Your most memorable rank test

[bill miller]

Rank only has meaning within the system that awarded it. A "black belt" means different things in different systems. If it's not your school, it's not your business.

You are exactly right, Dog, it is none of my business,and am well aware that the Dan rank may vary, not only from style to style, but also from instructor to instructor within the style. I never did it, and is just old, grumpy me. I think that it weakens the style in the long run, but understand that rank tests equal money. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing at all wrong with teaching for profit, but when it weakens the system, it is like a double edged sword. Damned if you do, and damned if you don't. There has to be balance.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

You are exactly right, Dog, it is none of my business,and am well aware that the Dan rank may vary, not only from style to style, but also from instructor to instructor within the style. I never did it, and is just old, grumpy me. I think that it weakens the style in the long run, but understand that rank tests equal money. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing at all wrong with teaching for profit, but when it weakens the system, it is like a double edged sword. Damned if you do, and damned if you don't. There has to be balance.

This is what I was talking about earlier. At what point someone gets a given rank doesn't necessarily weaken the system. If someone training hard develops the skill they are working on in some reasonable time period, the system is working. Whether they are a yellow belt or black belt at the time they develop that skill to a given point isn't as material as it feels to us.

 

[Oily Dragon]

This reminds me of a joke I made a while back, forget where.



Young girl with TKD black belt meets a boy with BJJ white belt. Love at first sight.

Her friends ask her "what do you see in him"?

"I like dangerous men".

 

[dvcochran]

This is what I was talking about earlier. At what point someone gets a given rank doesn't necessarily weaken the system. If someone training hard develops the skill they are working on in some reasonable time period, the system is working. Whether they are a yellow belt or black belt at the time they develop that skill to a given point isn't as material as it feels to us.

That would definitely be time in grade. Assuming the curriculum and teacher is of good quality.
What I mean is if a person is not ready in the standard time between testing that is okay as long they are not pushed through.

 

[Unkogami]

Every wrestling match is a rank test, and you can rank down as well as up depending.

 

[_Simon_]

Every wrestling match is a rank test, and you can rank down as well as up depending.

That's actually a really interesting concept!

Imagine if every grading, or even class, you could possibly be downgraded with your rank? Would certainly push the level of everyone potentially haha, or a negative effect of people being on edge constantly

 

[Flying Crane]

That's actually a really interesting concept!

Imagine if every grading, or even class, you could possibly be downgraded with your rank? Would certainly push the level of everyone potentially haha, or a negative effect of people being on edge constantly

I could see a whole lot of paranoia building up around it.

Who gets to downgrade the teacher?

 

[dvcochran]

Every wrestling match is a rank test, and you can rank down as well as up depending.

Never heard of this. Or ranks in wrestling. There are usually levels for competition in grade schools such as Varsity and Junior Varsity. There are ten weight classes in NCAA wrestling.
Been there, done that.

 

[Unkogami]

Never heard of this. Or ranks in wrestling. .....

I think you're missing the point.

 

[dvcochran]

I think you're missing the point.

Okay. Help me out.

 

[Unkogami]

Okay. Help me out.

The point is that your progress in wrestling is marked by actual performance rather than subjective, figure-skating style 'judging' of kata or practiced, staged 'sparring.'

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

The point is that your progress in wrestling is marked by actual performance rather than subjective, figure-skating style 'judging' of kata or practiced, staged 'sparring.'

This rabbit hole feels somewhat familiar.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

The point is that your progress in wrestling is marked by actual performance rather than subjective, figure-skating style 'judging' of kata or practiced, staged 'sparring.'

If that's what you think all rank testing is, you've missed out.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

The point is that your progress in wrestling is marked by actual performance rather than subjective, figure-skating style 'judging' of kata or practiced, staged 'sparring.'

I am truly out of my depth here. I know nothing about any of these things. Could you elaborate so that I can understand the difference? Im not sure about the use of the word performance in this context.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

If that's what you think all rank testing is, you've missed out.

I could see a whole lot of paranoia building up around it.

Who gets to downgrade the teacher?

You do because we already appointed you Grand Poobah of the western region. Oh an btw have you looked over my resume’ for the assistant position?

 

[Flying Crane]

You do because we already appointed you Grand Poobah of the western region. Oh an btw have you looked over my resume’ for the assistant position?

I love it when I find out I am being given extra authority that I didn’t even know existed.

 

[Oily Dragon]

That's actually a really interesting concept!

Imagine if every grading, or even class, you could possibly be downgraded with your rank? Would certainly push the level of everyone potentially haha, or a negative effect of people being on edge constantly

This is how chess is ranked.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Imagine if every grading, or even class, you could possibly be downgraded with your rank? Would certainly push the level of everyone potentially haha, or a negative effect of people being on edge constantly

We've long done something similar. One of the ways students know when they're getting ready to test for their next rank is by their position within their current belt rank. Students can "challenge" the person above them within their belt rank. The challenge is basically a mini-belt test. The winner will move up within that belt. The top people in each belt are the ones who should be considering testing.
Belt ranks could theoretically be stripped or demoted as well, but that was more a disciplinary thing.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

This is how chess is ranked.

Ruthless!

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

We've long done something similar. One of the ways students know when they're getting ready to test for their next rank is by their position within their current belt rank. Students can "challenge" the person above them within their belt rank. The challenge is basically a mini-belt test. The winner will move up within that belt. The top people in each belt are the ones who should be considering testing.
Belt ranks could theoretically be stripped or demoted as well, but that was more a disciplinary thing.

Truly just curious here, what would be a disciplinary infraction that could get your stripes ripped off?