What I found really interesting is that she takes Korean TKD, uses Chinese nunchucks, and wants to teach Japanese Karate! Wow! I'm sure she is an over achiever, but she is 6 and can't even figure out what she wants to do yet, so how can she possess the complex capabilities it takes to be a 1st dan let alone a 2nd.
TKDmel,
You seem to have a better grasp on the points than others.
As brothers and sisters in the martial arts we all relize that there needs to be at least a minimum of standards to what we do, so that we do not become a belt factory or a McDojo
However, Martial Arts are a living and growing entity that defy lines drawn in the sand. Martial arts continualy change in three factors:
One) The art actually evolves - If you stick around long enough you will see where a martial art changes. I have seen when there were no circular kicks and very few jump kicks in TKD to what it is today
Two) The individuals who study the arts are continually growing - most of the younger BB's corelate their validity with the ablilty to kick butt but have not yet reached a level to understand the mental aspects of an art and how it has changed/effected their life.
Three) Our ever funloving politics - is a master a 4th Dan or a 7th Dan? Do you do this for a living or for love...
Now here are some truths to which you have all been talking about:
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This girl , if she wears an ATA patch, DOES represent the ATA! REGUARDLESS of how others feel or what you say. To say that she does not represent you means that you do not belive in the ATA and wish to pick and choose what it stands for. This means that I could join the ATA and make it stand for anything I want!
I realize you may disagree with the policy and not allow it in your school but this raises the question: What does your integrity dictate? Have you taken the steps necessary? Have you questioned(formal complaint) your organization. If not then you blindly agree with what is going on, as inaction is a form of action, and this means you agree with this, reguardless of what you do in your school!
Which is worse, not knowing that your organization accepts this or standing by and agreeing with it (Hypocracy)
And before you say, "No it's not me" then my basic question is- Are you both wearing the same patch? If so then it is YOU reguardless of what excuse you give. This is a pill that is so very hard to swallow. Many instructors love to avoid by brushing it off with excuses.
This is why many leave organizations (and should)
Yes every organization has problems, but what do you teach your students - abdication of your responsibility (and your integrity) with the excuse - "Not at my school" I'll take action only when it doesn't mean work (getting involved outside of my sphere) or it would be harder?
Let's follow this logic. It is similar to saying George Bush is not my president because I disagree with most everything he does. I'm sorry but I am an American and reguardless of how much I disagree with his policies I am still an American and he is still my president. Just think of the chaos that would ensue if this type of logic were allowed throughout the world!
If there were a six year old black belt in my organization that wore a YCTA patch then I could not say she did not represent me.
However, there would be serious questions I would need to answer as to staying with the organization as this INHO demeans what I stand for.
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There is confusion here as the girl says (I think and correct me if I'm wrong) she is TKD but wants to teach Karate. It doesn't sound like the little girl doesn't even knows what she is doing.
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An instructor is responsible for the student and this instructor has either caused or allowed this situation to occure, not the student. Any instructor knows that a student rises to the level the instructor sets.
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A major question is: is she wearing a black belt? If she is then she is representing herself as a black belt and reguadless of style is demeaning the meaning of the belt for all styles.
Now before you get your shorts in a knot let me explain.
The level of a rank is only as good as the weakest link in your organization
This carrys a few caviots:
1) When talking about color belts this holds a different meaning as who knows how purple relates with yellow, relates with peach, relates with pink.
This relates only to the standard that an individual instructor/organization sets. If everyone must perform a side kick break with both legs to become a pink belt then there is a standard set. I now know what pink belt means. The moment an instructor says "Well, this is a specail case, I am going to promote this student to pink without having them meet the requirements because of ...(insert your own excuse here...)" Then some things occure:
One, the pink belt means nothing as you no longer know what a pink belt is capable of, or means.
Two, you have demeaned (cheapend) the rank for everyone who had to actually earn it before you made an excuse.
