Hi - I'm sure this has been asked already, but here goes anyway. 8 months ago I joined a shotokan school. I have done boxing before so I am not afraid of sparring/contact. I had gotten overweight with an office job so needed to get fit and lose weight. Since I've joined the school, I've attended twice a week (except the occasional illness - I've missed maybe 4 classes in 8 months). I've lost 50 lbs and made some great friends. Learned (definitely not perfected!) the first four kata. I'm feeling a bit self conscious because I'm still a white belt. They had a grading the first month I was there and clearly I wasn't ready for yellow yet. But it's been 8 months and I feel like I've trained and improved so much - it's hard not to be disappointed. Is this typical? They've just announced a grading, and put me up to grade for 9th kyu. I guess that makes me feel slightly better, but it will be 9 months by the time that grading occurs, and 9 months to get from white to yellow (10th to 9th kyu) feels embarrassing. Is this uncommon? I haven't asked about it because it feels kinda against the spirit of the dojo kun.
I don't train shotokan, but my style has some similar aspects. I went an entire year at 7th kyu. It is very common at my school to go long periods between gradings. It will take longer the higher up you get as well. Does your school have a set time table on when they test? If so that may be why it has taken so long. Anyway don't linger on this. A belt is just a peice of cloth.
I know this will suck to hear, especially because you're new to belts, but rank really means absolutely nothing. In fact if you're grading that slow,they probably have a better standard than a lot of places. Rank is only important for 3 things: If you want to teach you need a certain rank If you want to compete it's nice to fight someone at your level It does a great job of keeping yor gi together Other than that it's pretty meaningless. It's very cliché and it might take you getting a black belt before you realise it. Belts are nice to have and it's always nice to get recognition for your efforts. Anyway, good luck!
Thanks for your response. They do a grading every 3 months. Do you know why it took you at year at 7th kyu? I did not realise this was common - perhaps I just need to be more patient.
Are you learning karate because you want to learn karate or because you want belts? You've already learnt the first 4 kata, which I guess isn't necessary for grading to 9th Kyu, so if you are more interested in learning karate than getting belts, sounds like things are going just fine. Do the grading, don't worry about how fast you are compared to others or even your own expectations. As has been said, gradings don't mean much other than being an indicator of how many grading exams you've taken (and I suppose as an indicator that you're not totally incompetent ). I once went a whole year without grading (when I did Shotokan) as I'd already learnt more kata than I needed to and was happy just working on those (and because I never liked gradings). It wasn't until I felt I wanted to learn some new stuff that I bothered to grade, mainly because you're more likely to be taught stuff when you are 'the appropriate grade'.
I'm doing it because I like karate. Your comment about being incompetent is what I was worried about though. I was given the impression that all you needed for 9th kyu was the right attitude and a few months (serious!) - there aren't really any physical competencies. I don't even think you need the first kata for 9th kyu.
Oh the comment about competency was just a joke. People have all sorts of reasons to put off taking a grading, so you really needn't worry about having taken 9 months to get 9th kyu. plenty of people never get to 9th kyu at all. Somehow I don't think that'll be you.
School has high standards. And only offered After 9 months. It took nearly 3 more before I thought I was ready. Of course from 7th to 5th only took 9 months total. 5th to 3rd took over a year. Probably won't make 1st dan for at least 2 years. Like Chadderz said. The belt really does not mean anything. I was 5th GUP in tkd w hen I started karate. It ment nothing to any one there. We recently had a tkd Blackbelt start. She is a white belt. In my style. In Wtf tkd she is a black belt. At a tournament she is a black belt. Sh knows she is a black belt. But in karate she is just a white belt Be patient and train hard. You will get there.
I agree with what the others have said. Do you enjoy your training and do you get on with your classmates? Do you feel that you are improving? If the answer is yes, then don't worry about the belt.
As someone who's achieved black belt in one art , and then started another at white , I can honestly agree that it's the journey not the destination that counts. As long as you enjoy your training keep it up and remember , you're doing better than all the people on the sofa.
