Why bother with grading?

I have trained on and off in many different styles of martial arts since I was 10 years old, I am now 30. Over this period I reckon I done at least 8 years of contiounious training. But because I changed clubs and styles so much I never got past the middle grades of green blue or purple depending on the style. However, even today when I enter competitions, I enter them wearing a black belt, and most of the time I win until I come up against 3rd or 4th dans. I have often taken home first and second place medals when going against 1st, 2nd and sometimes even 3rd dans. More importantly, I have only one instructor, who is a 7th dan, that can beat me outside of competition, generally as a club challenge where it is more like a street fight with only basic rules so as not to cause very serious injury. But I have beeten many of my past instructors who are 4th, 5th and even a 6th dan, along with others from other clubs. Why therefore, do they refuse to grade me to 1st dan so I can teach

Why bother with grading?
Just stick with one club and style long enough to get it. Rules are rules. Although you%26#039;re experienced enough and are good enough to teach, you should have had enough experience by now to know that you need to stick with one style long enough to get the black belt.





It%26#039;s just like a college education. You can take a jillion different courses but if you don%26#039;t have enough of just one kind, you%26#039;ll never get a degree, even though you%26#039;re probably as smart as heck.





Also, martial arts isn%26#039;t just about kicking someone%26#039;s butt, it%26#039;s way more than that. It%26#039;s about discipline. If you lack the patience and discipline to legally get certified, then maybe there%26#039;s a reason why nobody will let you teach. Look into yourself and ask yourself why someone might not want you to be a teacher. Do you set a good example to others? Does your frustrations hurt relationships with others? Will you be able teach young kids not only how to defend themselves, but how to grow as people and learn valuable lessons in life? Once you ask those questions and more, you may have the answer you%26#039;re looking for.
Reply:Probably for the same reason that they don%26#039;t allow all of us know-it-alls here on YA to start cutting people open and prescribing pills without going through the process. Just because you know a lot does not mean you are qualified to teach others.





Response to your additional info;


When I became a Paramedic I wanted to teach other Paramedics. To be frank with you, usually the better you are at something the worse you will be at teaching it; you’re expectations will be too high. I don%26#039;t teach Paramedics, except for certification classes, but rather, I earned my Masters degree and teach occupational health classes. If I teach Paramedics I%26#039;ll expect them to do what I do. If you want to teach, either get the credentials to do so, or volunteer teaching at a lower level. Anyone that wants to teach that badly, I must say, I have suspicions about. I suspect your motivation is based in vanity and not at all in actually educating anyone.
Reply:It%26#039;s just like work...does your manager ask you to do things they should know how to do but YOU are the one teaching them??? It%26#039;s a power struggle...always. Don%26#039;t wait on them to %26quot;allow%26quot; you to be a teacher....kick their 7th dan asses, preferably in the middle of a busy intersection so all of us who are bored to death can finally see some action other than the managers *** crack sticking through her fat *** polyester red summer capris that she thinks she looks so hot in. As a matter of fact I would like to see you kick HER ***, she comes from like the 7th level of hell....Then sensei, you may be awarded the honour of teacher...
Reply:THEY REFUSE TO GRADE YOU BECAUSE YOU WILL TAKE AWAY THEIR JOB! FIND A PLACE WHERE THEY DON%26#039;T KNOW YOU ARE GOOD AT IT AND LET THEM GRADE YOU....PRETEND YOU ARE NOT GOOD ...I REALLY DON%26quot;T KNOW WHAT TO SAY...





MAYBE GET YOUR GREEN AND


BLUE AND PURPLE THEN YOU WILL GET YOUR GRADE.





I DON%26#039;T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT KARATE BUT GOOD FOR YOU YOU BEAT THEM...
Reply:They don%26#039;t want to put a low skilled person up against a higher skilled person. You though sound like your doing the Bruce Lee Jeet Kune Do and borrowing what works for you into your own personal style.





Very few martial artists go against other styles and it can really prove their weakness on the mat. I would say you should teach Jeet Kune Do sort of thing but each person needs to figure out what works best for their body type size and strength. Its really an almagamation of already learned arts and not learning one from scratch.





There is also the fact that there is more to the arts than just winning and beating people. Having knowledge of other facets of the art and having the skills of teaching are needed. I know nothing to you and cant say you do or dont have this. It may be that those higher rank than you feel you didn%26#039;t progess along the proper route and don%26#039;t deserve to teach.





