The Hawaiian Blessing and Other Customs

In traditional Karazenpo go Shinjutsu  (KGS), you bring your new belt and new uniform to the ocean. Soak them in the ocean water. Let the water saturate the belt and uniform. This blesses them with the spirit of the ocean and provides you with the strength of the seas. This is called the Hawaiian Blessing. It’s a wonderful custom that was forgotten by many schools and instructors.

Black belt takes time

Another custom of KGS is twisting the belt. Twisting of the newly awarded belt takes some of the newness out of it. Usually, they come out of the wrapper and into the hands of the recently advanced student. The belts are stiff and nearly untieable. The twisting or breaking-in of the belt signifies the efforts you put into training. It also represents the fact that you are not new even though you have a new rank.

During Black Belt ceremonies, there is a custom of breathing into belts. Breathing into the belt transmits the spirit of the Testing Board into the new belt. The master or grandmaster put a bit of their knowledge into your belt. The belt (also known as obi) represents your knowledge of the art and loyalty to the school. This custom links you spiritually to the lineage of your ancestral teachers.

Black Belts also have another custom issued by the master. Getting hit by the belt signifies the combat element of the art. It demonstrates you can take punishment and hardship. The ceremonial hit also symbolically tempers the spirit, forging your perseverance and reminding you of humility.

Finally, newly ranked Black Belts drink a shot of saki when the Testing Board presents it. This ceremonial drink represents camaraderie–sharing a drink with your fellow students. You are now a member of the Yudansha, the Black Belts of the school. You have earned the right to represent the school because of your diligence in training and skill in techniques.

These are some of the more interesting customs found in Karazenpo go Shinjutsu. There are undoubtedly more. Does your school have a custom? Tell us about it in the comments.

        

Kempo Karate for Toddlers

The PeeWee group consists of toddlers (three and four years old) and young children (five and six years old). Their class is a simplified version of regular children’s classes. It runs for 35 minutes: 15 minutes of warm ups, 15 minutes of drills, and 5 minutes of “splash” time. Splash is a word I use to mean a bump of time for sections that run over time.

Black belt teacher helping a yellow belt child

The very short attention span of this age group makes anything longer either useless or detrimental to their learning. In fact, for the first few months, the student may not “pay attention” to the full class. We allow them to develop this ability on their own time. They aren’t disrupting the others. It helps them focus on their objectives. When other kids are listening to the instructor, they begin to listen too.

A Special Class
Each session works on developing physical skills they’ll need for Kempo and school. These mini-skill development drills are couched in the form of games. We segment individual skills out of “regular” techniques and have the children work on one skill at a time. Some of the favorite activities (or games) are jumping and rolling.

Jumping develops strong legs. We also teach proper landing to prevent shin splints. This will give them a “leg up” when they must learn jumping kicks in the older children’s class. Rolling is just a small part of the ukemi (groundwork) regiment. Groundwork is the most challenging for adults to learn. When small children learn how to do it properly, they don’t fear falling.

He’s no Jet Li
The PeeWee group isn’t going to be “excellent” at Kempo. That’s not the objective of this class. In fact, their requirements are lower than that of other students. The goal is to develop physical coordination skills and listening skills. At this young age, getting her arm to do what she wants is a challenge. Secondly, listening to the instructor and following directions is also a valuable skill.

It bears reiterating this class teaches skills disguised as games and a limited amount of techniques. They rarely work out with partners because that leads to distractions or minor injuries. This age group loves to perform movements in sync with the large group. Everyone is doing the same thing at the same time. To a child, this is fun.

Will they ever be good?
This is a valid question in response to the class described above. What we have found over the years is, yes the children do become excellent martial artists. These primary skills of coordination and listening skills translate well to the more advanced Children’s program.

When they promote out of the PeeWee group, what we call Little Leopards, they do not have all the required material for advancement. However, they learn at twice the pace of children who begin class later in life. These highly trained ex-PeeWees pick up information very quickly. They know how to practice, their basic movements are honed, and they want to practice.

