How long did it take you?

It is more a survey question to find out how long did it take people to achieve black belt.(shodan) While black belt does not make one an expert in any art I believe it is an interesting question to find out.


So, having said that, please state the following:
1. How many years did it take you to get your first black belt?
2. how often on average did you practice? (hours per week)
3. Did you have to take time-off (more then a month) because of unexpected injury or other unforeseen event.

4. and finally did you deserve it?
(This last question is related more to find out how many people practiced in McDojos. I've seen people come in one or twice a week and be moved up the ranks along with everyone else, just because they paid for their testing fee.)

Hi Sebastian,

Here is a poll I took a while back:

How long did it take you to reach shodan in aikido? - 5/26/2001
http://www.aikiweb.com/polls/results.html?poll_id=61

-- Jun

I must have missed it.

However this poll only had one question.
Also, your results are very skewed because of the following option that was included "I don't have a black belt yet".
I don't understand why did you include that when the question was "How long did it take you to reach shodan in aikido?" more then 52% of people chose that option.

approximately 10 years
3 times a week - 8 hours
1½ years off due to - financial problems
I can't say I deserved it - I worked for it - it got approved.

Christian Boddum wrote: I can't say I deserved it - I worked for it - it got approved.

My sentiments exactly.
Oh, wait, I mean "Hell yeah I deserved it; I deserved it 3 years ago!"

Asked Sensei how it felt to go from 4th to 5th dan; he answered "It was expensive.", refering to how much the fees were.

1. How many years did it take you to get your first black belt?

6 and a bit

2. how often on average did you practice? (hours per week

average 4.5 (1.5 hr sessions) 7.5 when preparing for tests.
we also have 4 three day seminars a year and a 4 day summer camp of which I missed two total.

3. Did you have to take time-off (more then a month) because of unexpected injury or other unforeseen event.

Summer holidays with family each year usually 3 - 5 weeks

4. and finally did you deserve it?

No but as mentioned before by Christian I worked hard for it and my sensei though I deserved it.

That is poll is completely truthful and interesting because it shows that the majority of the people who want to know how long it takes don't have a black belt yet.

On another note, people in a hurry make spelling or grammar mistakes like me.

1. How many years did it take you to get your first black belt? 2 years
2. how often on average did you practice? (hours per week)- 6-7 days a week 2-3 hours a day, with one seminar about every 1-2 months (average 8 per year). Seminars were usually 6-8 hours.
3. Did you have to take time-off (more then a month) because of unexpected injury or other unforeseen event. Yes. Knee Surgery.
4. and finally did you deserve it? Yes, I worked very hard.

1) About six years. Looks to be around average from the poll.
2) It varied, but after I got my driver's license I was going to around 6 or 7 classes a week.
3) Yeah, I had to take two months off after some jaw surgery shortly before my second kyu test. The oral surgeon and my parents wouldn't listen to my arguments about how aikido really isn't a full contact sport. I ended up taking more time off after shodan but that's another story.
4) My Sensei said I did. I sure worked for it.

1) 12-13 years, but I switched styles

2) The first 8 years 3 times a week, the last 4 before shodan about 5-6 days a week

3) Took off 2.5 years in between switching styles (only actual years of training counted)

4) My sensei thought I deserved it which was what mattered. I have no idea whether I did, but I worked hard. Certainly was not at a McDojo, either place.

I've been practicing steadily since 1982 with the 2.5 year break noted above excluded. Certainly still far from being an expert at anything and fumble just like everyone else, just a little better at disguising it than I used to be . Undoubtedly will take me at least another 20-years to become as proficient as I would like to be, and by that time I'll be riddled with the aches and pains of age. This is added because I don't think we ever arrive, and that the black belt is just a measure and certainly doesn't mean that we know it all, or even very much at all....

1. Almost exactly 20 years, switched styles twice*
2. 0 to 12; Long term average of about 3 (hours per week);
3. Yes - Schedule changes (school), Career Changes (work), *Location Changes (life), Injuries (automotive)
4. Yes.

Mark Uttech wrote: That is poll is completely truthful and interesting because it shows that the majority of the people who want to know how long it takes don't have a black belt yet.

Because those who have one already know, duh.

I got my ShoDan a little over 3 years after joining the Shudokan in the UK. I trained every class available and after getting my 3rd Kyu Brown I was adopted by our Head in UK, Eddie Stratton Sensei - www.shudokan.org.uk - and travelled to Devon once a month and stayed with him and trained Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I miss him so much!

I was also driving to other dojo through the week, and training on my own. So I was training 6+ hours a week in the dojo local to me, plus about 15 hours on the Devon weekends, then about 3 hours a week on my own!

Over 5 years later taking my Shudokan (old Yoshinkan, but not affiliated any more) ShoDan, having moved in to KenShinKai, I retook my ShoDan in KenShinKai/Yoshinkan. I took my Shudokan NiDan nearly 2-1/2 years after the ShoDan - I haven't taken a NiDan in KenShinKai/Yoshinkan yet!