How do some of you all train?

[Balrog]

. Do some of you guys that have your brown or black still practice stuff you learn as a white belt? I practice everything. I'm thinking about breaking it up and do something different each day.

In my school, everyone is responsible for all the lower-rank material all the time. At testing, for example, I might ask the brown belts to present the green belt form. If they blow it, they lose a point. We have a class on Saturday morning that is specifically a curriculum review. We start with white belt and when we finish your current form, you are done. The higher in rank you are, the more stringent a workout it is.

Your lower rank material is your foundation. Every time you do the white belt form or any other lower rank form, you are practicing technique and concepts that are in your current form.

 

[Spinedoc]

In my school, everyone is responsible for all the lower-rank material all the time. At testing, for example, I might ask the brown belts to present the green belt form. If they blow it, they lose a point. We have a class on Saturday morning that is specifically a curriculum review. We start with white belt and when we finish your current form, you are done. The higher in rank you are, the more stringent a workout it is.

Your lower rank material is your foundation. Every time you do the white belt form or any other lower rank form, you are practicing technique and concepts that are in your current form.

Same thing happens in Aikido, as you rise in the ranks, you can be tested on ANYTHING you have learned. You could be testing for Shodan, and be asked to execute 5th kyu techniques.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Same thing happens in Aikido, as you rise in the ranks, you can be tested on ANYTHING you have learned. You could be testing for Shodan, and be asked to execute 5th kyu techniques.

Same with us, except it's WILL, not CAN. Every test will include material from the earlier ranks. It's not only expected that you'll do the material, but that you'll be applying what you're learning NOW to refine what you learned THEN.

 

[psilent child]

In my school, everyone is responsible for all the lower-rank material all the time. At testing, for example, I might ask the brown belts to present the green belt form. If they blow it, they lose a point. We have a class on Saturday morning that is specifically a curriculum review. We start with white belt and when we finish your current form, you are done. The higher in rank you are, the more stringent a workout it is.

Your lower rank material is your foundation. Every time you do the white belt form or any other lower rank form, you are practicing technique and concepts that are in your current form.

So how did you practice? Do you do everything every day or you break it down to doing my something different every day?

 

[Midnight-shadow]

Same with us, except it's WILL, not CAN. Every test will include material from the earlier ranks. It's not only expected that you'll do the material, but that you'll be applying what you're learning NOW to refine what you learned THEN.

We have a similar system at the school I attend. When we grade we have to perform all the forms you have learned so far. Then when you pass a grading you are taught the next form. So it starts off simple and slowly gets harder until you have to do all 20 forms in our system, back-to-back non-stop. And of course each time you grade you are expected to have improved on the forms you have previously been graded on.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

What helps my son is he assists the Sensei for beginner and intermediate classes.

Sensei explains the technique or form and my son demos it for the class.

Helps keep his fundamentals sharp and he enjoys helping the lower belts.

Also competition helps keep him working hard day in and day out and motivates him to push himself.

I always liked having a mix of students in classes when I was training. I could play with the upper belts when I wanted more exercise and/or deeper work, and work with the lower belts when I wanted to focus on the early material (and be reminded how hard it actually used to seem).

 

[Gerry Seymour]

In my school, everyone is responsible for all the lower-rank material all the time. At testing, for example, I might ask the brown belts to present the green belt form. If they blow it, they lose a point. We have a class on Saturday morning that is specifically a curriculum review. We start with white belt and when we finish your current form, you are done. The higher in rank you are, the more stringent a workout it is.

Your lower rank material is your foundation. Every time you do the white belt form or any other lower rank form, you are practicing technique and concepts that are in your current form.

In NGA, the testing is cumulative. There are 10 Classical Techniques (core curriculum) per set (which translates to "per belt" in most schools). For first belt - test 10, for second - test 10, etc. (most schools).

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Same with us, except it's WILL, not CAN. Every test will include material from the earlier ranks. It's not only expected that you'll do the material, but that you'll be applying what you're learning NOW to refine what you learned THEN.

This is my approach. There's a level that's acceptable at the yellow belt test (looks approximately right, exhibits the main principle of the technique), and a different level for orange (movement is controlled and accurate, all major principles exhibited, no consistent gaps), and so on.

 

[JR 137]

As others have said, our testing is cumulative. We do everything we've learned up to the rank we're testing for. Everything. And you need to show you can do it better than you did last time you tested.

My shodan test during my first go-round in karate was interesting. My CI had the entire kyu syllabus in hand, and went through it line by line. We did some stuff, and he said "that covers white belt material;" we did more, and he said "that covers advanced white belt," and on and on. After that, we did whatever he felt we should do, and in ways we've never done it before to see if we truly understood it. Then we sparred. A lot.

 

[shihansmurf]

Jab/Straight Punch (thrusting punch thrown from the lead hand)
Cross/Reverse Punch (thrusting Punch thrown from the Rear Hand)
Upper Cut
Hook Punch
Back Fist
Elbow Strike(inward/Outward/backward/upward)
Knee Strike
Front kick
Round Kick
Side Kick
Osoto Gari
Ogoshi
Breakfalls
some escape move from grabs

All of the above forms the core of my curriculum which is demonstrated at each test. With the above internalized I feel that a student will be capable of protecting themselves in most encounters. Everything else is more specialized knowledge or escape techniques.

As far as continually training "white belt" material goes I can't add much that hasn't been stated in this thread as to why it is important. My thoughts are that there really isn't "black belt" material, there is only basics done with a much greater degree of ability. This is true even if one is talking about kata as a kata is just basics strung together in meaningful sequences.
More importantly, I am unconvinced that I will ever find anything more reliable and effective for fighting than a jab/cross combo. It takes a lot of time and work to make it effective but once internalized it has a high payoff. It is the first weapon/combo I teach. Now a white belt performing it will be obviously less effective than a brown or black belt but that is the point. Higher skill doesn't mean more complex materiel it means better at performing the bread and butter moves.

Just my view,
Mark

 

[DanT]

At my school, the levels (no sash, red, green, blue, black) are cumulative. If you test for blue Sash for example, you'll be tested on everything in the no Sash and red Sash and green Sash curriculum, and you're expected to preform them at a HIGH level of skill. For this reason blue Sash and black Sash tests usually take place over a few days. The tests last for well over 8 hours because of so much content to cover. Point is, you don't just "get" your blue Sash or black Sash at my club, you really have to earn it and show you know the basics well.