Ussd

[Gufbal1982]

I'll agree as well. There should be a minimum and an instructor should know his/her students capability going into a test.

I will say that I have always been an advocate of "a black belt is a black belt no matter what age that person is." if a student can't hang with the other black belts, than that person is not ready. I know for a fact that I shouldn't have gotten my ranks so young. I know I was only originally promoted because I wanted to run a school and the only way it was happening was to rush me to a rank I wasn't ready for. If I were to take that test now though, I'd be ready and willing to do what I need to do.

 

[14 Kempo]

I will say that I have always been an advocate of "a black belt is a black belt no matter what age that person is." if a student can't hang with the other black belts, than that person is not ready. I know for a fact that I shouldn't have gotten my ranks so young. I know I was only originally promoted because I wanted to run a school and the only way it was happening was to rush me to a rank I wasn't ready for. If I were to take that test now though, I'd be ready and willing to do what I need to do.

I don't believe I was rushed to any rank, however, one of the points I must bring to light is the fact that although I've gone through this twice to the same rank, I'm not the same now at 47 as I was at 30. My body doesn't do the things it once could and my endurance is not where it was. As far as lasting 20 minutes, my last name isn't Van Damme, so I would hate to think that any altercation I may get into would last even one tenth of that time.

 

[Gufbal1982]

I don't believe I was rushed to any rank, however, one of the points I must bring to light is the fact that although I've gone through this twice to the same rank, I'm not the same now at 47 as I was at 30. My body doesn't do the things it once could and my endurance is not where it was. As far as lasting 20 minutes, my last name isn't Van Damme, so I would hate to think that any altercation I may get into would last even one tenth of that time.

I am more or less referring to those that are now referred to as "junior black belts"

 

[Gentle Fist]

I will say that I have always been an advocate of "a black belt is a black belt no matter what age that person is." if a student can't hang with the other black belts, than that person is not ready. I know for a fact that I shouldn't have gotten my ranks so young. I know I was only originally promoted because I wanted to run a school and the only way it was happening was to rush me to a rank I wasn't ready for. If I were to take that test now though, I'd be ready and willing to do what I need to do.

Agreed.. That is why I love the ranking system in BJJ. No kiddie black belts and it is quite easy to prove or disprove your rank.

 

[Gufbal1982]

Agreed.. That is why I love the ranking system in BJJ. No kiddie black belts and it is quite easy to prove or disprove your rank.

Agreed. It's all about who gives it their all when you roll on the mat. I love bjj too!

 

[DavidCC]

Our standard for black belt is notbased on age, but instead on the idea that a BB should be able to defend himself or herself against an adult. So if some 13 year old were to get through the ranks and be physically developed and skilled enough, then so be it. But I don't know any right now that could do that...

We did promote a 17yr old earlier this year, but he is 6'2 and headed to college... that's practically an adult.

 

[Danjo]

Our standard for black belt is notbased on age, but instead on the idea that a BB should be able to defend himself or herself against an adult. So if some 13 year old were to get through the ranks and be physically developed and skilled enough, then so be it. But I don't know any right now that could do that...

We did promote a 17yr old earlier this year, but he is 6'2 and headed to college... that's practically an adult.

In Shotokan, 16 was the minimum age for black belt. Same with Judo back then. Other arts it's 18.

One of the myriad problems with promoting children to black belt is what I found at the High School I teach at. A 17 year old girl wore her TKD gi to school with her black belt for Halloween. When I asked her about her training, she said,

"Oh I don't do this anymore. I got my black belt when I was 14 and I was so relieved because it meant that my parents would let me quit."

Gufball1982 can also tell you of a child at the USSD Shaolin Monk Show that tested for his brown belt. She asked him about it and the kid said, "Yep. Just two more tests to black belt then I can quit!"

It's essentially a form of Little League for these kids whose parents make them go and won't let them stop until they've "Finished". Pretty sad.

 

[14 Kempo]

This is sad, but all too true ... we have two students that are 8 years old, they came to us as 2nd degree black belts in TKD. We also have one the is 13 that was 2nd in Tan Soo Do. This is not good in any sense of the imagination, maybe, just maybe, under special circumstances, the 13 year old as a BB, but 2nd?

 

[John Bishop]

Well, in Kajukenbo the tradition is that no one is promoted to black belt until they're 18. A very few schools break from this tradition and promote 16 year olds to "student black", which is our probationary black. For adults, they stay at student black for 1 year, and if they're still active, the rank becomes 1st degree. The instructors who promote 16-17 year olds usually hold them at student black until they turn 18.
No black belts are added to the official Kajukenbo Family Tree until they are 18.
I enforce the 18 year old rule, and all the students and parents know it up from day 1.
In fact the majority of the parents have been very supportive of this policy, and appriciate that we are not a belt factory, and wearing the black belt is a adult responsibility. It's sort of laughable to see a kid who's still young enough to have his mommy spank him, running around with a black belt on.

