How long to 1st Black

[cdhall]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I crossed into this territorry in the General Talk forum and now I'm curious.

How long does it take to make 1st Black in American Kenpo?
I thought 4years was about right, but how many classes a week?
How many hours practicing on your own?

Does it vary with the curriculum you study?

I don't know. Here is the thread/last post I was on where this came up, if this works:

http://www.martialtalk.com/showthread.php
threadid=2314&referrerid=391

Thanks for the input. I'm really curious about this now.
Oh, I'm sure this has come up before, but I could not find it when I looked. Maybe it is buried in some other post.

 

[Kirk]

In my school, one could do it in 3 1/2 years, although no one
has. If I make it in 5, I'll be happy, but realistically, it'll probably
be 6 to 7.

 

[jfarnsworth]

I really don't think you can put a time limit on this subject. This all depends upon the individual in the art. The hours spent in the class, outside of class, teaching the class, private lessons, seminars, taking notes, reviewing notes and so on. Once again some people just learn faster than others. People with other training experience move faster than others. OH, there are so many factors that it could probably range from 4yrs - 8yrs. That is just my opinion and mainly it comes down to desire, discipline, dedication, and heart.
Salute,
Jason Farnsworth

 

[Kirk]

We have minimum time in grade on belts, so the absolute fastest
would be 3 1/2 years.

 

[Rainman]

Originally posted by cdhall

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I crossed into this territorry in the General Talk forum and now I'm curious.

How long does it take to make 1st Black in American Kenpo?
I thought 4years was about right, but how many classes a week?
How many hours practicing on your own?

Does it vary with the curriculum you study?

I don't know. Here is the thread/last post I was on where this came up, if this works:

http://www.martialtalk.com/showthread.php
threadid=2314&referrerid=391

Thanks for the input. I'm really curious about this now.
Oh, I'm sure this has come up before, but I could not find it when I looked. Maybe it is buried in some other post.

Depends on what the proposed curriculum contains. All groups are different and so are the standards for that group if it is to be compared with another group. Some people who wear a black belt are very skilled others are not. Your inquiry has no one answer. It depends.

 

[Blindside]

Well, if you have more than one blackbelt at your school you will have an "average." So the question should be possible to answer, it just doesn't mean much when you compare them between schools. Anyway, our average is somewhere around 6-7 years. The fastest blackbelt on record was 4.5 years, and he came in with good experience in a related art. The last blackbelt who tested has been with us for 7.5 years, we just tested a brown with 7 years experience (we only have one rank of brown.)

Lamont

 

[cdhall]

Thank you Blindside.

I thought I had phrased the question properly, but judging by some of the responses I guess not.

I don't think I've ever seen or heard of anyone making Black in less than 4 years at any school that teaches Ed Parker's American Kenpo. At my first school, I did the math as an Orange Belt I think and at the minimum belt times, it took 4.5 years, but like many have said, no one ever did that.

I want to know if it is a fair statement to say that a Black Belt in American Kenpo is about a 5 year project if you are serious. As we have seen, it can take longer.

I'm on track to do it in 13. I was a Brown Belt in a Kenpo offshoot when I started my American Kenpo journey. I have not tested since I started at this school in 1991 but from 1991-1995 I was in college and didn't come to class much and from 1995-1997 I was actually out of town and not training, so I guess 11 years might be more accurate (if you count 1997-2003 that would be 6 years and may more accurately reflect my actual training in EPAK).

It seems to me that 5years, pretty much regardless of the school, is a good ideal number but that an "average" in real time is probably closer to 7 years of training if you adjust for leaves of absence and so on.

I am wondering how universal this is. I know it will vary greatly on how much you go to class, etc. I've been in the art for 18 years all together, but I made it to Green in 3.5. Very distressing, but for the first 3.5 years Kenpo was 1/2 my life and I was making good progress.

So when I talk to a TKD guy for example, is it fair to say that a Black Belt in American Kenpo is about a 5 year journey?

Or can even that much be said since there are probably 8-10 different "types" of American Kenpo out there now? These are the things I'm wondering about.
:asian:

 

[Roland]

This is what I have heard from a lot of schools.
Most 'Traditional' schoools in the area do it in 3 1/2.

Averages have to have their highs and lows though.

 

[Michael Billings]

Took me about 7 years. And that was probably the average. Fastest one I know of, and there may have been faster, was David Jefferson, in Brian Duffy's school. He was a 4 year Black belt, doing noon classes Mon/Wed/Fri and nights on Tues Thurs, and Weds night for advanced class, plus numerous hours of practice on his own at the school. All of us who had a key were their at various times working together or individually.

At my school I have not been open 4 years, the highest ranked student who started solely with me is a green belt. It does not look like I am one of the faster promoting schools either.

-Michael
UKS-Texas

 

[Goldendragon7]

only 4 1/2 years...... but when you instructor passes... 14 years to 6th is a *****!!

:asian:

 

[cdhall]

:lookie:
As I suspected. 5 years is a resonable estimate.
I wish I had put a poll on this thread.
I'll ask if it is still possible.
:asian:

 

[Rob_Broad]

The question "How long does it take to geta Black Belt" only has one real answer. As long as it takes.

 

[cdhall]

Originally posted by Bonehead

The question "How long does it take to geta Black Belt" only has one real answer. As long as it takes.

You're not helping!
It only takes 3 licks to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop by the way.

 

[Goldendragon7]

What do you have in your mouth......... acid?

 

[Seig]

Originally posted by Goldendragon7

What do you have in your mouth......... acid?

Obviously, a stick!:rofl:

 

[Nightingale]

how long does it take to earn black?

however long it takes you to master the material. That's the best answer I can give you. I've seen people do it in four years, I've seen people take ten. Myself, I've been at it on and off for 13 years. I'll probably test for black in another year or so, but that, of course, is up to my teacher.

If you go to class once a week, it'll take a lot longer than if you go every day. It just comes down to a few things:

1. how much do you want it?
2. how much time are you willing to commit?
3. how fast do you learn it?
4. how fast do you master it?

its very individual. most instructors I've spoken with won't really even put a timeline on black belt.

the best answer I've heard to the question "how long does it take the average person to get a kenpo black belt?"

answer: "average people don't get kenpo black belts."

 

[Rob_Broad]

We should not try to quantify getting a black belt we should instead qualify it. Meaning lets not try to mass produce them, 11 herbs and spices, a few kicks, a block or 2, some punches, a couple forms and voila you are a black belt. We should be striving for excellence regardless of the time it took to achieve the belt.

 

[Kirk]

I'm more concerned with how long until I feel I've learned enough
to be effective.