One possibility you have is when you meet others from now on say you don%26#039;t view people by belt rank only by the skill they can show. As a result you don%26#039;t view your own belt rank. You can then show your skill to other and perhaps they will let you teach.





I personally have never wanted to teach and prefer to futher my own education and physical fitness.
Reply:although you are skilled, moving around may be seen as a lack of discipline and committment.





Belts (especially the dan grades) are given for service as well as ability, achievement etc. You service to a specific dojo or style is certainly missing.





There are multi-discplinary schools, especially outside karate. Try one of those. If that does not work - you need to look at yourself
Reply:Judging by your question, you allready know well that fighting in competition is very different to fighting in the street or in a dojo with few rules. But I would like to support your point by saying that I know a great many martial artists who are not black belts for the same reasons you described above but are really excellent fighters. Even Bruce Lee himself hated the grading system because back in his time it was just being invented and standardised, and the first so called %26quot;Black Belts%26quot; were awarded by other people who felt they were %26quot;good enough%26quot; to be able to judge who should have a black belt and to what level. At that time in the early 30%26#039;s and 40%26#039;s. there was only black belts, it was not until later that they baught out the grades before black belt.





All the so called history about how people got a white belt at the start, and it got dirty through years of training to eventually become black is a load of crap. I%26#039;ve done the research and know this for a fact. In fact, the only reason a belt was worn at all is simply because it was a part of the traditional clothing of those who were using it at the time, and this traditional clothing was carried over when people begain training amaricans and europeans around 150 to 200 years ago.





And I feel personally, that the grading system in place today is only there for monetary and status puposes, primarlly the former even though many martial artists would have you beleive it is the latter. While I dont wish they do away with grading altogether, I do think is should become much more standardised. The effect of the grading system can clearly be seen to be benificial to the majority of people. But clearly it can also hold people back too.





It is my understanding that you can demonstrate your skills in front of a body of martial artists like the %26quot;Martial Arts Commission%26quot; and they will award you with a grade so you can begin teaching if you really are this good. It would be a sad day in the martial arts if people like you were lost as teachers. Its people like you who study the art without bothering about the grading that instill the true spirit of the old style martial arts. If you have noticed, in the past, it is those who have the ability to study many arts, and mix them efficiently, that become the best fighters and truly have the best understanding of martial arts.





Good luck with your goals, and forget about the black belt. Start your own style, and teach proudly!
Reply:I know more about this than I would like to mention.


Just between you and me,can you teach? Are you a good


teacher?


Some people are very,very,good Martial Artist ,but they lack the


%26quot;knack%26quot; to teach.Teaching is in it self a special skill.


Teaching takes more than just patience and skill.A good


teacher is %26quot;more%26quot;excited for a student who finally gets a move


down pat,than he was years ago when%26quot;he%26quot; first got the move down pat. A good teacher gets %26quot;chills%26quot; when his student performs


a perfect form,and almost does cry when his %26quot;slowest%26quot; student


is awarded a gold medal,or first place trophy.


Is this you? if it is you should be teaching.If it is not you,you


should continue to train,and be happy that you have done so well.


Very well indeed.


If you %26quot;feel%26quot; inside that you have the %26quot;gift%26quot; to teach,then teach.


Come up with a name for your art,a series of forms,a ranking


system, %26amp; an oath.Find a small building,buy some gear,and get


insurance.Print some flyers and start teaching adult and kid


classes.


I will say nothing.if you%26quot;truely%26quot; have the %26quot;gift%26quot; to teach you


should do so.


Many of us have the ability to be good Martial Artst,some of


us very good,fewer still exceptional.But only a select few have


the %26quot;gift%26quot; to teach.
Reply:Just because you have skill as a fighter doesn%26#039;t mean you ave skill as a teacher. A Black belt rank doesn%26#039;t automaticly allow you to teach a class. Maybe your instructor doesn%26#039;t want you to teach, or maybe because you drift in and out of the sport, he%26#039;s affraid that if you get your black belt, you will drop out again. This happens with alot of people that think a black belt is the end of their training.


I would go to him and talk about your interest in teaching and see if he would show you how to teach. He could use you as an assistant teacher in the classes he teaches. Talk to him about grading you on your current level or at least start testing you for brown so you can move on.


If he is unwilling to give you a good answer then I would find another Dojo and test in at middle level. You should be able to work up quickly from there.


If you consider yourself a black belt level and no one else does, take a step back and try to se whats missing.


Good Luck