Can I ask how you showed "Amazing Tenacity?? What did you do? Also what did/do you have "Superior Understanding" of?
2nd Degree blackbelt. But not in this art. The point being that in different arts people promote in different ways - taking rules that you are familiar with and applying them doesn't work. Nor can you compare ranks, as they are different things in different orgs.
Ranks Just recently a former training partner of mine from Judo who belongs to the USJA tested for Nidan and after the test the panel granted him Sandan instead but he had been a Shodan for like 5 years lol and consistently training with the same people and teacher for like 15yrs.
What I was told about both was, One I would never stop challenging myself and finding new Techniques from Ju-Jitsu, Judo, and Aikido and working them out on the Mat. The Understanding part came from helping teach the lower Kyu's with their own Waza and Kata.
Never heard of anyone skipping a rank ... including tenacious people who almost never missed a class even with broken bones and were very, very good. Sounds bullshidoish to me, especially prior to reaching shodan...