It is my experience that graduated PeeWee children move quickly into the accelerated Children’s Program and the Junior Leadership Team “STORM”. They built a foundation of valuable abilities that they exploit when their minds and bodies mature.

Children and Training
You must remember these are small children in a very malleable period of their life. We want them to enjoy exercise, enjoy learning and able to follow directions. They should feel good about what they’re doing and want to do it again. These are life skills, which will benefit them for decades.

Let them have fun. Small children aren’t physically or mentally able to defend themselves from adults. If others tell you otherwise, they’re lying.

So enroll them in the Little Leopards program today. The classes start as young as 3 and 4 years old in addition to the 5 and 6 years old students. Each age group is in its own class. We divide them by theme: Little Dragons, Little Ninjas, Tiny Tigers and Little Pandas.

While you’re at it, Kempo makes a great activity for parents too. Join our class designed for Moms — stay physically active, learn self-defense and learn what your kids are learning.

        

Kempo Marinate and Black Belt Stew

Or what black belts don’t understand about advanced training, time in grade, seeping in.

Black belt takes time

There’s lots of disgruntled whispering at the Black Belt ranks when they see the long times between ranks and testing. Why is it so long? And what value does it have when compared to the four-month average at the lower ranks? It doesn’t seem to translate well at these advanced levels of training. What’s more frustrating is the work includes a lot of the same material in a new light. It seems like starting from scratch. That’s an accurate statement. Black Belts need to relearn their early material with new insights. This is all valuable.

The time between ranks is something I like to call Kempo Marinate. Just like a nice steak or Carne Asada, you need to let the juices soak into the meat. One of the key elements of becoming very good at martial arts is doing repetitions a lot. By the Black Belt level, you need to do it much more than at the lower ranks. In the kyu ranks, a little change is quite noticeable. At the higher levels, change takes longer. It takes thousands of times to work it in deeper into muscle memory. The time in grade requirement reflects this marinating time.

One of the benefits of this level of dedication is you work on the material in different lights, angles and situations. You work on the variations and the no-mind principle. Work continues with different types of attack styles, adapting it on the fly, and spontaneous work.

This age-old tradition works better than most students think. Don’t fight the tradition just because it doesn’t reflect our society’s “instant gratification” syndrome. Let the material soak to the very marrow of your bones. Great ways of doing this is to become a part time or full time instructor. Teaching opens many little doors in the mind and really improves your art. Thinking about why you do things, explaining it to others and then doing them again is a great way to practice.

        

How Phases Work

Teaching a room full of student at different skill levels has vexed instructors for years. What is the best way to keep everyone progressing towards their next rank yet have the least number of instructors on the deck? How do you adjust your lesson when key student levels don’t show up thus sending your plan into a tailspin? Over the last decade, there has been a movement towards Phase Curriculum. Implementation of this concept has been perfected over the years and it helps the instructor plan his class better.

Black belt teacher helping a yellow belt child

First, you must understand the concept. Phase Curriculum is a new paradigm for teaching and ranking. It disassociates material from the rank. So Technique 4 is no longer a Purple Belt technique. It is a technique in Phase 2. It also requires each rank to have the same amount of material. Phases don’t work in an increasing curve of material. Each rank must be teachable in the same time block – usually four months. In a sense, it remakes each Phase a college class.

Next you must understand how the concept is implemented. Each Phase is a block of time, say summer or fall. This block of time is assigned a Phase, like Phase 1 or Phase 4. These Phases are snippets of material that are the focus of instruction during that time period. When the time period or block ends, there is a rank test. Then the next Phase begins. If Phase 2 completes, then the next Phase is 3.

How does it equate to rank colors? This is where the concept gets tricky. Our first three ranks are Candidate ranks. These allow the new student to get comfortable with balance, terms and punching. They are very simple ranks – lower than beginner is – they are introductory sessions. For us, these classes remain the same, outside the Phase circuit.

