Should People Wear High Rank?

[Doc]

All numerical ranks are emeritus or honorary. Academic rank titles are specifically linked to ability and knowledge and teaching certification levels. Therefore a person who has trained for an extended period for personal reasons may gain numerical rank. It does not allow, or bestow any academic titles whatsoever. These are earned separately and rigorously exclusive once again of numerical designations.

Interesting concept. How are "academic rank titles" earned as opposed to "numerical rank?"

Numerical: Some just want to be able to do. Academic: Others want to do and teach which requires additional knowledge and understanding not required for numerical rank.

 

[LawDog]

Old School
Dan ranks: The tests will cover the following areas but are not restricted to.
*Physical ability,
*Understanding the interaction between more than one, (yourself alone).

Titles: These are seperate tests from the dan tests.
1)Teaching titles are for advance theory / concepts of a given system. These tests will cover the following area's.
A) must be able to list all of the theories / concepts.
B) must understand all the theories / concepts. Because an instructor can give the exact definition of a theory / concept does not mean the he fully understands it.
C)Recognize a theory / concept. Many instructors can list and do understand a theory / concept but have a hard time recognizing them within many of the preset's, forms or non preset pattern drills.
D)You must be able to teach the theories / concepts back to a senior Instructor.
2)Leadership titles. In some systems the upper two or three ranks are used as leadership positions within their given system / organization. These ranks are not floor tested they usually done by using an evaluation process.
A)You must possess the highest teaching title,
B)You will usually go through a long term evaluation process. During this time you will be given a series of projects to complete. These projects are designed to show your leadership abilities. Some of these projects could be setting up and running a large camp, seminars or even tournaments.
These are usually harder to pass than the dan rank tests.

There is a new problem with titles, in some cases they are either given away to unqualified Instructors or self adorned in an attempt to impress.

 

[kidswarrior]

Naw, more like the other way around. Some happy admirals and generals because they could then pose as Gunnies and Chiefs, and actually get something done.

Hey, whoever repped me for this, Thanks! Hit me with a PM so I know who you are.

 

[kenpostudent]

Numerical: Some just want to be able to do. Academic: Others want to do and teach which requires additional knowledge and understanding not required for numerical rank.

Are there specific differences in the testing process for numerical rank and academic rank? If so, can you detail some of those distinctions?

 

[Josh Oakley]

Seeing that there is alot of talk regarding Jeff and the comments that he made, I thought I'd start this thread.

There seems to be alot of talk on the issue of rank. Questions of time in grade and people who were quick to slap on a 10th have come up.

Do you feel that people should refrain from wearing a 10th? Looking at a post by one of Mr. Bob Whites students, he states that Mr. White refuses to put on a 10th, this I imagine, to be out of respect for Mr. Parker.

Reading a post on the KN, someone made an interesting analogy. They stated, if someone was a 9th, and refused to wear a 10th out of respect for Parker, the highest they would ever go would be 9th. If students, out of respect for their teacher refused to put on a 9th, the highest they'd go would be 8th. This process would continue until everyone was just wearing a white belt.

Thoughts?

Hyperbole. However, that is already happening to a degree in kendo (no one can rank above 8th Dan, and even that rank is dying out).

 

[Gentle Fist]

IMHO, Kenpo is one of the easier systems to obtain high rank in. Just look at Judo for example. You have to be in your 70's to obtain 10th dan. How many Judans do you know that are in Kenpo and haven't turned 60 yet, how about 50? Hell in Nebraska one guy is not even 35 yet and sports the highest rank in the art. I know all rank is subjective but to the general public it is all the same. I personally want to see it proved day in and day out on the floor, who cares what red/gold/silver belt they are wearing.

Sorry for the minor rant, but I train in both Ke?po and BJJ/Judo. So it is a daily observation for me.:soapbox:

 

[selfdefensemaniac]

People can use the rank they want.
But respect its what you have to earn.

 

[seninoniwashi]

Somewhere after the first black or first few degrees, there is no more tested material and promotions become political...and controversial.

So very true. Unfortunately this is why alot of people out there give up after getting their 1st dan or back out after their 2nd. Not to many people want to deal with the politics of promotion

 

[IWishToLearn]

IMHO, Kenpo is one of the easier systems to obtain high rank in. Just look at Judo for example. You have to be in your 70's to obtain 10th dan. How many Judans do you know that are in Kenpo and haven't turned 60 yet, how about 50? Hell in Nebraska one guy is not even 35 yet and sports the highest rank in the art. I know all rank is subjective but to the general public it is all the same. I personally want to see it proved day in and day out on the floor, who cares what red/gold/silver belt they are wearing.

Sorry for the minor rant, but I train in both Ke?po and BJJ/Judo. So it is a daily observation for me.:soapbox:

True bout the dude in Nebraska - but that whole situation is a rather "odd" situation.

 

[Sukerkin]

Chaps, what's important in the end is how good your own training has been.

There will always be occaisions in which you encounter someone nominally higher ranked than yourself who, in fact, is less advanced.

To be frank, in the end, who cares? I know that it is annoying but, and I know this doesn't really take much sting out of it {}, it doesn't change a thing about your own level of training or development.

I have watched people ranked two or three (or more) grades higher than myself and had the secret inner thought that they weren't better than me. What counts is the regard with which you are held in context i.e. how you compare with your immediate fellows.

The rest is not important ... altho' I accede that if you're running your own school other considerations come into play.