 

[DavidCC]

It's sort of laughable to see a kid who's still young enough to have his mommy spank him, running around with a black belt on.

ROFLMAO!!

 

[Gufbal1982]

In Shotokan, 16 was the minimum age for black belt. Same with Judo back then. Other arts it's 18.

One of the myriad problems with promoting children to black belt is what I found at the High School I teach at. A 17 year old girl wore her TKD gi to school with her black belt for Halloween. When I asked her about her training, she said,

"Oh I don't do this anymore. I got my black belt when I was 14 and I was so relieved because it meant that my parents would let me quit."

Gufball1982 can also tell you of a child at the USSD Shaolin Monk Show that tested for his brown belt. She asked him about it and the kid said, "Yep. Just two more tests to black belt then I can quit!"

It's essentially a form of Little League for these kids whose parents make them go and won't let them stop until they've "Finished". Pretty sad.

Was that brat my student? I remember that kid and I was pretty ticked that he said that. It is a form of little league for these kids...even worse for some. It's daycare...

 

[shaolin ninja 4]

Was that brat my student? I remember that kid and I was pretty ticked that he said that. It is a form of little league for these kids...even worse for some. It's daycare...

Haha.

 

[Iron Leopard]

I believe it should be 16 for black belt for a million reasons. One of those being that you don't want a child to think that he can stand face to face with a grown adult and win the fight.

Kids in Martial arts is a funny thing. Of course you want the child to be motivated and focused and get the full benifit. Is not beneficial for the child who doesn't want to be there to be there though? lol

Children can still learn discipline, respect, manners and self defense if they are forced to attend class so it's a tough call.

 

[Mariachi Joe]

helps keep the kids out of trouble too

 

[Carol]

Probationary black for a year before 1st degree becomes official?

Hmm.....interesting. I kind of like the idea.

 

[Danjo]

Was that brat my student? I remember that kid and I was pretty ticked that he said that. It is a form of little league for these kids...even worse for some. It's daycare...

I think you told me that he used to be your student and then he went to train under your then instructor Mr.Turner.

 

[Danjo]

Probationary black for a year before 1st degree becomes official?

Hmm.....interesting. I kind of like the idea.

Sort of a motivator to keep training after you've reached black belt by seeing it as a bench mark in your training rather than a stopping point.

 

[Danjo]

I believe it should be 16 for black belt for a million reasons. One of those being that you don't want a child to think that he can stand face to face with a grown adult and win the fight.

Kids in Martial arts is a funny thing. Of course you want the child to be motivated and focused and get the full benifit. Is not beneficial for the child who doesn't want to be there to be there though? lol

Children can still learn discipline, respect, manners and self defense if they are forced to attend class so it's a tough call.

16 used to be older than it is now. Adolesence has been extended a great deal from what it used to be. One used to be able to drop out of school and join the military at 16 and my general memory of what a sixteen year-old was back in the 60's and 70's was a more mature (or at least hardend by the realities of life) person in general.

As society has changed into a PC world, the general maturity level has dropped along with it. Everyone thinks that they can protect kids these days also. Cerfews, bicycle helmets, elbow and knee pads for skateboards etc. Very few Jungle Gyms left on school grounds, etc. etc.

No longer are kids seeking to be adults as early as possible, but rather the adults are seeking to remain kids as long as they can. TV shows make reaching adulthood unattractive to kids. In the 50's-70's kids shows featured kids who were funny and usually getting into trouble through their childlike ineptitude and at the end, the adults would step in and solve the problems the kids had so humorously gotten themselves into. Now, the sitcoms show the kids as the hip, cool intelligent ones and the adults as out of it, nerdish boors whom the kids have to tolerate while rolling their eyes at how lame the adults are. I could rant for longer, but you get my drift. 30 years ago, giving a 16 year old a black belt didn't seem wrong. I know very few 16 year-olds now (or even 18 year olds for the most part) that I think are mature enough to merit one.

 

[Gufbal1982]

I think you told me that he used to be your student and then he went to train under your then instructor Mr.Turner.

Yup. That's the brat. I will not name any names though. He quit from there too...didn't make it to black belt with Mr. Turner.

 

[Gufbal1982]

Sort of a motivator to keep training after you've reached black belt by seeing it as a bench mark in your training rather than a stopping point.

USSD is doing that junior black belt thing now...which is OK, but now instructors are rushing 12 and 13 year olds to be Junior Black Belts. The upside is that they can't test again until they are 18 and then their skill level will determine if it's a test for 2nd degree or 1st degree.