We start the Phase Curriculum at Purple belt. The former Second Purple material is now Phase 1. First Purple material is now Phase 2, and so on. After you graduate from the introductory cycle, thus you are Purple Belt; you join the Beginner class. Most likely, they are not on Phase 1. Regardless, you join the class and learn say Phase 4 material. Normally, that’s Blue belt material. However, at the end of the cycle, you get promoted to your next rank. You still need Phases 1-3 before you can change classes. The next Phase is 1, and now you learn that material. Other students who finished all the Phases at this level are now Green Belt and move to the Intermediate class.

The classes are divided into ability ranges, namely Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. This equates to Purple-Blue belts, Green-Brown belts, and Black belts. This prevents a new Purple belt from learning difficult Brown belt material. The difference between Purple and Blue belt material is minimal so learning that material “out of order” shouldn’t be an issue. And “out of order” is really a subjective decision anyway. Someone long ago decided to do it that way and poof, it’s “traditional”.

By the time you reach your Black Belt test, you still have all the same material as if you went “in order”. But it has tremendous benefits for the instructor. Now, he only has to prepare for one “level” of material. Everyone in the same class is learning exactly the same thing. The three higher-ranking folks aren’t learning a different kata from the lower ranking folks. Everyone can work together on the same thing at the same time. Now the instructor doesn’t have to split his or her time between two or three groups in the same class. The instructor devotes their full time to all the students at the same time. This is much more efficient.

Here are the highlights of Phase Curriculum. First, classes are divided by similar skill-levels and everyone learns the same material at the same time. Next, those that complete each segment can advanced to the next skill level class, or stay in the class for the next phase. Rank is measured by time and material, but the material is not bound to a particular rank. Finally, by Black Belt, all material is covered.

That’s Phase Curriculum in a nutshell. Its benefits to you are more instructor time and regular advancement dates …and a less stressed instructor.

        

Out with the Old, In with the New

Or why we must untrain bad habits and replace with new good habits

The first three ranks of our school (white, yellow and orange belt) are not called beginner ranks. They are called candidate ranks because new students are a little below beginner-level curriculum. Some may walk in an awkward, unbalanced fashion, others may have a limp posture or roll over their own feet. The first thing our training does is correct these idiosyncrasies and mold the student into a coordinated Kempo artist.

White belt boy punching

In addition to learning the jargon of Kempo training, the new student, the neophyte candidate, must learn how to stand and move in a balanced way. Front position, horse stance and crane stances teach these fundamental postures.

Kata, and all Kempo techniques, require proper movement at all times. We don’t hunch over, we don’t lock our knees, we don’t fall over our feet, nor do we plop at the will of gravity. Kempo artists control all their body movements. They keep their knees bent, they maintain a straight back, they turn their feet so their toes line up with the direction of their movement, and they gently place their foot down.

The most difficult task for instructors of the candidate ranks is convincing these new students that they must give up the bad movements and learn the new ones. Coordination can be learned, but must be embraced and practiced often. Once they gain a familiarity with martial biomechanics and Kempo terminology, they can advance to the beginner levels. Enter the formal Shaolin Temple for regular, intense training. This proper motion is how one can spot an excellent proponent of the arts.

When left to their own devices, people learn bad habits with regards to biomechanical motion. Kempo training helps you learn proper biomechanical movement, but first the training must untrain the bad habits and instill good habits. As the saying goes, “Out with the old and in with the new.”

        

Distance Training

Over the years I seen lots of students leave the school. Many of these long time students were also family members. Most of them still wish to train in Kempo with me yet the shear distance involved doesn’t facilitate the desire. To solve this dilemma I’ve decided to do something anathema to “true” martial arts teachers. I’ve decided to work with them through a remote training program.

The reason why this is method of training brings up such scorn is the art is physical. It needs other humans to act as partner, uke and visual reference. Teachers need to adjust the rising horse stance. Teachers need to remind students about the foot position and the power in the strike. These things require someone actually there to move the elbow, to strike the pressure point and to demonstrate the key element misunderstood by the student.

It is also seen as selling out by a certain segment. However, the sense of selling out is often the cry of instructors with limited business sense who bemoan the fact they can’t afford to do it full time. I on the other hand don’t teach as my career. I have a job that I enjoy. I teach because I love teaching and it is rewarding.