However, this opens an even greater can of worms as an instructor is the guardian of integrity for their students, themselves, thier other organization.
Does your association provide instruction for instructors?
Does your association provide standards for instructons?
Does your association allow RONIN?
2) If your goal is to provide achievement recognition, as that is what the belt level system is designed to do. (Provide goals for round eyes who could not stick with things without rewards) Anyone who teaches childern knows that a childs attention span is limited. So you must teach differently as not to become glorified babysitters. So make up as many ranks as you need to keep them occupied. You could have 20 blets each with 20 strip levels.
The problem beacme that some instructors approached teaching children from the only teaching they had know, a 1st Dan level, which is, "Just give me a set in stone rule so I can follow it". And they have applied these time standards to this new class of students. A set of standards that were based not only on adult physical requirements, but adult mental requirements. What are the mental requirements? I will get to this later.
(As for those who are passing everyone, this is just a moneymaker, as there is no standard. If there is no possibility of failure then there is no achievement.)
Rule 1 - Students quite
Rule 2 - Instructors can not change rule 1
Rule 3 - You can only teach someone if they show up
Rule 4 - Some instructors/organizations spend much time and effort trying to think of ways that they can change rule 1
For whatever reasone (make money, impress people with a lot of students, stroke their own ego...) and change rule 1 by lowering standards and promising people things. Any instructor who promises a student anything is forgetting that the student instructor relationship is bidirectional. Yes you can learn things but only if you show up and work.
As these instructors have promised things for students who don't show up and don't work! WOW, The Something for nothing school of martial arts. Who would not be enamored by this promis?
3) Unless you have denoted this junior belt by doing something differnet, horizontal stripes, half/half... and they are wearing a solid black belt then the term junior black belt does not hold. If you think I am wrong then go ask these students what rank they are and they will probably tell you that they are a black belt. I doubt that any of them would say, "Well, I'm really not a black belt. You see, I'm a junor black belt which is not the same as an adult Black belt because......"
I have seen other organizations try to play the same game with rank saying, "Well, this person is really not a seventh dan because we have not given him the paperwork yet. We just gave him the belt and let him test early because we wanted him to test early under Grand Master so-and-so". This is crap, because if you gave them them belt then you gave them the rank! I don't know anyone that would go up to someone with a VII on their belt and say, "So, VI Dan..."
4) Black belt rank is recognized as a standard in all organizations across the world as meaning something. It is a milestone that is set by all organizations. It is a universal level of profeciency. No one comes to a class/instructor/organazation and say, "I am really enamored with becomeing a pink belt. How long would it take me to become a pink belt?"
No, they ask you about becomeing a black belt as all organizations advertise to this fact as it is a recognized standard as someone being able to defend themself to a certain level, also containg a certain level of knowledge. If you don't agree then have all of your white belts register in the black belt devisions of a tournament and see what happens!
So why then does this bother most everyone on this site?
1) If your organization/instructor is wrong, can you make the decision to leave them?
2)The feeling that this in some manner has demeaned the rank
3) A feeling that this in some manner has demeaned what you have earned
4) Not being able to distinguish what the line should be between children and adults and should a child even be considered a black belt.
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I'm going to take these in reverse order.
Not being able to distinguish what the line should be between children and adults and should a child even be considered a black belt.
First you must work on your own definition of what a Black Belt is and this could take some time.
First you must set a proficient mental and physical ability. So now you must get away from absolutes because people are not homoginous. You must draw a line in the sand. Which mostly we let organizations and higher ranks do for us.
Aside - In the orient you are not considered an adult until 40. Why, definatly not due to physical traits but mental capability.
Now we come to some important questions you must answer in order to form your decisions.
1) Do you think anyone, reguardless, should be able to achieve black belt.
If you do then you have now removed all physical and mental ability from the meaning of black belt and you should set up your own web site and start selling (Cha ching
) Don't laugh, many subscribe to this phylosophy!
2) Do you think a testing is all about physical traits or is there a mental aspect to your art.
