System of rank in the USAJF

[PhotonGuy]

Not everybody who teaches Judo is affiliated with the USAJF, the United States of America Judo Federation, but lots of the Judo dojos in the USA are affiliated with it including mine, although I don't train in Judo at my dojo I train in Karate as my sensei teaches both Judo and Karate. As I am not a Judo student, I don't know everything about the USAJF but from what I do know, mostly from friends who train in Judo is that their ranking system works like this. Belt ranks are gained by competing in tournaments and winning, or senseis may promote students up to brown but a sensei may not promote a student to black, that has to be done by the USAJF and its done by performing well enough in tournaments. Once a student is a black belt Judo under the USAJF, they are a black belt in all Judo schools that operate under the USAJF so contrary to what this other poster said, that if you gain a certain belt rank in your dojo, be it black belt or whatever, that in all other dojos you're a white belt, this is not true at least for Judo students who train in dojos that are part of the USAJF. I think its good for the martial arts to operate under large organizations like the USAJF that regulate how the system is taught, including rank requirements. That way, you won't have students who get black belts just for eating their lima beans as this other poster pointed out in this other board which unfortunately in some dojos is true.

 

[Grenadier]

There are many good things that can come from a national federation / association, since it will have greater organizational power, as well as a lot more resources at its access.

I don't think it's necessarily a bad idea to have a "universal ranking" system in a martial art, as long as it's a supplementary rank, and not one that replaces your dojo rank. If everyone follows a decent set of standards, then I do agree, that it does help reduce the number of schools frivolously giving out black belts. USA Karate (formerly the USA-NKF) does this, after all, and people who hold a USA Karate ranking aren't exactly going to be chopped liver.

The part I don't agree with, regarding the USJF, is that the USJF must promote your own students for dan exams in your own dojo, and that it's dependent on competition. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, I simply believe that competition is merely *a* tool (and a good one) that can help improve your students' skills. It is not *the* tool, though, since there are many ways someone can be a good Judo-Ka (or Karate-Ka, Kung Fu practitioner, Ju Jutsu-Ka, etc) without having to compete.

Even more importantly, I don't like the idea of having an outsider being *the* authority in terms of promoting a student of mine in my own dojo. Unless I knew him well enough, it would leave things vulnerable to political machinations. I don't want the said authority failing my students simply because he came from a rival teacher, or some other petty reason.

I am not accusing any federation / association of being petty. I will say without a doubt, that I would be happy if someone could point out that my suspicious nature is completely unwarranted.

 

[jks9199]

My understanding is that, generally, promotion within USJF is linked to competition -- but that there are non-competition routes available. They're slower, and, within that organization, atypical. Not really surprising, since both have a notable orientation at the sporting side of Judo. Of course, I could be wrong; it's been a while since I looked at that stuff.

 

[PhotonGuy]

If you're a Judo instructor that doesn't agree with the USJF than you can teach Judo and be independent of the USJF. That way you can be in charge of all belt promotions up to and including the black belt as well as the various black belt dans. You just can't call your school a USJF school or use the name of USJF as the name has been trademarked. Another good thing about organizations such as USJF is that its made much more clear what a student needs to do to get to a certain belt rank, up to and including black belt, and if a student is unclear, they can always find out.