Modern age requires adaptation to the new technologies. We use notebooks. We video to record our practice as a mental reminder. Why not use the Internet and its wonderful tools to help teach. At work, we use the Internet to train others all the time. I’ve taken online classes that were tough and really taught me the information I needed. The same can be done with Kempo. After all, many other Masters already do too.

How to bridge the gap between the good and the bad? You need to actually test and see me during the course so I can correct problems. I can see most of them via video but some just need hands on adjusting. Over the years, I noticed that there are problems that all students have. I say the same things over and over again. If I can record it and play it, I’ll save my voice.

So the point of this mental exercise is I’m working on something now. Extending the dojo into cyberspace with online videos, forums and my lectures in blog form. You’re already reading the first segment of this concept. If you’re a former SKK student with no school near by and want to continue your training, volunteer to be a guinea pig. If you’re interested in learning more now that you’re a Black Belt (and not in a school with your instructor), sign up too.

The point is, you are only limited by the limits you place upon yourself. I choose to think outside the box and learn in a limitless fashion. Join me.

        

Who Can Test Anyway?

NOTE: This article is only for students of the Golden Leopard lineage. It does not apply to other arts or other schools of Kempo.

Who’s authorized to perform tests? What ranks can they grant? These are questions I use to ask myself. What I discovered is there isn’t a standard. It’s all made up. Each style, system and organization has his or her preferences and procedures. To insure the propagation of our Kempo style and the need for consistency, I decided to pen my own “standard” that applies to all students under my lineage. (1)

The Certificates
I issue several certificates. The last award will not be available until I attain those levels myself. They are listed for the sake of completeness.

1. Member of the school - denotes an active member of GLK.
2. Rank Advancement - an award for the completion of a rank.
3. Dan Rank Advancement - an award for the rank of Black Belt and confers the rank of Sibak.
4. Provisional Instructor - authorizes to teach on a limited basis. There is no title awarded.
5. Instructor - authorizes to teach as a certified GLK instructor and confer the title of Sifu.
6. Tester - authorizes to rank up to (and including) 1st Brown Belt. There is no title awarded.
7. Master - authorizes to rank up to 4th Degree Black Belt and confers the title of Master.
8. Grandmaster - authorizes to rank up to (and including) their grade of Black Belt and it confers the title of Grandmaster

How It Works
A roving testing board that visits each school does all testing. Other approved masters or I train this testing board. Not only will they be verifying the abilities of the students; they are also evaluating the quality of the instructor. The instructor will get a review by the testing board on his strengths and weaknesses (teaching skills, adherence to curriculum, martial skills). (2)

At the mandatory weekly instructor class, weaknesses will be addressed and strengths will be examined and duplicated.(3)

This means an authorized “Tester” goes to the school and performs the kyu rank advancement test with the help of the resident chief instructor. The “Tester” and their “Sifu” will approve each test candidate.

After the test, usually at the next regional meeting, the “Tester” will give the “Sifu” an evaluation of his students and teaching. This is designed to be a positive and constructive evaluation to ensure quality.

We don’t allow an instructor to rank his own students because inconsistencies arise between schools when this happens. This system has worked well for other “schools” and it works well for us.(4)

What Ranks can be given?
As mentioned above, someone with the “Tester” award can to rank up to (and including) 1st Brown Belt. That’s all the ranks below Black Belt. A Testers rank can range from 3rd Degree to 4th Degree.

Someone with the “Master” award can rank up to 4th Degree Black Belt. This authorizes them to run “Black Belt Tests” on their own without the Headmaster. However, this is frowned upon since I like to be involved in all Black Belt Tests. The Master ranks are 5th (Jr. Master), 6th (Master) and 7th (Sr. Master).

The award of “Professor” can rank up to (and including) their grade of Black Belt. Basically, they can rank anybody anything. I prefer to award the “Professor” title myself, but it isn’t exclusive. The Professor ranks are 8th (Associate Professor) and 9th (Professor). Just to note, I really can’t rank anyone this high because I’m not this good yet. This section is just here for completeness.

