Age vs Black Belts

at what age should some one recive there black belt ? i`ve seen so many articals and seen so many black belts durin my trainin career. To me black belt should only be issued when the person and the mentle apptitude and attertude ie when the 15yrs on wards. to me kids below that age dont have the qualties and mentle attertude to have it. Yes they may be good and know everythin but they dont have the strength either or abillity to understand what they are doin ie a punch hows dose a puch work ect. To me it spoils the sport

all my students have to wait till their 18 to sit an adult back belt .
we have a cadet grading system that goes into dan grades but they are only cadet rank .
i have seen tkd's with 3rd dan at 14 yrs , it's a joke .
the arts we study , wether you like it or not are violence based , and at that age the student could not possibley understand the concept or the context of what he is doing.

my basic requirment for a black belt student is to be functional.
if you cant understand it you cant function in it.

cheers
matt

my thoughts exactly what bloke is gona listern to a kid? no kids understands what it really means to have that grade to many styles are giving black belts like sweets. I know some styles say u can get a black sash in 18 months thats bull. NO one can reach that standered in that amount of time I`m glad lau gar is not like that and i know some not many clubs have really high standereds which is what is really needed

here goes again biggrin.gif i'll be contraversial again ohmy.gif

at least 50% of the students i have under 16 are living out their parents dreams .
i get dad's comeing in pushing their child on , going on about when he did karate and wished he had stayed with it !!!!!!!!!!! wink.gif

there are 2 benifits for the parents , 1) they can push their kids to the brink and they dont feel it , 2) they get to go to the pub and chat (boast) about how good their little black belt is .
sad really

the other 49% are there for themselves , and want to be good , but are under peer presure that they must achieve .
and have a view that a black belt automaticaly makes them good (yea a bit of fabric can increase the ability )

then there are the rare 1% that are natuarally gifted and have a great understanding .

but a black belt is just like anything else these days , every bugger and his cat has one .

but this is only my opinion, i just truely hate what the arts have become , i gave my life to it and have made a lifetime of sacrafices for it,.
to become the pile of shite it has .
sadly i fear i am becoming one of these clowns teaching in this circus.
shame really , such a great thing reduced to parlour tricks and gymnastics .

cheers
matt wink.gif

Personally,

I do not feel that age has got anything to do with maturity nor experience. I have met 14 yr old kids who are mature beyond their years and are studying, working to help supplement the family's income while at the same time find time to come in to train.

On the other hand, I have also met, unfortunately, my fair share of 40 yr olds who have led sheltered and spoilt lives who who no idea about being grateful nor appreciative.

Every clan will have their share of idiots and stars. Being a black belt does not make you a star nor this it exclude you from being an idiot.

In short, black belts should not be awarded by the candidate's age but reflected upon their character.

shitoneme

thats the great thing with a forum .
a great place to share opinions.

cheers
matt

but sadly we are talking about the masses .and i have at present over 200 students , studying 5 different systems .and i have seen all sides , and years of it too , times have changed and we live in a material world and a black belt is now a possesion to be brought and sold , the idea of a 13 yr old black belt !!!!!!!!!
in my base art kenpo it's a 8+year journey to black .
and the truth is you cant put an old head on young shoulders , it just dont work.
altho i do agree with what you said about some 40 year olds with no idea , this is true .

cheers
matt

Is the colour of your belt important?

I always say 'Judge the man not the belt!'

Unfortuantly the art I practice has a severe problem with the issuing of rank. As a consequence I am now totally unimpressed when someone tells me what rank they hold.

I'll wait till I see what they can do on the tatami :-)

I have been realy impressed by 3rd kyus and totally umipressed by 7th Dans.

I know make it a point of telling those who are good...they are good and those that suck.....I'll leave what I tell them to your imaginations LOL. I have upset a few people over the years LOL

If a martial art wants to give out rank to those that fail to have the relevant skill, experience or knowledge.........it's their lookout LOL ;-)

Merlyn

n our school, we use coloured shirts as representation of our levels.
though, the higher level the shirt says only so much as how much you know
or are supposed to know. they in no way represent exactly how good you are.
for me, i am a red shirt (level 5), but i have the skill, power, and knowledge to rival (if not overcome) that of many of the level 8 students and their counterparts in other schools, blackbelts.
though, just because of my expertise, i have absolutely NO right to teach a student of higher level at my school, no matter how much better i am than they...

I suppose... a black belt (or any advance of a belt level) shouldn't be thought of as a gift...but more rather as a burden as it comes laden with the responsibilities of greater expectations.
(forgive the shallow thoughts..but i am rushed as i type this xD bells about to sound for next class, lol)

yuujirou

well everyone has some very good and valid opinions in this subject.

this is at the point that politics overcomes ability , and rank overcomes skill.
i often have quest instrucktors , like a mete i have called luke , i aint a tkd fan myself but the guy has some great kicks , he comes in and teaches , also another mate that does judo .
i also have kid's from other clubs of mine that do bjj or thai with me , they come across to kenpo and help my students there out with stuff , this also goes vise versa, it teaches my students to respect other arts and rank .
i get a orange belt kickboxing to teach a black in kenpo to kick , then i get a kenpo chap to teach a kickboxer to move.
cheers
matt