A majority believe that martial arts are all about/only about kicking and punching and that your mind does not control what you do. Study Confucianism vs. Neo-confucianism. If you are not worried about the mental aspects of your students then it should be ok if your higher ranks to kick the ever-livin'-crap out of the lower ranks because they can. Remember, that which does not kill us makes us stronger. Who cares if they have a bad attitude or not.
3) Do you teach your students the mental aspects of walking away from a fight? When to fight and when to run? Why to fight and why not? The mental aspects of how anger can hurt you in a fight? Fighting strategy? Faceing adverse situations to make you stronger? Winning by loseing?
4) If everyone of these mental lessons is easy then why not just learn these lessons from a book. Why do you need an instructor? Does life experience have something to do with learning? The student/instructor relationship?
5) Over your relationship with your instructor, how much has been over issues other than kicking and punching? How often as an instructor are you a: Doctor, physician, psychologist, parent, mentor...
Now, I have just WAGed a few items (Wild *** guess). For each of these items apply them to a 6yr. old. Could a 6yr. old expand, grow, and lead in these areas as a mentor?
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A feeling that this in some manner has demeaned what you have earned
Each person has gone through something to earn their Black belt. The time, blood, sweat, tears, and knowledge is what gives the rank its value. So you associate what others do with your own experience. But then you come to realize that each organization sets it value of a Black belt differently. Everyone learns that to underestimeate a Black belt of any style could be a deadly mistake. Because as you soon learn even a bad side kick can hurt you!
So you see those with what you would consider lower standards as taking away from what you have achieved.
If you believe this is wrong should you allow this cute, publicity, to represent this child/organization to the world as TaeKwon-Do. Or, speak out that that there is a difference and most of the world does not allow this.
Should someone who does not know the difference between Karate and TKD be held as a steller acomplishment of TKD?
Inaction is action, and acceptance!
The feeling that this in some manner has demeaned the rank
If you worry about everyone then you will go crazy. But on the other hand most students are hurt as they see diminishing standers. What you had to earn was given away to someone else you have decided does not deserve the rank.
If you do not protect the standards/worth of the rank then the action, as stated, demeans the value of every 1st Dan.
Here in lies a catch 22 in these two questions.
Who does it matter to you what others do? vs. Do you speak out against that which you know is wrong in your heart or accept it?
If your organization/instructor is wrong, can you make the decision to leave them?
Wow, this is a hard one.
If you have been with an association/instructor 10, 20, 30 years how hard would it be to break ties?
Initially, class is fun and we take for granit the actions, policies and procedures, and politics that our association does. But later your eyes are opened and you start learning if the actions/people support the ideals. How hard would it be to learn that someone or an organization that you have grown, supported, you given loyalty, respect, money to has now changed direction. Doesn't Integrity demand that you do the right thing for your students? Or do you accept a modicum of indescressions hopeing it is a small fault?
How hard would it be to say that after XX years your organization/instructor was wrong???
WOW.
Now you are RONIN!
Or are you a leader for stickeing to your ideals.
Which would you respect more???
Fortunate for me I had an instructor that made me understand that the ideals are more important than the man, or patch.
I know he will not go wrong so I will not be burdened with this decision.
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Most all comments on this page are moving in the same direction. That this promotion is wrong. However you need to dig deeper to realize the mental aspect to rank, which is usually not spelled out in your books but just indescriminantly put down as an age limit.
This is a responsibility, that this instructor, either knowing or foolishly, ignored.
I can teach a person how to kill (kick and punch). This is the same as putting a gun in a persons hand. As an instructor I should be asking, "Should I put a gun in this persons hand or would it be better for all if they quite now?"
As an instructor have I learned enough to test a person mentally? (the physical part is the piece of cake which anyone can teach, to even a monkey)
IMHO, I would be quite PO'd if I were a 1st or 2nd dan in this organization.
I might even ask my instructor to explain this and why we are a part of this organization!!