Black Belt????

Nick Simpson wrote: Pardon? I was speaking theoretically, not using myself as an example Dirk. As far as I am aware, I am currently being allowed to test True in a way, however, after receiving Shodan more is expected of you as a senior student/yudansha and you have to strive to meet those standards, not just in the eyes of your sensei but in those of people from other dojo. As a yudansha you will be held to be a good representative of your sensei's dojo and if you dont perform/act with dignity...

While I see the point, that is expected from all our mudansha as well, 3rd kyu more than 6th kyu, sandan more than shodan and thus generally yudansha more than mudansha. It might be explicitely told before shodan grading and the step is bigger than before - technically as well - , but it is all the same.


@mark: Are you sure you meant waist area and not lumbar region? It sounds as you were expected to make many mudansha (preferably female) happy. OK OK unqualified joke, will be deleted and moved to humor region ("aikido jokes, nobody laughs about").

Regards

Dirk

Eric Simmons wrote: I don't understand why martial artists feel the need to get defensive and/or smart when asked how long it takes to get a black belt.

Probably they are talking based on their personal experience like "I have my black belt, but I still don't know Jack."

While I see the point, that is expected from all our mudansha as well, 3rd kyu more than 6th kyu, sandan more than shodan and thus generally yudansha more than mudansha. It might be explicitely told before shodan grading and the step is bigger than before - technically as well - , but it is all the same

Yeah, I know what you mean. It's just sometimes, different responsibilities come for yudansha/senior students compared to mudansha, depending on dojo and instructor...

Mathew Nowak wrote: How long does it usually take to to get a black belt?

Hi

It takes about as long as the buss trip to the martial arts shop cost about 7 bucks

If you have been given a black belt by your sensei after a number of years of training, you will realize that its not the belt that is important, but the journey you took, that is the important part.

Thanks Perry

ok random question I have never thought to ask, once you pass your shodan test, do you have to go out and buy your own black belt or is it generaly presented to you? I have watched several shodan tests and never really noticed or thought to ask

Daniel Hulley wrote: ok random question I have never thought to ask, once you pass your shodan test, do you have to go out and buy your own black belt or is it generaly presented to you? I have watched several shodan tests and never really noticed or thought to ask

In Tae Kwon Do it was presented to me at the end of the test; Give me another couple of years and I'll be able to answer for Aikido.

Daniel Hulley wrote: ok random question I have never thought to ask, once you pass your shodan test, do you have to go out and buy your own black belt or is it generaly presented to you? I have watched several shodan tests and never really noticed or thought to ask

Hi

My first , second , third, fourth, and fith dan belts in karate were all presented formally before the start of the class about 4 months after I took the test all of that has taken 30 years.

I have been practising Akido for quite a number of years now and have not attempted my first black belt grading yet I am in no rush, I guess when I do I will know how it is presented. I have sen others obtain theirs and they were all presented during class times.

Roosvelt Freeman wrote: Probably they are talking based on their personal experience like "I have my black belt, but I still don't know Jack."

Possibly but more likely

a) they know how long it took them but understand it varies from style to style, dojo to dojo, person to person, how often they train and what sort of talent they have. There is no good answer.

b) they know about a) but are too wrapped up in its "not about the belt" to see that it does have some importance for those that are working for it. Its a self centered view but hopefully they will get past it.

In the dojo where I did my grades, a reasonably athletic person who trains 3-4 times a week will have Shodan within 4 years. Some get it faster, some longer. Let's say 3-5 years.

The black belt is usually presented as a gift from your teacher. Of course you pay for it through a higher test fee but with color changes within the kyu grades the belt cost is more explicit.

I ordered my blackbelt via US mail two weeks before my Shodan test. That said something to me about confidence; at least that is what I told the people who asked why I did that.

In my dojo, the dojo members all pool their money to buy a black belt and hakama for whoever is testing for sho dan. So far, there have been 5 of us (wow, that's a lot, there were none when I started), 6 if you count the sensei.

Amelia Smith wrote: In my dojo, the dojo members all pool their money to buy a black belt and hakama for whoever is testing for sho dan. So far, there have been 5 of us (wow, that's a lot, there were none when I started), 6 if you count the sensei.

Sounds like a very nice tradition to have started.

We are given our belts by sensei, costs come out of our regular dojo fees. We don't pay for testing until shodan when we "formally" join Aikikai.

Amelia Smith wrote: In my dojo, the dojo members all pool their money to buy a black belt and hakama for whoever is testing for sho dan. So far, there have been 5 of us (wow, that's a lot, there were none when I started), 6 if you count the sensei.

thats great, I like that idea, I talked to my sensei today and belts come out of the dojo fees, and apparently he wants me to test for 5ht kyu on june 17th....I got some work to do,

Amelia Smith wrote: In my dojo, the dojo members all pool their money to buy a black belt and hakama for whoever is testing for sho dan. So far, there have been 5 of us (wow, that's a lot, there were none when I started), 6 if you count the sensei.

We get our black hakama from the dojo after the shodan test, too. It gets presented by sensei in the first practice after your test. That was a very meaningful moment for me - sort of like coming of age or some rite of passage. A very special memory.