How many of you are NOT Black Belts?

[Eternal White Belt]

What I mean by this is: There are many martial artists who practice independently, who are not part of any formal dojo on a regular basis, and who are not a member of any organization (a backyard martial artist, if you will).

Myself, for example. I have studied and practiced martial arts for over 20 years now, and the only official rank I have in any organization is a blue belt in IKCA kenpo karate. Yet, I have studied, at various times and for various lengths of time: hwarang do, yang style tai chi chuan, tae kwon do, white crane kung fu, budo taijutsu, chinese kenpo karate, chin na, chi kung, and a few others that don't readily come to mind. So, I was just wondering how many other independents are out there.

 

[Drac]

.Been studying since the early late 70's early 80's..I teach police defensive tactics and basic self defense ( if asked)..I am a member of a couple of excellent organizations, I just don't have Dan ranking..

 

[wade]

Drac, and your point is???????????????????? look, if I can do it any one can.

 

[Drac]

Drac, and your point is???????????????????? look, if I can do it any one can.

It's not a matter of being able to do it, it's finding the flipping time to attend regular classes...

 

[wade]

If you have a realistic instructor with a real world view that shouldn't have anything to do with it. Life goes on, everything we do is a part of it. I've been lucky cause I can attend classes on a regular basis, course since I'm the instructor that does help, but many of my older students are in the military, college or working and I do make adjustments to their lifestyles and schedules, any good instructor should. Ya gotta understand, it doesn't mean a free ride or that I will just give one of my studenst a BB,they still have to earn it..............

 

[Drac]

I've been real lucky too..The department sends me to alot of classes that last anywhere from a week to 2 days and picks up the tab..I find that my backround in MA has been a big help in teaching the rookies how to survive..I too never believed in a free ride...

 

[Carol]

Not a black belt. Not any belt at all actually...not even one holding my pants up. The Kali and Silat systems I train in don't issue rank...as is traditional in Indonesia and the Philippines.

 

[Drac]

True story: I was doing some moderate whining about not having a Dan rank a few years ago..Father Greek purchased a black belt from Sears or was it JC Penny ( the line from the Karate Kid) and made up a certificate from the Myagi-Do dojo..He even signed by al the Master and Grandmasters at the seminar we were at..It is one of my most prized possessions...

 

[MA-Caver]

I guess I fall into that category described by Eternal. Over the years had a lot of friends for prolonged periods of time that showed me various techs and correcting mistakes I made and all that... basically a non-dojo private lessons you could say. Then practising what I've learned and combined all those to what I'm capable of doing right now. What can I call it? JKDI.

Unlike Drac I've had LOTS of time rolleyes: ) but never had enough umm, "free income" to pay a formal instructor. Someday, eventually, inevitably. :asian:

 

[Drac]

I guess I fall into that category described by Eternal. Over the years had a lot of friends for prolonged periods of time that showed me various techs and correcting mistakes I made and all that... basically a non-dojo private lessons you could say. Then practising what I've learned and combined all those to what I'm capable of doing right now. What can I call it? JKDI.

Unlike Drac I've had LOTS of time rolleyes: ) but never had enough umm, "free income" to pay a formal instructor. Someday, eventually, inevitably. :asian:

I see you have such an abundance of free time too....LOL

 

[MA-Caver]

I see you have such an abundance of free time too....LOL

Ya well I'd rather be working than trying to beat terry in how many times I can guess someone correctly in a forum game... (j/k)
But all that free time without enough free-cash isn't a hellva lot of fun... and that's sad.

 

[Drac]

Ya well I'd rather be working than trying to beat terry in how many times I can guess someone correctly in a forum game... (j/k)

Thankfully I'm able to occasionally work and post at the same time

But all that free time without enough free-cash isn't a hellva lot of fun... and that's sad.

Quess which budget departments cut first when money get tight..Yep, the training budget so if I wanna train I gotta foot the bill..

 

[MA-Caver]

Thankfully I'm able to occasionally work and post at the same time




Quess which budget departments cut first when money get tight..Yep, the training budget so if I wanna train I gotta foot the bill..

:uhyeah:

 

[MJS]

Drac, and your point is???????????????????? look, if I can do it any one can. Tai Show khong lam viet, ke ong do lan viet a Viet nam ong do troung a MA, neh, so, tai show tang sin ong BB opps su mi da?

Sir, I'm a bit confused by this. Can you clarify please?

Mike

 

[Xue Sheng]

Sir, I'm a bit confused by this. Can you clarify please?
Mike

Good question, it is nice to know I wasn't the only one confused


I have been in Martial arts for over 30 years, CMA for the last 15, no Black Belt.

But then again in CMA we do not have a belt ranking system, or at least that is the way my Sifus have been.

And they don't have black belts either, and 3 of them never really knew much about belt ranking until they came to the US.

 

[karatekid1975]

I've been training for 6 years and I don't have a black belt. I guess I can fit this category, also. Eventhough I have been training in dojangs, I am basically training with my best friend, but not officially (long story LOL). I train at her dojang, but no one in the system knows about it. She is part of an org I used to be in, but I quit after having "a-falling-out" with one of the instructors. So, I still train in the system. Just not officially.

 

[Infinite]

I too am beltless...

JKD doesn't really have belts at least not any of the places I have trained.

I've taken Krav Maga, TKD, Karate, and Wushu but don't hold any official rank in any of them.

I plan to take up either JKD or Ninjutsu once again this year.

Perhaps I will get a belt or rank or something but I'm not really all that intersted in it.

 

[jdinca]

Good question, it is nice to know I wasn't the only one confused


I have been in Martial arts for over 30 years, CMA for the last 15, no Black Belt.

But then again in CMA we do not have a belt ranking system, or at least that is the way my Sifus have been.

And they don't have black belts either, and 3 of them never really knew much about belt ranking until they came to the US.

A great deal of CMA does have belt ranking. Usually just white, brown and black. Before that, the color was white and it darkened to black over the years of training. Before that, there were no belt rankings.

 

[Xue Sheng]

A great deal of CMA does have belt ranking. Usually just white, brown and black. Before that, the color was white and it darkened to black over the years of training. Before that, there were no belt rankings.

Yes, I do know that many CMA now have belt ranks, at least since they came to the US. But the schools I have been associated with do and did not. Could be where my Sifu’s came from and/or who their teachers are/were or the styles they teach. I have said before here on MT that I am a traditionalist and it is likely I get that from my teachers in CMA. Also, for all intensive purposes, I train Northern styles and those are also Internal CMA styles, except for non-sport Sanda and my sifu does come from the North but still has no ranking system.

However I will say I have been to seminars at YMAA and they have a ranking system but I do not think it is belts.

 

[Drac]

WOW!!! Here I though I was all alone...