Black belt ceremonies

[ralphmcpherson]

No. I just hand them their new belt with a hand shake. When the certificate comes, I just hand them the certificate.




Sort of. Most of my instructors were generally low key about promotions. It wasn't a big deal.




I don't think it adds anything to make a big ceremony out of it. I also don't want students thinking that getting promoted is some sort of big deal, because it might warp their perceptions later.

I look at it like a university degree. It is a big deal, but there is still so much more to accomplish. When someone completes a uni degree it is quite an achievment and they do have a ceromony and celebrations etc. In saying that, I train at a school where getting a black belt does take some time and effort and is held in high regard, some other schools race you to black belt and believe once there the real training begins, so I can understand in that case it probably doesnt warrant any sort of ceromony, and perhaps 4th dan or something is of more importance/significance.

 

[mastercole]

Originally Posted by IcemanSK What do you do to comemorate this ocassion for your new BB's?



No. I just hand them their new belt with a hand shake. When the certificate comes, I just hand them the certificate.

Originally Posted by IcemanSK
Are these traditions that were passed down from your instructor?



Sort of. Most of my instructors were generally low key about promotions. It wasn't a big deal.

Originally Posted by IcemanSK
If you don't do anything unique, why not?



I don't think it adds anything to make a big ceremony out of it. I also don't want students thinking that getting promoted is some sort of big deal, because it might warp their perceptions later.

We think the same way in this subject. Even when we first talked about it back in the 90's. These days I tend do a very low key "test" as a formality. Do your form, break a board, spar for a minutes, that's it. This is mostly for kids and their parents. Many times with adults, I just hand them their belt one day.

I see it like this. We have three influences in Taekwondo. Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist. If your more Confucian, maybe give a big test finish up with a big ceremony. If your more Buddhist, you might want to make the award of the black belt very low key and say it is nothing more than the next step after red belt and tell the student they should be empty of the desire for the next dan level. Or, if you are more Taoist, it really does not matter at all.

I tend to be on the Buddhist and Taoist side of things.

 

[puunui]

Yeah, I'm just not that into ceremonies.

 

[ryuu55]

Yeah, no ceremony for us. You test (usually takes place on a Saturday), after the test the students are dismissed from dojang. Head instructor sits to review comments and scores (from himself and board). The following week in class after warm-ups those who passed are called up to front to the class and head instructor ties on your new belt and hands you your cert. Class resumes.