What about 10th Degree Black Belt? That’s for Grandmaster Gascon or his heir to decide. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever be a 10th degree. I feel a system should only have one leader. Our system is Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu—the original Shaolin Kempo. We have the good fortune of having the founder (Grandmaster Gascon) available for questions and training.

Quality Assurance
Another quick note to add is the concept of re-qualification.  Currently, every two years both Instructors and Testers need to retest for their award to keep it current. We don’t want folks with teaching credentials sitting around for years getting rusty then popping up to teach again. The same is true for Testers.

Prior to the retest, we hold a seminar or training intensive to make sure all the Instructors and Testers are still up to standards. If there is new procedures, we want them to know. If there was a particular drift from standard style, we want to discuss it and clear up that topic before it divides the organization. If there are new, better ways of teaching something, we want the Instructors to know about it.

Conversely, if the Instructors or Testers have some problems or suggestions, the senior Instructors want to know. It’s a bilateral discussion and sharing. We explore the art together, not hand down judgements from an Ivory Tower. None of us are that good, especially me.

Conclusion
If in doubt, ask to see the Head Tester’s certificate. He (or she) should have a copy of it when they visit the dojo for testing. Don’t feel awkward about questioning their authority. You’re just interested in preserving the art and following the rules. These rules are designed to help all of us stay on track. Without guidance, some people start to do their own thing. This results in inconsistency and bad feelings.

Just remember to train hard and give your best effort at all tests. It’s your time to shine and show your progress.

(1) There is an exception. Anyone under Grandmaster Fugate should follow his guidelines.

(2) Taken from the interim _Rules and Regulations of the Golden Leopard Kempo Organization_, 1999.

(3) Ibid.

(4) This system is borrowed from the United Studios of Self Defense, East Coast. It’s a solid way of ensuring quality of black belts within a system. Often times, different masters are softer or harder than others, which begins to skew results and cause friction.

        

Gi Color Myth Revealed

During the 70s and 80s, it became fashionable for some Kempo instructors to propagate the myth of white and black gi. That myth will be discussed below. Prior to judo, there was no gi. With the wide spread interest in Karate-do, the bleached white karate-gi became very common.

The Hawaiians developed use of the black gi to distinguish them from karateka. One of the primary arts using the black gi was Kosho Ryu Kempo (Mitose’s art), which later was popularized as Kajukenbo. The karate-gi has no relation to the robes of Shaolin monks. They are two different cultures with two different modes of dress.

If you take the TV series “Kung Fu” as a credible source, the young boys wore black clothes. The older initiates wore white and black clothes. Once they passed the 108 Chamber Room, they could wear the orange robes of the monk. But I warn you that it may not be credible. A better source would be a book on the actual Shaolin Temples. Just remember, a Chinese-artist doesn’t wear a karate-gi.

The modern Kempo myth says the first few ranks are representative of being outside the Temple walls. The new student is trying to earn membership into the actual Temple. Once they enter into the “Temple” for real training, they can don the “black” gi. It’s quite a cute tale, but it’s not accurate.

The school’s chief instructor gets to choose what color uniform (or style) the students wear based solely on their preferences. Some prefer the “gung fu” uniform with turtle buttons. Others may opt for the XMA sleeveless uniform. Most prefer karate-gi colored black. A few enterprising schools use army battle dress uniforms or specialized uniforms custom-made.

Why Do We Wear Black
We use black gi to show our heritage from Hawai’i and it shows less dirt. Black gi has a mystique. It looks “cool”. The karate-gi is handy to use in class. It is more durable than cotton sweats. Not as confining as “biker shorts”. And they distinguish us as martial artist.

The color has a little to do with the Chuck Norris movie, “Good Guys Wear Black”. I’m one of his fans but good guys can wear whatever color they like. Keep a modicum of fashion sense before you introduce odd ball uniforms. In short, don’t get worked up over false traditions.

Tracy’s Chinese Kenpo’s website has a great article or two on the origins of Kenpo gi colors and styles. Take a minute or two and read them. This style also introduced the eye-boggling checkerboard-swirl pattern that was popular in the 70s and early 80s. Our industry is now large enough to support all sorts of interesting uniforms and colors so enjoy the selection. In another 30 years, I’ll be writing about why lightning stripes on the pant legs are traditional.

