Rant: Placing value in yourself based on others' accomplishments

[NPTKD]

I think if you look around you will find countless stories or children who were involved in the martial arts at sometime in their lives as well as adults who study as children, success story of how their MA studies prevented them from becoming a victom. I think the general public knows the differents between an adult BB and a child that hold Poom or Dan rank. It's really not that hard to tell the difference! But then again, I had a demo a few years backIt was at a fourth of July event where the whole city was involved. Anyway I had made four bricks out of form and spray painted them gray. They really looked real! Anyway, I had a 6 year old walk up and hammer fist them. It when over great and was planned to be a joke, but the next day on the front page of the paper.......

 

[NPTKD]

How do you paste pictures here?

 

[dancingalone]

This is very sad, but being special forces means that you know how to fight, not that you are invincible. Likewise, a blackbelt is supposed to know how to fight in a particular style. Nothing more.

Define holding one's own. I can hold my own in a fight with most people, but ultimately, I can still be beaten.

It's surely hard to put into words but easy enough to discern in person. To me a black belt has applicable skill in bare hands combat. He has certain elements of timing to see an opening along with the physical prowess to connect with a devastating blow to the same target. A black belt should have experienced exhaustion and pain and be able to fight through those feelings at least for a short time. You should be able to step onto the floor with a black belt for a friendly match and be see crisp technique, efficient movement, effective defense.

I don't think it's hard to recognize a black belt in person after seeing him move. It should be by definition an elite rank that few reach, keeping in mind that one can reach functional status in one's system before making black.

Define real thing. If the kid has learned all of the curriculum, can perform his or her technique with power and snap, and has obviously been taught well, but happens to be only twelve, is his or her belt somehow not the real thing?
Daniel

Well, you are a supporter of the poom belt. I've never seen a poom/junior black who didn't think his black belt symbolized a certain effectiveness in fighting.

I realize you're big on the curriculum = rank tier concept. I even use it myself, listing certain techniques for each rank level in my school. That said, I will never promote anyone to even brown belt unless they 1) have useful power 2) are sufficiently aware and attuned to be able to take advantage of certain openings an opponent poses and 3) have a certain amount of spirit within them (I believe TKD people would say indomitable spirit).

It's not just about the belt charts to me.

 

[Nolerama]

Anyway I had made four bricks out of form and spray painted them gray. They really looked real! Anyway, I had a 6 year old walk up and hammer fist them. It when over great and was planned to be a joke, but the next day on the front page of the paper.......

It's a joke. I get it. But did you make any attempt to correct the local newspaper on the error/ or even tell the photojournalist that the "bricks" were foam?

 

[NPTKD]

The Following 4,294,967,295 Users Say Thank You to NPTKD For This Useful Post

What is this.....

 

[NPTKD]

It's a joke. I get it. But did you make any attempt to correct the local newspaper on the error/ or even tell the photojournalist that the "bricks" were foam?

The very next day! And Man were they pissed! I Tried to tell them that it was meant for fun , but they never posted a correction. I would post the picture of the front page but I don't know how.

 

[NPTKD]

Here I Changed my Pic (avitar)

 

[Nolerama]

Why didn't you tell the photojournalist that the bricks were fake?

There's a level of irresponsibility on both ends of that situation, and I think it's kind of hypocritical to comment on the validity of youth belts, but then go on and think it's really cool to have a kid break fake bricks on a newspaper.

Just my .02.

 

[NPTKD]

Lastly, it was windy and half of the bricks blow away after he broke them... I mean come on!

 

[NPTKD]

Why didn't you tell the photojournalist that the bricks were fake?

There's a level of irresponsibility on both ends of that situation, and I think it's kind of hypocritical to comment on the validity of youth belts, but then go on and think it's really cool to have a kid break fake bricks on a newspaper.

Just my .02.

I didn't know that they were even their take pic's. I would have had I known. It didn't make me look good after also.

 

[Nolerama]

Right on. Just wondering about the motivation behind doing the fake brick thing in the first place.

I'm confused. Could you please clarify: You're against youth BBs, right?

But you do publicity stunts like spray painting foam "bricks" so a kid can break them in front of a lot of people (I'm assuming to make you "look good"), and write that off as a "joke".

But if you were holding an exhibition in front of a large group of people; and your young students were there, with people taking pictures... wouldn't you be right next to the camera man? I mean, just out of general safety of your students? I'm sure you would be. Because that's what responsible adults do when children are placed in their charge.

But no mention of brick fakeness to the photog?

Meh...

 

[NPTKD]

Relax......... I never said I was against anything. It was a joke! Some people got it, some people didn't...... Thats how jokes work.:wavey:

 

[Nolerama]

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[MJS]

Why should I be ashamed? Granted I'm not proud of what they are doing, but I'm not ashamed either...I fall under the I really don't give a crap about them. I did not get my rank from them, so why should I care?

