black belt club

[Balrog]

I see. Well how about a student who trains harder and takes more classes? Such a student will most likely progress up the ranks quicker and get a black belt sooner than if the student were to train not as hard and not as often. Training harder and more often means faster progression. Makes sense doesn't it? The same way that a college student who studies harder and takes more classes per semester than the standard number of classes will get their degree sooner.

To a degree, yes. That's why I said it takes about 36 months. Some people will promote faster than others, but not much.

But at the same time, I don't rush students through the ranks. I've used the cake-baking analogy before, but it bears repeating. If you start baking a cake, you get all the ingredients ready and mix them up. But the directions say put it in the over for 2 hours at 250 degrees. I don't want to wait that long, so I put it in the oven for 1 hour at 500 degrees. What's the result? A cake that might look good on the outside, but is only half-baked on the inside.

There is a certain amount of mental training that is involved in the martial arts, and it can't be rushed. Yes, you might have someone who trains 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, and learns all the basics and forms and one-steps in, let's say, 6 months. Is that person ready to be a Black Belt? I don't think so. As I am fond of saying (perhaps too much so), we don't earn a Black Belt; a Black Belt earns us.

 

[tshadowchaser]

So I have seen a couple of answers to the thread that indicated the black belt clubs where for all ranks to get extra training to progress to black belt faster and a few posts indicating the black belt club was for black belts only which is it or as with many things dose it depend on the school

 

[Gorilla]

If you have BB club on your uniform at a tournament that almost always means you are not a real threat to those who compete regularly!

Not always but is a pretty good sign that you don't come from a serious competition program!

 

[PhotonGuy]

To a degree, yes. That's why I said it takes about 36 months. Some people will promote faster than others, but not much.

But at the same time, I don't rush students through the ranks. I've used the cake-baking analogy before, but it bears repeating. If you start baking a cake, you get all the ingredients ready and mix them up. But the directions say put it in the over for 2 hours at 250 degrees. I don't want to wait that long, so I put it in the oven for 1 hour at 500 degrees. What's the result? A cake that might look good on the outside, but is only half-baked on the inside.

There is a certain amount of mental training that is involved in the martial arts, and it can't be rushed. Yes, you might have someone who trains 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, and learns all the basics and forms and one-steps in, let's say, 6 months. Is that person ready to be a Black Belt? I don't think so. As I am fond of saying (perhaps too much so), we don't earn a Black Belt; a Black Belt earns us.

I see what you're saying but you can sometimes save some time with harder work and with more effort. It usually takes four years to get a college degree but I've known people who've gotten them in less time by taking a heavier load and they've been able to do it but its more work for them. In one case it was a girl who was engaged to this guy who was a student at West Point but he was a few years older than her and thus a grade or two above her. She wanted to graduate at the same time as him so they could get married and that way she could go with him if he was deployed since he would be serving full time in the Army after graduating. So she had to get through college quicker.

As for baking your cake, trying to save time by turning up the heat would not work, you would only end up with a burnt cake, but maybe its possible to somehow cook the cake more efficiently to save some time. That would involve doing research on cakes and cooking and the chemistry behind it. Sometimes you might have to have your cake done by a certain time. Lets say you're having a party at 8 o'clock and you're serving the cake. You will have to have the cake done at 8 o'clock.

Somebody who trains 8 hours a day 6 days a week might not get a black belt in 6 months but somebody who puts in more work and more time might get it in 34 or 35 months as opposed to 36. It does take patience to get a black belt but you don't have to sacrifice time in the name of patience. And I do have to disagree with your statement that we don't earn a black belt that it earns us. That sounds like I can just sit back and enjoy the ride and get a black belt without any work on my part.

 

[Gorilla]

For many schools it is probably a way for the dojang owner to collect a lot of money upfront so that one night soon, he/she can lock up after classes are done and head to the airport on a permanent vacation to Korea.

Seen this happen more than once!

 

[TrueJim]

So, to be clear, There are no Black Belts in the "Black Belt Club"? Only future possible Black Belts? Hmmm

Correct. At most schools I've seen or heard of, the Black Belt club is not populated primarily with black belts, but with potential future black belts. Yes, it's a poor choice of names for the club.

 

[WaterGal]

For many schools it is probably a way for the dojang owner to collect a lot of money upfront so that one night soon, he/she can lock up after classes are done and head to the airport on a permanent vacation to Korea.

Yeah, that's a good point! Where I'm at, asking for more than - I think it's 4 months in advance? - is (more or less) illegal for exactly that reason.

Anyway, we don't have a black belt club. Everybody has to sign up for a membership contract, everybody can come to unlimited classes, and nobody can test more often than every other month.

 

[skribs]

We have one at my school. I'm not sure exactly how the finances work out, but one thing it does is motivate you to keep going and get your black belt. A lot of people drop off along the way for one reason or another, but if you have your belt hanging there waiting for you to earn it, it can be a motivator. It's kind of how some people put their skinny clothes up somewhere they'll see it to remind them why they're dieting and/or exercising.