# My experience with belt stripes



## ArmorOfGod (Apr 12, 2007)

I teach a kempo-derived martial art that uses the same belt system as Parker Kempo. It goes white, yellow, orange, purple, blue, green, brown, black (actually, my teacher did not use purple, but I put it back in).

For one to get a yellow belt, he (or she) would have to do self-defense, basics, and 3 katas. To get the next belt: self-defense, basics, 3 more katas, and do the first 3 again (total of 6). Each belt adds about 3 katas with black belt having around 26 katas, some of which are weapon based.

I recently started using belt stripes to represent how many katas a student knows. When the student is a white belt, he gets up to 3 yellow stripes; when he is yellow, he gets up to 3 orange stripes, and as an orange belt, he gets up to 3 purple stripes (I stop the stripes at purple).

None of my instructors (all of which are from the same style family) use stripes and it is one of the best things I have done as a teacher. There are no problems (so far) with using the stripes. I am a stickler on belt tests, but give out these "kata stripes" fairly casually. The students see the stripes and can see their progress without giving them a new belt that they may not be ready for. 

Each of my students know that their rank is the color of the belt and the stripes are just a reminder of where they are and how much they know or need to cover before the next belt level. I have gotten feedback from all of my students, and they all really like being able to see their progression in small increments in such a tangible form.

This has been a completely positive teaching tool for me and I am glad I added it.

AoG


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## sholo86 (Apr 13, 2007)

When I first started in Teoul Moon kung fu, we did not use the belt ranking system. The only time you get a "belt" is when you achieve 1st Dan. Of course, because of TKD and Karate schools around the area, the younger students began asking about what colored belt their gup/kup level relates to. So, my instructor started handing out colored sashes to indicate student's progression in skill level. He also, adopted the use of stripes on the sash. This actually became a possitive thing for our class and increased morale all together.

This belt/sash ranking system is only used in U.S. Teoul Moon schools. I'm here in SKorea studying under GM Yim and he does not use the belt system.


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## IWishToLearn (Apr 13, 2007)

I use them to separate the knowledge base out a little more. There's enough material between each belt rank that I don't feel it's fair to have one person who is so far ahead of the same colored belt rank not have some tangible way of showing that progression. So I use colored tips on the end of the belt in the same way the Parker system did. It provides the students a means of efficiently figuring out who in the class to turn to for advice.


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## Shaderon (Apr 13, 2007)

I totally agree with you all about the belt system, I can understand those who don't wish to use it but for me, a visible reminder of how far you have progressed is an encouragement to go further, a reminder not to slip back, it gives new people an indication of who they can ask questions of and how experienced other classmates are, and it's an ego boost to those who really need it.

Learning a large curriculum can be very daunting, but when reduced into smaller, more easily reachable stages, it seems so much more achievable.

All credit to you AOG, sholo and IWTL for doing this.


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## KempoFlow (Apr 13, 2007)

I love the stripe system for the kids in our school.  They get a white stripe when they can do all their combinations perfectly for all their belts they have progressed through, blue stripe for all the katas, red stripe for all of their kempos and grabs.  Once they get that last stripe they are invited to test, and they get the next belt color stripe as well.

It's great motivation for the kids, and it also helps the parents see what the kids need to be practicing.


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## kidswarrior (Apr 13, 2007)

ArmorOfGod said:


> I teach a kempo-derived martial art that uses the same belt system as Parker Kempo. It goes white, yellow, orange, purple, blue, green, brown, black (actually, my teacher did not use purple, but I put it back in).
> 
> For one to get a yellow belt, he (or she) would have to do self-defense, basics, and 3 katas. To get the next belt: self-defense, basics, 3 more katas, and do the first 3 again (total of 6). Each belt adds about 3 katas with black belt having around 26 katas, some of which are weapon based.
> 
> ...



Sounds like a great system. Lots of katas, tho-- LOL. I starting using stripes for the younger kids in our system because, not believing in junour black belts, I want them to be pretty much fully grown before reaching 1st Dan and so need to balance the added time it will take them with not getting discouraged at time between promotions.



> *Kempoflow*: I love the stripe system for the kids in our school. They get a white stripe when they can do all their combinations perfectly for all their belts they have progressed through, blue stripe for all the katas, red stripe for all of their kempos and grabs. Once they get that last stripe they are invited to test, and they get the next belt color stripe as well.
> 
> It's great motivation for the kids, and it also helps the parents see what the kids need to be practicing.


I really like this! May switch to differing colors, too. Can see it would really generate discussion and interest among students.


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## bluekey88 (Apr 13, 2007)

I like the system my school currently uses.  He's modified the adult ranking system to better fit the children (a slightly slower progression in learning forms and some other things).  Each adult test requires approximately 16 things...each kids test requires 8.  Each level is split into two...one solid color, one stripe.  So a kids go from yellow to yellow stripe...and this approximates the yellow belt of the adult program to some degree.  This means the kids take longer to progress, but they get more frequent reinforcement.

