every two years then every three years for the higher ranks.


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## arnisador (Apr 1, 2002)

On a related note, it used to be the case that underbelts were encouraged to teach (as in BJJ now). Which Modern Arnis organizations still encourage those with basic instructor's certificates or the like to teach, and which expect that only guros/lakans will teach?


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