I’m still holding out for leopard print uniforms.

        

About Black Belt Testing

What is it for? Why is it so arduous? We test the candidates’ mettle. They should already know and execute the required material with a high degree of skill. No one is recommended unless they can perform at a Black Belt skill level. The exam is really evaluating the ability to perform Kempo under intense pressure and stress.

Is there historical precedence? There is none, day to day life is stress enough. In most early schools, your name got moved from the grade level list to the Black Belt list. As people read the board, they would shake your hand. Most of the modern day Black Belt testing is a new development.

Here is our take on the test. We live in a comfortable and safe community. We need to add the pressure of survival to this existence. It should bring forth the indomitable spirit of the Kempo candidate. Black belts don’t give up, they just do. The Nike sales mark “Just Do It” should be the motto of all Kempo Black Belts.

Why is it so physically draining? You have to be exhausted to teach the concept of “second wind”, third wind and so on. You must overcome your tiredness to complete your mission and achieve your goal. You can’t explain that, it must be done. It must be experienced. Everyone must do it for himself or herself. The test provides an opportunity to do that. An opportunity to experience your real boundaries.

The Black Belt test should never degrade into a hazing ritual or a sadistic “Simon Says”. It should be a furnace to forge the final mental and emotional elements needed for Black Belts.

The Black Belt test should not be dreaded, but it should not be feared either. It is a milestone on your personal development. This test only marks the halfway point to mastery.

        

Colored Belt Ranks are traditional?

Colored belts, a tradition from the earliest times of martial arts history. Hmm, I think not. The colored belt ranking system is a recent invention, the belt, however is an old invention primarily made to hold up pants and tie jackets to the body. So why is there such reverence paid to the colored belts? Isn’t there another function besides a purely utilitarian use? Let’s start with a definition of a martial arts belt.

According to “The Original Martial Arts Encyclopedia: Tradition-History-Pioneers”, the belt, called obi, is worn around the waist of most Okinawan, Japanese and Korean martial arts. (1) (pg. 2)

“They are generally long enough to be wrapped twice around the wearer’s waist and then tied in a square knot, with 10 to 15 inches hanging from either side of the knot. Before the 20th century most belts were colorless.” (Pg. 2)

What do you mean “colorless”? How did they know what kyu rank they were? At the time, it didn’t matter. The instructor was usually your relative that you saw every day. He remembered your skill level. After all, only twenty or so family members trained with the sensei.

As often explained in my classes, the colored belt is a visible sign of skill, mental cue for instructor. When an instructor scans his third class of 30 students, his mind goes numb trying to remember who has which kata and who needs which technique. By setting a standard curriculum with specific requirements, the memory requirements of an instructor is greatly reduced. When your sensei sees that blue belt you’re wearing, he knows you have (just for arguments sake) 6 forms and 20 techniques. If you don’t then he knows what to show you.

The colored belt is also beneficial for the student. Ranks can act as milestone markers toward the goal of Black Belt. Any time you set a major goal, you should break it down into several sub-goals or milestones. This is an excellent method for seeing the improvement and strides you’ve made towards your goal. Otherwise, you may loose sight of the progress in skill you’ve earned.

In more traditional schools, colored-belts are also a sign of seniority. Certain ranks have specific duties based on their seniority in the school. In many Kempo schools, higher rank students are in the front rows during drills. This allows new students and beginners to see how techniques are done and follow along until they are comfortable with the class structure.

Who started the ranking system anyway? Many people credit the founder of Judo, Jigoro Kano, with the modern ranking system. Master Kano wanted a way to organize judo competitors by skill. All the non-Black Belts had the same rank but their skill varied considerably. He assigned students to various grades that grouped the beginners by skill level. As a neophyte advanced in skill, he could compete with others of comparable skill.