THEN, he uses pieces of c olored electrical tape on the belts to mark progress in the rank.  8 pieces of taep corresponding to the 8 tehcniques of that test.  When a child does a technique well enough to pass on a test, he/she gets the correesponding piece of tape.  This helps reinforce the student for doing well, also gives instructors and parents a visual "report card" of how the child is progressing and what they need to work on.

The only real challenge is that a lot of kids sometimes think that once they earn their tape for a technique that they no longer need to work on it.  Myself and the other instructors make a big deal that earning tape means you have to practice HARDER, but with kid's...that doesn;t always sink in 



Peace,
Erik


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## stickarts (Apr 13, 2007)

The ranking system and using stripes works well for us too. Good visible recognition and a general marker for training experience.
We don't overemphasize ranking or stripes as being reasons for training but the recognition is definately good for setting goals and achieving them.


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## bushidomartialarts (Apr 13, 2007)

say there armor...

we use stripes with our kids program, with great success.  do you do it with the adults, too?  how do they react?


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## ArmorOfGod (Apr 13, 2007)

bushidomartialarts said:


> say there armor...
> 
> we use stripes with our kids program, with great success. do you do it with the adults, too? how do they react?


 
Yes, I do, but my stipes are "kata stripes," so the adults like them.
Now, keep in mind that my class consists of only 12 students, and only 2 of those are adults.  Also, I take students only ages 8 and up, but the average age is 13-14.

I use yellow electrical tape for the white belts, but for the orange and purple stripes, I have to order the by them sheet at www.martialartssupermarket.com

On a side note, it makes it easy for me to glance at a student and know exactly what they need to be covering that day at class.

AoG


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## Laurentkd (Apr 13, 2007)

We do the same thing, award "tips" for material learned and then after all tips are earned the student is ready to test.  Tipping is pretty simple, and it is basically saying "you know this well enough to practice on your own."  We really stress that it doesn't mean you are perfect, it just means you can at least get through the form, sparring combo, etc on your own without someone telling you what is next.

It is also great, as AOG said, because you can quickly see what students know and what they need to be shown.  This is especially advantages with larger schools because it can get difficult knowing exactly how many moves of a form each student knows (for example).

I really like our system, and it is really cool to see so many other people that have similar set-ups.  Reinforces that it must be a pretty successful way of doing things.


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## ArmorOfGod (Apr 13, 2007)

Laurentkd said:


> Tipping is pretty simple, and it is basically saying "you know this well enough to practice on your own." We really stress that it doesn't mean you are perfect, it just means you can at least get through the form, sparring combo, etc on your own without someone telling you what is next.


 
That is exactly what I do.  I will almost "give away" a stripe, but I am strict on awarding new belt colors.

AoG


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## Kacey (Apr 13, 2007)

The system we use is as follows:

White belt (10th gup)
White with a yellow stripe (9th gup)
Yellow belt (8th gup)
Yellow with a green stripe (7th gup)
Green belt (6th gup)
Green with a blue stripe (5th gup)
Blue belt (4th gup)
Blue with a red stripe (3rd gup)
Red belt (2nd gup)
Red with a black stripe (1st gup)
Black belt (I Dan)

The stripes are all electrical tape, and go on both ends of the belt.  The requirements for each rank are listed in the requirements handbook, and the pages are color-coded to the rank you are learning (e.g., for white with a yellow stripe you are responsible for everything on the pages with yellow halfway down the outer edge of the page; for yellow belt, you have to know the information on the pages with yellow down the entire outer edge plus everything for yellow stripe, etc.).  I have a couple of students with developmental delays, and they work on their requirements in partial tests:  for being able to demonstrate the first half of their pattern at testing, they get a stripe on one end of their belt; when they can demonstrate the entire pattern at testing, they get a stripe on the other side.  It gives them intermediate steps and keeps the quantity of information from being overwhelming.

One of the instructors I know who teaches 4-8 year olds uses multiple stripes, kind of like AoG's "kata" stripes; as students can demonstrate mastery of certain skills, they get another stripe on one end of their belt; it takes 6-10 stripes (depending on the age and ability of the child) to be ready to test for 9th gup, and the same for 8th gup - by then, they usually are old enough and experienced enough to go for at least one stripe, the way my DD students do.


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## jdinca (Apr 13, 2007)

We use three stripes per belt until you reach brown. By then it should be pretty obvious that stripes, much less belt color, mean little when the goal is a BB and that it's the journey that's important.

Our stripes represent how far along a student is in the belt. By the time they have three stripes, they're pretty much ready to test for the next belt.


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