Promotions by William Mioch

The kyu-dan belt ranking system is a relatively new invention for the martial arts. It was adapted by the founder of Judo (Jigoro Kano) from a ranking system used in Go and other traditional arts, such as Flower Arranging. (He also invented the judogi, the training clothes used in Judo, Karate and many martial arts around the world.) He introduced the dan ranking in 1883, when he graded 2 students to Shodan.

Many traditional chinese schools don't have an equivalent system of ranking. So, I asked myself the question, should my Kung Fu students have grades and belts? What are the pro's and con's?

For the instructor:

The biggest advantage to instructors is organisation. A single instructor can look at the students in a class, see their progress from their belt and know just what stage that student is at.

Let's say the first instructor is sick the next week. Another instructor can come into the class and know very quickly what level those students are at.

By following a widely recognised system like the kyu-dan system, even instructors from other schools can get some idea of what level these students are at.

For the student:

Although a student can set themselves a goal such as "I will learn this Kata in 3 months", it is not a very specific goal. A well-defined syllabus with attainable levels can help the student to set SMART goals.

Students also know what level other students are at. This can help to avoid accidents and injuries and allow students to explore their leadership skills when working with lower ranked students.

Being able to have a physical representation of their achievement, such as a belt, is a big motivator to many people. It renews motivation and keeps pushing the student to attain the next level.

Cons:

The classic negative pointed out in regards to using belts and ranks is that they become more important than the actual martial arts! However, in my experience, like technique, this kind of attitude would have to come from the top to get any grounding.

Overall, the idea of grades has many benefits and few negatives. It is a great motivator and tool for instructors to keep organised and for students to measure and drive their performance.

Let me know what you think, or if there's any points I missed out on!

PS: Keep an eye out for my next post, how SMART goals apply to your martial arts training.

--
William Mioch
Taekwondo Techniques, Patterns, and Applications at the Traditional Taekwondo Blog. [Subscribe using email or RSS feeds] [Tkd Sitemap]

Grading and Congratulations

Congratulations to Christian Wiebe on his promotion to Green 7th Kyu, Nicole Clarke to Yellow 8th Kyu, and Daniel Wong to Yellow 8th Kyu.

A good level of performance and knowledge was seen generally. I was very happy to see that technical proficiency was not an issue for the various belt ranks. However, I would suggest that the standard of application of technique would definitely improve with more practice. This is the kind of practice that you would do at home, with feedback and guidance provided by training log book/journal. All theory and practice provided in class has been more-or-less tailored, so whatever has been repeated (and thus highlighted in the training journal more frequently) is what should be focused on. Much of what I see are students who put in the most minimum of practice for areas in which are new or need some focus on coordination. Without the self practice, application of technique is going to suffer - you will not know what to do or how to react in the grading when something slightly different is asked of you. If you practice by yourself and try to figure things out, this kind of 'questioning' will help open up mental possibilities - and this in turn will help you face the challenges gradings seek to create.

Once again, congratulations are in order.

For those of you interested, the following links may help you prepare for your next grade.

Related Links:
Grading Results - Sample
Martial Arts Grading: Oral Component
Dan-gun Grading: Zero to Hero in 2 hours
Traditional Taekwondo Training Fees

Regards,

Colin

--
Colin Wee
Taekwondo Techniques, Patterns, and Applications at the Traditional Taekwondo Blog. [Subscribe using email or RSS feeds] [Tkd Sitemap]

William Mioch Making Us Proud

Bill Mioch, a contributor to Traditional Taekwondo Blog and an associate black belt of mine was recently in Taiwan training.

Colin
--
Colin Wee
Taekwondo Techniques, Patterns, and Applications at the Traditional Taekwondo Blog. [Subscribe using email or RSS feeds] [Tkd Sitemap]

Oldman's Boobishi 'Nintendo Wee' Traditional Taekwondo Post

Oldman's Boobishi is a collection of martial art cartoons that provide a humourous and insightful look at the world of martial arts. The blog is scheduled to be decommissioned - or at least no new posts are expected in the horizon.

Some time ago The Daily Oldman produced a cartoon strip referring to my blog and traditional taekwondo. It slipped me to mention it here.

Oldman is right. There is a certain realism that the martial arts brings to my life - a directness and 'truth'. Check out his Nintendo Wee post - it's a fantastic title, isn't it? More so given I don't ever play video games.

Please let me take this opportunity to wish Oldman aka 'Mark Cook' all the best in his new role at his company.

Colin

--
Colin Wee
Taekwondo Techniques, Patterns, and Applications at the Traditional Taekwondo Blog. [Subscribe using email or RSS feeds] [Tkd Sitemap]

The Single Most Important Lesson in Martial Arts

From the post with the same name at Martial Development.

When flying down a hill on a mountain bike wearing neither helmet nor pads, and when that front tyre explodes, the single most important lesson when the odds are stacked against you is to take control of your own destiny and perform that forward roll — or really whatever technique you’ve got — like there was no tomorrow. And there will be.

--
Colin Wee
Taekwondo Techniques, Patterns, and Applications at the Traditional Taekwondo Blog. [Subscribe using email or RSS feeds] [Tkd Sitemap]