Kembudo-Kai Kempoka
Senior Master
My 2 cents:
I've been in both camps, and am simply not sure what to think anymore. I've worked quite hard for some of my accomplishments, but am older, slower, and not nearly as athletic as I was back in the day. My main instructor insisted it was skill based, and that you couldn't wear it if you couldn't defend it. With that prejudice, I'd meet oldsters who competed in such and such in the 50's and 60's, but had since retired and gained 100 lbs. They'd say they were a black belt, and realizing they couldn't fight for more than 30 seconds without passing out, my take was, "I doubt it". I was worse about disabilities and individual differences. Met a San Soo BB in a chair, talking about his 4th degree test/promotion. My impatient and prejudiced thoughts: You can't even practice stances or kick...how can you possibly pretend to possess expert status in a martial art which has those as part of its core requirements? (now I provide rehab services for folks with disabilities, and admire a courage they have, that I do not, daily. Go figure)
I now consider that I was young, dumb, and easily influenced by the biases of an otherwise cruel and intolerant man. But I still feel silly strapping on instructors rank when I can't even make it through the warm-up portion of class without checking my heart rate and resting a bit.
Taught in an MMA place for a spell, where we just trained a lot. No ranks; material was whatever presented itself that evening (i.e., people getting stuck in the guard? Work on passing the guard tonight. Infighting from a clinch looks weak? Work on Thai and modified JKD stuff for crashing and fighting an inside game this evening). Everybody contributed insights and suggestions, and we would work on challenges together, brainstorming. It was kinda nice. No pressure; no ego. And when other people came in and started chatting about their glorious accomplishments and lofty ranks, we would just look at each other, then look at them, and say "Yep. We just randori & spar a lot."
I still think there is a place for rank, as a means of identifying seniority within an organization...seems like the oldsters who paved the way for the rest of us should have something honoring their trail-blazer status that made it possible for us to be here, do this.
D.
I've been in both camps, and am simply not sure what to think anymore. I've worked quite hard for some of my accomplishments, but am older, slower, and not nearly as athletic as I was back in the day. My main instructor insisted it was skill based, and that you couldn't wear it if you couldn't defend it. With that prejudice, I'd meet oldsters who competed in such and such in the 50's and 60's, but had since retired and gained 100 lbs. They'd say they were a black belt, and realizing they couldn't fight for more than 30 seconds without passing out, my take was, "I doubt it". I was worse about disabilities and individual differences. Met a San Soo BB in a chair, talking about his 4th degree test/promotion. My impatient and prejudiced thoughts: You can't even practice stances or kick...how can you possibly pretend to possess expert status in a martial art which has those as part of its core requirements? (now I provide rehab services for folks with disabilities, and admire a courage they have, that I do not, daily. Go figure)
I now consider that I was young, dumb, and easily influenced by the biases of an otherwise cruel and intolerant man. But I still feel silly strapping on instructors rank when I can't even make it through the warm-up portion of class without checking my heart rate and resting a bit.
Taught in an MMA place for a spell, where we just trained a lot. No ranks; material was whatever presented itself that evening (i.e., people getting stuck in the guard? Work on passing the guard tonight. Infighting from a clinch looks weak? Work on Thai and modified JKD stuff for crashing and fighting an inside game this evening). Everybody contributed insights and suggestions, and we would work on challenges together, brainstorming. It was kinda nice. No pressure; no ego. And when other people came in and started chatting about their glorious accomplishments and lofty ranks, we would just look at each other, then look at them, and say "Yep. We just randori & spar a lot."
I still think there is a place for rank, as a means of identifying seniority within an organization...seems like the oldsters who paved the way for the rest of us should have something honoring their trail-blazer status that made it possible for us to be here, do this.
D.