What are the correct colors? There aren’t any universal or standard orders. Many styles have implemented various orders, especially in eclectic styles that blend several arts together. The origin of colored belts can be traced back to the Tracy brothers of Chinese Kenpo(2) when they asked their Asian suppliers what other colors belts could be manufactured. (You could say Kempo is to blame for the colored belt phenomena.)

Korean arts use belt colors that don’t match Japanese belt colors progression. Both of these don’t match many Kempo ranks. From the local schools I’ve visited, Korean schools use white, gold, yellow, green, blue, purple, red, and black. Though I’ve been to schools that have brown belts too. Some of the Japanese schools use white, green, blue, brown and black. Gracie Jui-jitsu uses white, blue, purple, brown and black. This leaves Kempo, which uses white, yellow, orange, purple, blue, green, brown and black. There are schools that use different orders that the ones listed above.

To make matters worse, Chinese arts didn’t have belt or sash rankings until the 1980s. The Chinese gung fu schools I’ve been to rank by set or form. Each form can have three levels - student, instructor or master. Then again, Chinese schools are run in a less formal atmosphere. Most don’t require uniforms or formal school etiquette like their Japanese counterparts do.

If the colors represent different levels depending on the style, how do you compare ranks? All schools assign a kyu rank to the color belt. Kyu ranks or grades are those students who have not been awarded the Black Belt or shodan grade. In other words, beginning students. These kyu ranks compare easily from style to style. In Kempo, the kyu ranks are organized into three groups - candidates, beginners and intermediate.

Corcoran and Farkas describe the dan ranks like this:

“It usually takes three to four years of ascent through the kyu or gup grades to reach 1st-degree Black Belt, at which the dan ranks commence in some systems. Sixth degree and upward are awarded for merit or accomplishment, instead of physical proficiency.”

Dan ranks or degrees are levels of Black Belt. Below are the Japanese and Okinawan dan ranks:

1. shodan - 1st degree
2. nidan - 2nd degree
3. sandan - 3rd degree
4. yodan - 4th degree
5. godan - 5th degree
6. rokudan - 6th degree
7. shichidan - 7th degree
8. hachidan - 8th degree
9. kudan - 9th degree
10. judan - 10th degree

In the United States, many styles and masters are able to work together. Some masters promote exemplary instructors for their work for the benefit of martial arts and the community. Often times, these promotions are done across styles. As stated previously, ranks from 6th to 9th dan are honorary, awarded for merit or accomplishments. It would also be a fair assessment of a master’s abilities to recognize quality and skill that many would be unable to judge.

Self-promotion, on the other hand, is less honorable and lacks the necessary humility required by expert of the arts. “The Martial Arts Encyclopedia” notes that many Black Belts have emerged since the mid-1960s with questionable qualifications. Corcoran and Farkas go on to state that “…an especially acute problem is the large number of high-ranking Black Belts whose only achievement has come through self-promotion of rank.”

Is it bad? Is it wrong? That is something each individual needs to determine. Most styles have not formal organization to control the issuance of ranks and promotions. Judo is a prime example of an art that has gained control over ranking and teaching. Until such time as other styles are able to follow suite, there will not be a universal standard.

However, one might ask, who has the authority to dictate the qualifications for new ranks? The government? Some arbitrary board of directors? No, your style and your masters dictate what the qualifications are. Tae Kwon Do is a great example of a worldwide style that holds strict guidelines for advancement agreed upon by many masters. Also, masters outside of their style promoted many instructors to higher grades because they recognize that instructor’s ability. This was (and remains) the main method of high grade promotions.

The ranking system is a great tool for martial arts instructors. That’s why it caught on. It’s so successful that many Chinese styles are formulating a similar system utilizing sashes. When large numbers of students enter a dojo, an instructor must use tools and systemization to regulate and perfect their training. The ranking concept is nearly universal, but the implementation of the concept varies from dojo to dojo. My advice is, don’t fret over the little stuff. Admire skill and humility over boasting and ranking.

Footnotes:

1. “The Original Martial Arts Encyclopedia: Tradition-History-Pioneers” by John Corcoran and Emil Farkas, Pro-Action Publishing, 1993.
2. Tracy Kenpo International Catalog, 1991.