Who is qualified to grade?

[Xue Sheng]

I will take your word that there are schools that teach Chinese martial arts in the USA that don't use rank but from what I've seen, some schools that in the past haven't used rank are starting to. This one school that I visited in NYC that teaches the Eagle Claw system originally didn't have rank but ended up coming up with a ranking system that consisted of colored sashes where a black sash was the lowest rank and a white sash was the highest rank.

I wouldn't say that the need to be ranked is entirely an American thing or that wanting rank is a typical attitude in the USA, after all there are some combat sports, if not martial arts I would at least call them combat sports, that have a long history in the USA that traditionally haven't and to this day still don't have rank. American boxing and American wrestling for instance, typically don't have rank.

you believe what you want, don't let my over 30 years experience in CMA get in your way...

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I wouldn't say that the need to be ranked is entirely an American thing or that wanting rank is a typical attitude in the USA,

A: Could you give me a Taiji black belt?
B: How can I give you a Taiji BB if I don't even have a Taiji BB myself?

If you are a Taiji teacher B, what will be your respond to your Taiji student A?

 

[Same Trick]

white sash was the highest rank.

usually in Chinese tradition white is associated with death so it’s the color to wear during funeral processions, if one is not a direct by blood relative one may just wear a white cloth around the waist

 

[PhotonGuy]

you believe what you want, don't let my over 30 years experience in CMA get in your way...

As I said, I believe you.

 

[PhotonGuy]

A: Could you give me a Taiji black belt?

Does Taiji even have belts of rank?

B: How can I give you a Taiji BB if I don't even have a Taiji BB myself?

If you are a Taiji teacher B, what will be your respond to your Taiji student A?

That's assuming Taiji even has belts of rank, if it does anybody could hand you a belt and say you're a Taiji black belt.

 

[windwalker099]

That's assuming Taiji even has belts of rank, if it does anybody could hand you a belt and say you're a Taiji black belt.

In general it might be better to think in terms of "level" rather then "rank"

Many use this as a common way of assessing skill level

Ming Jin (明勁) – "Obvious Power"
An Jin (暗勁) – "Hidden Power"
Hua Jin (化勁) – "Transforming Power"


As some have mentioned there are no "belt" rankings although China does have a ranking system

"The Duan (段) system is a relatively modern development in the history of traditional Chinese martial arts. It became more widely used in the 20th century, especially after the formation of centralized martial arts organizations like the Chinese Wushu Association (CWA)."

IME not typically used by what might be called folk teachers, who tend to rely on their own style’s lineage.

 

[Prince_Alarming]

A: Could you give me a Taiji black belt?
B: How can I give you a Taiji BB if I don't even have a Taiji BB myself?

If you are a Taiji teacher B, what will be your respond to your Taiji student A?

"Here is a piece of bailer twine, use it to hold your trousers up"?

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Yes in kung fu they wear sashes and originally you would just wear a white sash and it would be the same sash you would wear the entire time and the only purpose it served was to hold the jacket closed. Over time the sashes would get dirty since unlike the rest of the uniform the sash was not washed. So more experienced students had darker sashes, and that played a role in the development of the colored belt system.

This is pure nonsense.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

I’ve practiced CMA for 27 years, I’ve visited many CMA schools. One of my training brothers interviewed dozens of CMA instructors of various ethnic backgrounds for a book he wrote. In my experience, the only CMA schools using colored belts or sashes were of the American strip mall variety. The worst Asian restaurants are always the ones that display a sign that reads Chinese/Korean/Japanese/American food served here. These can also be found in the American strip mall, typically next to the Cobra Kai school that teaches Jujitsu/Karate/Kung fu/Tae Kwon Do.

 

[Same Trick]

I’ve interacted some with practitioners of modern sports wushu, they wear belts, but under the jacket, it’s a somewhat wider elastic thing that works as kind of a waist and lower back stabilizer and giving a stronger sense of physical cantered .
I believe the Iaido belt(obi) that’s also a quite wider thing work in this way too.