Does anyone disagree with belts/ranks? Why? Here's why I like belts:

Martial Arts Tudor is a funny guy. He is creating his own TKD organization known as the FTF (Functional TaeKwonDo Federation) don't let him fool you, he loves TKD. By the way I have a whole bunch of videos of me sparring doing forms etc. on here. You ca check it out. Maybe you'll see something you like, or maybe you'll see what NOT to do , during sparring etc.

Lol yes he's funny. And how can I see those? I'm using Tapatalk. Should I log on using the direct website?


-Julian
 
Overall, I like belts. I think they should have a meaning though... Not you've been a student for 3 months and so it's time for your next belt. Whatever floats your boat but that's just not for me. It should reflect a mixture of knowledge, skill, and dedication.

I like the semi-standardization in BJJ. Beginner = white belt, intermediate = blue belt, and advanced = purple+. There is some disparity (especially at the white to blue stage), but you can generally take a belt from any legit BJJ school and have a fair estimate of where they're at in their training by their belt. In a lot of other arts, you just don't have that. It's like Dirty Dog, a TKD bubba, expecting 6-8 yrs for a black belt but there's others requiring 2-3 (or even shorter). In his the black belt means an advanced practitioner but another it's an intermediate.
 
Hey, can I ask please for clarification? Your style it seem to be no style, rather people proficient in other styles who get together to spar each other and test their own style in which they have prior proficiency.. So what then you are doing it is not a style?? Is just a meeting up of other styles?? In which case why are there levels and what must one do to achieve one of those levels?? I am grateful if you can help me to understand :) x

You can take KAPAP all by itself and never study another style, but you will still be learning bits and pieces of other styles just like JKD or other "mixed" martial arts. Because KAPAP is always evolving and always learning there is no rigid set of moves or techniques but obviously like any martial art the basics are all the same. I am not sure what the criteria is for advancement between the levels, no one really worries about it, it isn't something that is important perhaps they are just levels granting you authority to teach certain criteria. It just so happens that most people who are attracted to KAPAP already have studied other martial arts but it is not a prerequisit. KAPAP is more about the philosophies, dynamics, and a set of peramiters that a good technique must fall into to be considered a KAPAP approved technique. For instance if you're looking at a gun disarm, KAPAP has a checklist of what any given disarm technique must do in order for it to be considered a "good" technique. Instead of just teaching you certain techniques KAPAP will teach why certain techniques work using various principals so that you can create your own techniques on the fly as you see opportunities present themselves.
 
You know, I've "been there, done that" with belt ranking. I think it is a great motivating factor for practitioners, particularly new practitioners. It was definitely a driving force in my development in becoming an effective fighter.
Having said that, I no longer wear a gi and belt. The art I focus on now has no uniforms and belts. We train in street clothes, and frankly, I like it much better.
As far as not having an "indicator" of ability level (belt), it's not really necessary, as our "indicator" is evident on the mat.
I actually found as a kid belts to be aggrivating, if I could have just gone to the Dojo and learned my katas and advanced however I advanced it would have been nice, one of my old dojos would have me teaching the katas to the new or slower progressing students and I would always feel like "if I can teach this kata why haven't they progressed me on my rank?" I am sure I probably wasnt ready to move up in rank but if there had been no belts I wouldn't have cared at all about teaching people.
 
="FlamingJulian, post: 1785977, member: 35457"]True. I get my 1st Dan very soon and I think that I deserve it. I practice Taekwondo day in and day out with my brother who's my trading partner and is also getting his 1st Dan with me. So to me, belts mean something. Not just skill level, but dedication


-Julian

Dedication does have something to do with it. At least that was a big reason why I was able to test for mine after only twenty months. At instructor meetings my instructor has flat out said that he is testing someone because he likes their attitude. So sometimes people get ranked up because my instructor likes them as a person. So people are eligible to test at my school for a variety of reasons, not only skill.

Yeah sorry no offence or anything but that sounds kind of wrong to me. It shouldn't matter what kind of person you are well ok yeah it does a bit but I mean you could have the best attitude in the world but your skills could absolutely suck (not saying yours do) but the main thing should be skill not if you turn up to all your classes. That's my problem with belts there's no set standard with all schools anyone can do what they want and that has different standards.
 
