To earn a blackbelt. The requirements to do so range quite a bit, but what should they be? I guess that depends upon how one defines a blackbelt. I've heard a lot of different definitions from a lot of people over the years, but in my opinion, it breaks down to one of three categories.
1. The end result of showing up for two years and paying tuition and testing fees.
2. The ability to pass a test of the cummulative knowledge and technique from white belt.
3. The reward (along with a 1st dan certificate) for passing a test that challenges the testee in areas of technique, stamina, and spirit which the student may take only after the student is deemed ready by the master. A student who wears a black belt is proficient in all of the basic forms and technique and has maturity to match his or her physical skills.
In scenario number one, the student gets a blackbelt for paying and showing up. The belt promotions are held every 1-3 months and the main goal is to build the student's confidence. There is no pass or fail; everyone succeeds whether they deserve to or not. This is most frequenly the case with McDojo type schools. Paper blackbelts is another term, though with the caveat that some of these blackbelts will be legit and highly skilled. Sadly, slacker students, students with rotten attitudes, and students who couldn't fight to save their life (which is kind of the whole reason to take a martial art; to be able to save your life) all get rewarded equally in belt and in rank. This type of testing scenario does not automatically mean that the instruction is poor; instruction may be excellent with the idea that most of the students quit after blackbelt anyway.
In scenario number two, there is a pass/fail. You pass, you get your belt, you fail, you test again until you do pass. This is rather like school: everyone who scores below a certain point fails. Everyone who sores above a certain mark passes. A student who receives a 'D' scores a 'passing' grade, thus getting a belt, same as the 'A' student. The student may only be ten and unable to really defend themselves in the real world or may lack the maturity that one traditionally expects from a blackbelt, but they have demonstrated that they retained the cummulative knowledge and can execute the techniques correctly.
In scenario number three, the student must show a specific level of proficiency, maturity, and have the ability to actually defend themselves. This is not a master student, but the student must demonstrate a level of physical stamina, technical mastery, knowledge, maturity, spirit, and fighting prowess that is above and beyond that of lower belt students. In this scenario, the blackbelt itself is not the goal; the knowledge and skill are the goal and blackbelt is merely confirmation of that knowledge and skill. It is an honour presented to the student, not only marking him or her as being proficient, but recognizing the maturity of mind and spirit. In this scenario, there are no preordained testing dates or testing cycles (e.g. every one/two/three months); the master informs the student that they will test when the master feels that they are ready. Likewise, each colored belt is handled the same.
I frankly do not agree with the approach of scenario one at all, though from a business point of view, I do understand it. I have trained in such places and gotten excellent instruction. But it grates on me that students get a blackbelt and cannot defend themselves, perform in tournament, or even demonstrate their knowledge and technique if called upon to do so two weeks after their promotion. This setup is of course, the most immediately financially rewarding; with the blackbelt virtually guaranteed, and generally in less than two years, more students are apt to sign up and stick around. This is also appealing to parents: after all, they know the exact amount of time their martial arts commintment is, the exact cost, and since 90% or more of the kids have no intention of continuing past their blackbelt anyway, this scenario brings them in, gives them what they want; the blackbelt, and gets them on their way. All the while, the school makes a decent living and can remain open. The downside is that the school gets a reputation amongst the MA community as a belt for sale school and when the hard times hit, the emphasis on short term profit can undo a business very rapidly.
I am much more comfortable with this scenario and see it as the best compromise between scenario one and scenario three. This provides the school with a smaller, but still good sized pool of blackbelts, but of a higher average qualilty. From business standpoint, I feel that this is probably the best. You still have a good idea of time commitment; probably two to three years, and a good idea of the cost. Since the tests are not an automatic pass, students are more likely to work a little harder; after all, they want that belt. With an emphasis on performance and maturity, the school will have a higher average caliber of student than in scenario one and will likely be appealing to adult beginners who have money to spend and don't have the inclination to be a tounament champ or a bad-ass, but want a more grown up oriented environment than you typically get in scenario one. This type of set up is also appealing to kids as well; if they aren't trained to 'expect' a belt, they will strive more because they want the belt. Parents will likely see more of what they sign their kid up for martial arts classes for in the first place: true confidence, discipline, physical developement, and self defense. Additionally, a serious martial artist can thrive in scenario three; they see the rank as having meaning in the school and don't see the belts as being simply a comodity to be purchassed.
In my opinion, scenario three is the best for the serious martial artist. No, it is not the most immediately financially rewarding, but is more likely than scenario one and two to yield long term results. The school owner will likely never do tremendously well financially unless he or she has another source of income. Scenario three will tend to turn off the buy your belt crowd; the first few lessons will send them packing. But over the long haul, scenario three will also keep more of the students who commit. Blackbelt will likely take four years or more. but the end product will be a much more solid and dedicated student.
This is all a bit of a generalization, and there are hard as nails schools that are just hard as nails with lousy training, just as there are McDojos that have superb instruction, and there are scenario two schools filled with out of shape adults who pat themselves on the back for finally being able to kick higher than their own waist. Generalizations are not meant to be exhaustive. But you get the idea. I have heard a lot of different ideas of what constitutes an appropriate set of requirements for earning a black belt. I spelled out the general categories into which most of these ideas fall simply to point out just how differently the blackbelt is perceived by different people.
I'm going to give a little of my own personal opinion regarding black belt requirements. I'll stay away from specifics, like number of kicks or how many boards the testee must break. Firstly, the test must have a uniform set of requirements. These requirements should be the same, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or any other category one cares to think of. For example: if a twenty year old lad is required to break three boards at a time, then the middle aged woman must be able to also. If the twenty year old can break five at a time, so much the better. But both should be required the same number. Secondly, a student who earns a blackbelt should be reasonably proficient in all of the skills that they have learned. By reasonable, I mean that their kicks should be powerful and correctly executed. The testee shouldn't be required to do a 180 split kick, but his or her roundhouse kick should be distinct from his or her front kick. Side kicks should be recognizable as side kicks, and the student shouldn't nealy fall over every time they throw a kick due to poor ballance. Thirdly, the student should be proficient in sparring. I don't mean tournament champion, but I do mean that the student should be able to demonstrate offense and defense against a live opponent in regular sparring. Fourth, the student should be proficient in self defense. I don't mean be unbeatable; simply proficient. And lastly, the student should have a level of discipline and maturity that befits a dan ranked student. They should show confidence and spirit.
I have heard it said that blackbelt is someone who has learned how to learn. I cannot take credit for the saying, but I do agree with it. A blackbelt is not a master. For that reason, I make no time in colored grade requirement; when the master feels that the student is ready, be it after a year or after five years, that is the time to test. Once a student reaches dan rank, they should have a teachable attitude and a disciplined mind that will enable them to grasp the advanced techniques and deeper meanings of their martial art, whatever it may be.
Requirements should not be seen as a means to get a belt. That is the big mistake that most people make. The belt should be given if and when the student has achieved the requirements as an outward symbol of that achievement, not as a prize to reward the student.
Just a few thoughts.
Daniel
Tags: Blackbelt First Dan Dan Rank