Ever hear of the saying, "Guilty by association."? Doesn't matter whether or not you give a crap about them or not, fact remains, just like many people in the world have a distorted view of the martial arts, people are going to see the mcdojos of whatever art, and assume that all TKD or Kenpo or whatever, is like what they assume it is.

I know I'll never change the Kenpo guys who get off on having people 'ohh and ahh' over their rank, but it still makes me think, "Look at this guy. Look at what he does. He's making all Kenpoists look bad" thus what I said before...guilty by association.

I have had people come up and say the usual "My 10 year old son/daughter is a 2nd dan at XYZ school, they really enjoy it there." I simply tell them I'm glad they enjoy it and to feel free to stop by and work out with us for fun sometime.

And kudos to you, if your school doesnt fall into the mcdojo group. As I said, there probably are schools out there that are not bad, that dont hand out rank like candy, and again, kudos to them, but I also can't believe that those that're not mcdojos, dont sit there and hate the fact that people will assume that all dojos are like the candy givers.

 

[MJS]

I would care about the child more than the fact he was a BB. If negatvie press was to play I don't think it would come down on the industry as a whole so much as the school he went to.

It is very sad when adults come into harms way and their training fails them as well. Is it the school's fault, style's fault, or the student's fault? A lot of different factor at play.

Please take your blinders off, please. The average non martial artist is clueless about the arts. I've been asked what I train in, I tell them, and they ask me if its like TKD or what Bruce Lee did. So yes, it does come down to the entire industry because people dont know any better.

And yes, people are under this assumption that the BB is something that empowers you, that makes you superman, but it doesnt. Because the people handing out the belts lead people to think that, because many insts. dont give a **** about the end result, as long as they're getting paid.

 

[Gorilla]

We knocked each other around the dojo during the eighties. Blood and bruises expected without question. Belt exams often ended with someone puking or fainting. Blood, sweat, and tears...

I doubt your son is doing that, is he? Different times.

The adults puke my son never does...We train in Las Vegas outside at 120 degrees...We get adults from other schools on occasion come and train with us...Not one has ever made it through a M-W-F 2 hour training session at the track...He is 12...Sometimes they run 5 miles and go though an hour of kicking drills...some times they run 10 300's and an hour of kicking drills almost all the people he trains with are in their 20's and he can keep up with all of them...BTW his second degree black belt test was 13 hours with a 2 month work up also with adults...

 

[Twin Fist]

he was NINE

 

[Gorilla]

yep, nine when he got his second degree....I know it is crap!!! and his instructor should be slapped and sport tkd sucks...the usual stuff...oh yeah i have to send you a video for you to believe me...I know the drill...the invitation still stands if you are in Las Vegas you can stop by and train with us...I think you would be surprised...I am sure that we could benefit from your considerable expertise

 

[Twin Fist]

go ahead and think you NINE YEAR OLD is the equal of an adult

*shudder*

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

It's surely hard to put into words but easy enough to discern in person. To me a black belt has applicable skill in bare hands combat. He has certain elements of timing to see an opening along with the physical prowess to connect with a devastating blow to the same target. A black belt should have experienced exhaustion and pain and be able to fight through those feelings at least for a short time. You should be able to step onto the floor with a black belt for a friendly match and be see crisp technique, efficient movement, effective defense.

I can certainly agree with that.

don't think it's hard to recognize a black belt in person after seeing him move. It should be by definition an elite rank that few reach, keeping in mind that one can reach functional status in one's system before making black.

For the most part, I agree. I do not necessarily agree with the 'elite rank' definition though. There should be a single, challenging standard (one that Twin Fist would approve of, just to clarify what I mean by challenging). One either meets it or they do not. If 100 people come through the school who all work for and earn it, and meet the standard, then 100 BB's is fine. If only one of those hundred can meet the standard, then so be it. One BB.

, you are a supporter of the poom belt. I've never seen a poom/junior black who didn't think his black belt symbolized a certain effectiveness in fighting.

Yes, I support the poom rank, but not giving out black belts with it. I have stated many, many times that poom rank students should be wearing poom belts and poom doboks (assuming that you are talking Kukkiwon taekwondo).

I realize you're big on the curriculum = rank tier concept. I even use it myself, listing certain techniques for each rank level in my school. That said, I will never promote anyone to even brown belt unless they 1) have useful power 2) are sufficiently aware and attuned to be able to take advantage of certain openings an opponent poses and 3) have a certain amount of spirit within them (I believe TKD people would say indomitable spirit).

It's not just about the belt charts to me.

I am not sure where you get the idea that I am "big" on the curriculum = rank concept. I feel that the equation should be reversed: Rank = curriculum, and rank is determined by proficiency in the curriculum learned thus far. In fact, I have stated in many posts that I am big on proficiency.

Essentially, my school of thought is that when you are proficient in your white belt curriculum, then you can test for your first colored belt. When you are proficient in the curriculum for that level and more polished on that of the previous, then you may test for your next colored belt. If that process takes ten years, so be it. If a mondo dedicated uber martial arts wiz can do it three years, so be it.

Belts are only a marker of the student's progress. No chart is involved.

Daniel