Why Time In Rank Is Important
There are many martial arts schools out there. Most start out very small and build their clientele from there. As owners we have found that many people start out very excited and then lose their enthusiasm as they realize how long it will take to become an experienced martial artist. They lose interest and then end up quitting the martial art all together. For a small martial art school this can be disastrous because they depend upon the tuition to pay rent and make a living. Hence some schools try to stimulate the students by promising them advanced ranks much sooner than is recommended.
This is where schools fall into a deep dark hole. This is a dangerous practice to employ because the person “martial artist” has not had enough time in rank. They have not experienced enough time working through all the pitfalls that can happen to a student as they progress. The student thinks that they can handle any type of altercation whether mental or physical or a combination of both and then realize at the last moment that they are not equipped to handle the situation. What happens then? Whatever the situation, it won’t end up good for the inexperienced student.
What is a newly minted Black Belt? This shows that the person receiving their black belt has learned all the basic information (kicks, hand strikes, stances, basic forms) to qualify as a 1st Degree. In our opinion, this person is primed for the real work and advanced learning to begin.
This is where we challenge the students to step up and start sparring advanced students and they learn a whole new speed and physical/mental processing that they have never experienced before. Their warmups are harder, their forms are more advanced, the physical conditioning is longer and harder and the general expectation is that everything is going to move faster than they are normally accustomed to.
This takes time and effort on the student’s part. In our school it takes between 3.5 – 7 years for a student to receive their black belt depending upon the age of the student. The younger ones take longer because they learn slower than the mature students. For the advanced ranks it can take a lifetime to achieve the rank of Master or Grand Master.
In essence, do not advance students to higher ranks. It does them no good other than boosting their ego which is misplaced. I as a 5th degree black belt have learned that mental/physical confrontations with other people do not serve any purpose. It demeans both participants and there is no good outcome. What is better is that a person learns to walk away and not worry about what others say or do. It is knowledge and humility that has afforded me this attitude. It is the knowledge that I know I have put ample amount of time on the mats and that I can handle almost any circumstance but also the knowledge that anything can happen. As a school owner we have a lot of confidence that our students can handle themselves in tournaments or other circumstances. This is why parents and adults trust us and know that we will give the best martial education to them or their children that is possible. That is why we make students earn their black belts over time not within a year.