True. I get my 1st Dan very soon and I think that I deserve it. I practice Taekwondo day in and day out with my brother who's my trading partner and is also getting his 1st Dan with me. So to me, belts mean something. Not just skill level, but dedication


-Julian

I've never liked when people say it like that. "I get my black belt soon" like you know it's guaranteed to happen I mean you might not you may fail your test. Sorry just me nit picking but I think it should be "I'm testing for my black belt soon" saying "I get my black belt soon" sounds the same as I'm going to the shop to get some bread. Sorry that's not having a go at you just that statement in general
 
We are quite informal about things. This has both positive and negative aspects. the only way to tell if someone is decent at our school is by watching them perform. Ignore the cloth.
Under those circumstances, I'm curious why your instructor keeps using the colored belts. Of all the uses the belt can serve, the only one that exists there is a potential motivator for students, and they don't seem to matter much to the students, so he could save himself some time and just stop messing with them.
 
Yeah sorry no offence or anything but that sounds kind of wrong to me. It shouldn't matter what kind of person you are well ok yeah it does a bit but I mean you could have the best attitude in the world but your skills could absolutely suck (not saying yours do) but the main thing should be skill not if you turn up to all your classes. That's my problem with belts there's no set standard with all schools anyone can do what they want and that has different standards.
This is one of those areas where I disagree with the school, but it's not really a problem, so long as they are clear with everyone about the decisions (including all the students). It just seems to remove most of the utility of the belt ranking system. I agree with his instructor that attitude should be part of the consideration, but only as a requirement for eligibility for promotion.
 
I've never liked when people say it like that. "I get my black belt soon" like you know it's guaranteed to happen I mean you might not you may fail your test. Sorry just me nit picking but I think it should be "I'm testing for my black belt soon" saying "I get my black belt soon" sounds the same as I'm going to the shop to get some bread. Sorry that's not having a go at you just that statement in general
I knew I was getting mine. I was well aware of the tests, and knew I could pass them all. It was just a matter of time. Mind you, if the test is one-and-out, then there's always a chance you fail it in the moment and have to wait for the next time (that's not the structure of our BB testing, except one section where I knew I was over-ready).
 
The problem with belts is there's to many fakes out there now and since they're wearing black belts no one will challenge their legitimacy even if they look like rubbish because they're a black belt and it has to be all yes sensai no sensai but with styles without there's only way to prove if you're good or not by showing it either by sparring or showing how good you are on the pads not just standing there barking orders
That is not something that can really happen in my school due to the way it's run.
 
I've never liked when people say it like that. "I get my black belt soon" like you know it's guaranteed to happen I mean you might not you may fail your test. Sorry just me nit picking but I think it should be "I'm testing for my black belt soon" saying "I get my black belt soon" sounds the same as I'm going to the shop to get some bread. Sorry that's not having a go at you just that statement in general

I say that because my Master told me its almost a guarantee I'm getting it. My school doesn't "test" students it's has them demonstrate what they know. And I am certain that I won't fail the belt test because I know everything required which would make failing impossible. My Master looked at my techniques and CONFIRMED I'm ready.


-Julian
 
As someone who comes from a traditional CMA, belts and ranks don't have meaning. We don't use them. The closest thing to rank is older brother or sister based on how long someone has been in the school. Skill level is easy to determine simply looking looking at a form, application knowledge can be determined by asking what the technique is used for and through sparring. The incentive for the student is to learn a new form. For many of us the goal is to learn a particular form or weapon that we can't learn that weapon until we learn the requirement forms. Basically we are form junkies and the guy or lady who knows the most forms is the "coolest."

Just for clarification the reason belts and ranks don't have meaning is because that's just how Chinese Martial Arts is, and when my opponent is standing in front of me, there is no need for me to make assumptions about their skill level. I could easily be beaten by a white belt karate practitioner simply for the fact that my opponent doesn't have to use karate in a fight and could very well be an excellent boxer, BJJ, practitioner, or even a kung fu practitioner. So in this case, what difference does the white belt make? What meaning does the white belt have? And that's why it doesn't have any meaning to me.
 
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