While I agree with what others have posted here, I am not going to tell you to simply not care. Because I think it is a typical human reaction to compare oneself to those around you- even when you tell yourself you shouldn't. I personally think Sashes/ Belts bean both everything and nothing. Yes, it is contradictory, but I think both are true. The nothing has been covered by everyone here very well. But, if one is in a school where progress is shown by your sash, it also does mean something. Many of us come from societies that teach us to mark progress and this is a way many schools do so. So, to feel like one is not making progress can be frustrating. Also, can anyone who has achieved a Black belt/ sash really say it meant nothing to them? That it wasn't a proud moment in their lives? My school has a fairly different set up from many schools. We have our Sifu, and a bunch of instructors that are paid staff. No regular students teaching. Each student is assigned a personal instructor with private lessons once a week. Sifu comes in occasionally for observations. Our school has certain set standards for ranking, but there is some variance between instructors - who decide when one is ready to test. It really can't be avoided with this set up. I happen to have one of the absolute hardest line instructors who will wait longer than most before deciding a person is ready to test. She has a reputation for that. She also has a reputation for producing particularly excellent students. (I don't consider myself one of those btw.) I was in test formatting mode for my Brown sash in CLF. And I worked for months in formatting mode! And I still was not ready by my instructors standards. But I saw others who didn't work as hard, and didn't have the details and corrections I did passing tests all around me. One day, I just melted down! I just lost it! I was running through my test format while others of similar rank were sitting around talking for an hour or two. And it just got to me! I told my instructor I wouldn't want her to be any other way, but it was frustrating too! I said I knew that where I was at at that point would be good enough to test by most other instructors at that school and it was hard to see others not working as hard make that progress. I knew I shouldn't compare myself to others, but sometimes it is just hard not to. She agreed that I would be test ready by many others standards, but that really couldn't be helped. Well, she talked me through that day. I don't know, normally things like that don't bug me, but that day it did! And after I let off steam, what others did or did not do didn't bug me. She said I was just having mental fatigue from working so hard for so long. Well, here is the main point of my story. A few months later I tested. This test was one of the proudest accomplishments in my life. It was very personal, so I didn't share it on the Web before, but I will do so now because I think it illustrates an important lesson I hope helps others. So I am posting, despite some reservations about doing so. I stood there waiting after my test. Sifu came back with my instructor, and other instructors lined up for the sash presentation. This is how this works. Other students in the area stop what they are doing and line up for this too. To paraphrase - Sifu said that some days it is really hard to be an instructor, and you wonder if you ever make a difference or get what you are trying to teach across. He would see people barely passing the test. And then there were days like this day (my test) He watched my test and realized what he does makes a difference and is meaningful and changes and improves his students. And that it reminded him why he did what he did for a living. He went on to say that my details were at black sash level and I just needed to get the memorization of the new level material down. I was never prouder or happier of any accomplishment in my life! All that waiting was totally worth it! Instructors told me they had never heard Sifu say something like that in a test before. The look of pride in my instructors eyes - I will never forget it. For months afterwards, instructors and other students talked about what Sifu said that day. Used it an example of what to strive for as a martial artist testing. It still comes up once in awhile. Everything paid off and yes. No one can tell me that my brown sash means nothing. It was and is a symbol of great meaning. Not because I am all that, or perfect. I have a lot of flaws in my martial arts. But it represents that test and that moment, that came about after A LOT of sweat and tears. Sifu and instructors talk about the goal being well, passing with an A or barely passing the test with a C. One can pass the minimum standard set for that sash level, or one can take more time and truly strive to exceed that required standard. Put that frustration into your workout. Tell yourself that whenever you test, you are going to have a GREAT test. You aren't just going to pass, you are going to OWN that material! Excel in it! Walk away feeling you ACED it, not just passed it. This is the way to positively channel any frustrations you are feeling. I hope my little story helps. Like I said, saying it doesn't matter is easy. But we are human beings and we do compare ourselves to what is going on around us. It is a natural thing to do. Even if you don't normally do it all the time, such feelings can occasionally rise up. (That is what happened to me.) Find a way to channel it to make you a stronger martial artist and person.
I will wear my yellow belt for at least two years (my teacher pointed to the grading in June or July, but it's not settled yet. I'm not concerned though, because: As the others already said, it shouldn't be about the belts, but the training. I don't know how well I am doing, but I do know that I'm doing good enough to was asked to be Uke for a higher grading, so that's how I measure my progress right now. In December 2014 it was: "Nice offer, to be my Uke, but you're not ready for it. The locks, the throws... I don't want to put you through this." Not even six months later it was: "Hey, can you imagine being my Uke for the grading?" Not the best measurement and certainly a little ... different, but for me it works. The only reason why lower grades are bad: I'll also add: Seminars, that require you to have a certain rank. One of my teachers is giving a seminar on my birthday, which I'd *love* to attend (gun defense. I will never need it, but since he's carrying a gun in his job, he should know "better" then most) - but it's only for green belts and higher :bang:
Aarida, no offense ment bur your sash means nothing to anyone else out side of your school for the most part. I definatly get what you are saying. I am proud of every belt I have earned. Proud of my kids belts. In fact I have a sort of shrine set up for them. Most who see them are awed for the moment then they ask if I can teach them how to wax a car. Aarida does make a good point be proud of your belts. Just don't loose sight of the end goal and the fact that you can buy what ever color belt you want. It still doesn't make you. you make you not the color you wear
Thanks everyone. I've read and appreciated each of your replies. I agree that it's a personal journey and the attention should be inward, I guess I am just feeling sensitive and passed over. We've had 7 year old yellow belts who don't know their first or second kata grade to orange after 6 months (total), and I'm still a white belt at 8 months? But perhaps this is the lesson - that the focus should be on developing an internal personal justification, rather than looking at external drivers. By the way - I don't mention this in the do jo or to the sensei. I'm not walking around with a sour face, or complaining to anyone, just working through my own feelings.
Would you like a little anecdote? I co-train the kids in one of "my" clubs. I'm a yellow belt, one of the kids is wearing orange-yellow. Strictly speaking this 8 year old outranks me. I stepped in once in our Karate class, because the actual coach couldn't come and her substitute asked me, if I'd like to join, so he has someone to throw around and show stuff on; they even have orange-green kids. They will even outrank me, once I'm done with my next grading Keep in mind, that up to a certain age kids gradings aren't too comparable with gradings of grown-ups. We have a yellow belt who still really struggles rolling forward and with some others things as well; he also isn't the fastest learner. But he's trying really hard, so he got graded and passed anyway - he just has to wait a while longer for his next grading, because at some point he needs to be better than he is now. But for kids the belts are a big thing at times, so the first gradings aren't looked at too strict. Doesn't mean they always pass. My Judo-teacher had to fail a girl once, which made him a bit mad - towards the coach, who sent her to get graded, even though it was wayyy too soon. EDIT: My Sensei is very proud about each single belt he got. But he also emphasizes that none of his belts doesn't make him a better person, a better martial artist, fighter, technician or whatever. That no once cares if he's wearing a fifth Dan or a fourth, or a second. He did it for fun and was nervous to no end before each grading. He is now as nervous for his grading in three weeks as he was for his first ones. And he doesn't want it any different. The moment he wouldn't be nervous anymore, he would quit. Because to him that would mean, that he doesn't care anymore.
