n Let us not forget that there are plenty of children black belts in Okinawa, Japan, China and Korea...the birthplace of the martial arts. That should be a perspective one considers as well. It doesn’t change my perspective on junior black belt vs full Shodan but it is a fact they promote them as young as 10 over there.
deal with pushy parents [by asking] “would you want a doctor treating your family if he had been given his quals (sic) without doing the full study and being well tested?”
n I think it’s more the sport side of it, if you have a sport karate school, which many in the U.S. do, then you have to have a way to separate kids by rank and experience. I’ve n I never used to care what others did seen 8 year old kids run kata better than 50 UNTIL I began seeing kids running around year old adults. Also in the sport do you think Walmart wearing a black belt, kids running it’s fair for a 14 year old kid that’s a brown around bragging about being a black belt, belt who started studying at 4 to compete kids who absolutely SUCK wearing a black against a 14 year old brown belt who stared belt...I never used to care until that began studying at 11 or 12? If you’ve been in martial happening...today it is worse. It is clear who arts long enough you know these kids aren’t puts money before before martial arts and adults when it comes to real that is just sad. Let’s not forget like life fighting but again I think it’s there are plenty of all about sport. n Why not? In Thailand 16 yr olds are in the middle of their children black belts Martial arts saved me. If I pro career. in Okinawa, Japan, ndidn’t have it when I was younger China and Korea. I don’t know where I would be. I n 16 is just barely able to defend themselves. My school is 90% soldiers, got my black belt at 11 and started teaching throw a 16 year old in there and they might as at age 12 and haven’t stopped since. Granted, I knew all the techniques and could perform well be 5. them and teach them—but the more in depth aspect of martial arts didn’t happen ‘til I was n Hate to be wishy washy, but it just about 19 years old. And I have seen some depends. As far as 16 goes, 16 is not an adults who should never be black belts—just adult. In America you are a legal adult at because someone is older doesn’t mean they 18. On the other hand why is there an age are better or have a better understanding. requirement? The number of years someone has been alive can be a very poor indicator n I have seen some very talented kids of maturity. I have a 35 year old student who developmentally is only 13, a 10 year old who (12–13) Black belts. The problem I have with them is that they do not understand the reads at a high school level. The only thing principles or philosophies of their art. They for which I use age anymore is to divide my know the moves, but cannot explain them. classes (and I’m rethinking that). That said, I I guess if I ever meet a child black belt that still have not made any decision either way. not only knows the moves, but can explain n I don’t have a problem with the concept in the priciples behind them, I wouldn’t have a problem with it. principle, but the practice is often abused. At our school, The youngest you would I have a junior or child syllabus to be able to reach Black Belt rank (if you could study and a lower limit of 10 years old for test every testing) would be 10 years old. Shodan. At 13 years old all students start on the adult syllabus. There is no junior Nidan. I That is if you started at 4, tested every time, continued on next page Martial Arts Grandmasters International ®
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