# wing chun belts



## spatulahunter

Does your wing chun school use belts, sashes or some other form of ranking system? Do you believe that such a ranking system is helpful or pointless in wing chun? 
The school that i attend has some different colored sashes in the corner of kwoon but i believe that sifu decided not to use them because the students didnt seem to care if they had belts or not.
Any thoughts?


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## leehoicheun

we have a belt system but it's only to track progress as far as curriculum is concerned. A persons fighting ability has nothing to do with belts or ranks and I am sure to tell my students that everyday (well almost). What's good about belts/sashes is it caters to the western mentality and gives students small achievable goals. 

I personally don't much much stock into it, but it is something we use. If I had a nickel for every black belt I have met who couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag I'd be rich.


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## sungkit

When I was training under my teachers, they never used ranking as a gauge of a students skills and understanding of the wing chun system. 

Some people need ranks and belts as a guide and to give them a target to aim for. That is ok, but I believe that it can lead to a false sense of security.


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## samuraigecko

We have no belts in our wing chun system either. However, we do have different colored t-shirts to show how long a student has been there. Somewhat slightly uniquely, the school I attend starts with a black t-shirt and works its way through a blue shirt . . then gray . . and finally a white shirt for those deemed to be proficient enough to co-instruct. We also are reminded by our instructor that the color of ones shirt does NOT indicate any true skill level, just the fact that the holder of a particular shirt has shown enough proficiency in the indicated area to be helpful in said area. 

A proficiency in the first 2 forms will usually earn you the right to our blue shirts. 

Showing proficiency in the wooden dummy generally takes one to the gray shirt.

Finally, proficiency in the third form will perhaps earn you the right to the white shirt.

This is all determined by the instructor, no tests or gradings are performed. 

None of these shirts determines someones proficiency in Chi Sao, touch fighting or actual combat.

The style of Wing Chun that I practice has lineage from Yip Man, through Sifu Wong and then to Australian practitioners obviously. 

Peace.


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## almost a ghost

We use footy pajamas.


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## bully

Back in the day we had a sash system...

Yellow
Red 

Grey - Grey was a 3 hours torture session, way harder than the first two. It showed commitment to get one.

Then black tips on the Grey sash, each being a grading.

4 Tips then black sash, which is instructor level.

I managed Grey with 2 tips then and that was after 5 years of hard training. Constant attending of 3-5 classes per week. You were penalised in a grading if you didnt turn up consistently, which i still think is a good idea.

Black sash would have taken far longer, and i dont think anyone ever got it.

Now days, i dont really care about belts.


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## geezer

samuraigecko said:


> We have no belts in our wing chun system either. However, we do have different colored t-shirts to show how long a student has been there. Somewhat slightly uniquely, the school I attend starts with a black t-shirt and works its way through a blue shirt . . then gray . . and finally a white shirt...
> 
> A proficiency in the first 2 forms will usually earn you the right to our blue shirts.
> 
> Showing proficiency in the wooden dummy generally takes one to the gray shirt.
> 
> Finally, proficiency in the third form will perhaps earn you the right to the white shirt.
> 
> This is all determined by the instructor, no tests or gradings are performed.
> 
> None of these shirts determines someones proficiency in Chi Sao, touch fighting or actual combat.
> 
> The style of Wing Chun that I practice has lineage from Yip Man, through Sifu Wong and then to Australian practitioners obviously.
> 
> Peace.



Ironic! The group I train with now does have a colored badge system that is used by some branches, but the major divisions are marked by colored shirts too, but in _exactly the opposite order._ Beginners use white, intermediates use gray, and advanced students use black. So at least we have our grays in common! Except, in the lineage I train, nobody short of a black shirted instructor will have done Biu Tze, and the Mook Yang Jong form is learned only by advanced instructors. I realize there is a lot of debate about when to teach these forms, but that's another topic. 

Should the dummy be taught sooner or later? Hell if I can say.  I've met capable practitioners coming from both approaches.


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## KamonGuy2

In Kamon we use sashes and gradings. 
I admit that part of this is to make money for the Sifu and to keep the federation running, but the main aims are to track a students progress (so we can teach the wing chun in a nice and structured way). It also gives a student something to aim for and to try and better himself

I have been to wing chun schools before where there were no belts and there seemed to be many arguments because no-one knew who to go to for help!!!

In our system, if a student is stuck, he/she can go to a higher belt and ask advice. Of course the Sifu is the best person to go to, but he may be busy in class or a student may be too worried about looking silly in front of the main man

I'm pleased to say that whilst we do use sashes, we only have a few and they have to be worked for

Indeed, for higher level grades it is now a requirment that you attend Master Chan's classes for three weeks to be monitored

The grades go

Yellow 1
Yellow 2
Red 1
Red 2
Green 1
Green 2 / Senior Level - requirement of a pressure test to attain this grade
Brown 1
Brown 2
Black 1


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## mook jong man

Ours went like this 
A group
B group
C group   This lot are all beginners  , but when student reaches C group they are required to have a uniform, which is white t -shirt with the logo on the front , black tracksuit pants or kung fu pants and kung fu slippers

After the first grading you get an iron on badge after each grading

Grade 2 - start learning single sticking hands 
Grade 3 - start learning double sticking hands and can apply to do the si-hing course where you can become a junior instructor - if they pass they start wearing a red sash
Grade 4 - start learning lap sau and more of using arms and legs at the same time

instructor levels - these people wear blue sash with triangular insignia on there shirt
1st level - learn chum kiu and elbow striking
2nd level - learn bil gee , first 2 sections of wooden dummy , after 70 lessons you get a blue uniform to wear.
3rd level - start learning the whole wooden dummy form , and preparation exercises for the pole and the knives
4th level - advanced concepts of using thought force, and more training on the pole , dummy and knives
5th level -advanced concepts and techniques
6th level - after about 20 years you are considered to be a junior master

Once you get into the levels you stay in each level for about 3 years , but in the lower ranks the gradings happen about every 3 months and its mostly about revenue raising i'm afraid .

 People get pushed to do gradings that aren't ready for it. I was a grading instructor and this one time there was a husband and wife from a suburban branch and they come into the city school to do the grade two test , i failed em because they couldn't do the sil lum tao form a basic requirement . 

They gave me every excuse under the sun why they couldn't remember the form , they went off in a huff mumbling something about telling their instructor . Next week the branch instructor comes in going off his brain asking me why i didn't pass his students , i said we have a standard to uphold and next time make sure his students are ready before he sends them for a grading .

 I found out later he was just worried that they would leave because some people when they fail a grading instead of trying harder they get pissed off and leave and thus the school loses them and their fees. But i think people should strive to meet the standard , not bring the standard down to meet the people .


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