Going too fast in belts

newbalance · Yellow Belt

There is a guy in my TKD class, 20yrs old, who is really athletic, and is taking to TKD very well. Strong, lean, and fast. Anyways, what do you all think about skipping a belt, just like people skipping a grade? He is a white belt, and wants to test for a yellow belt, instead of the white w/stripe.
He won't be testing for yellow. Guess my instructors don't do that. Honestly, I am glad. I was in the same predicament, and just dealt with it. In my opinion it teaches patience. I knew I could test for the yellow when I was a white, but that isn't the way TKD works, you know?
This guy reminds me of Tommy Gun from Rocky 5.

G95champ · Black Belt

Not a fan of it but I can see when it may be needed.

EX when I went to college I was already a balck belt in Shotokan. I started another style. My Sensei told me because I had a understanding of the basics he would just do one test and jump me up several belt once I got the given kata down. I still did everything but your first few tests are pretty simple if you know what I mean.
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(General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory."

karate_woman · Pre-Black Belt

Sometimes doing several gradings together can be done in exceptional circumstances. We haven't had anyone with no martial arts experience do it yet, though. My Sensei usually allows people to wear belts from their other styles and just grade to the next belt level when they are ready in the new style - one man came in with his nidan in Wado Ryu and trained for a couple of years to grade for shodan in Goju.

One thing that would put me off about the situation you outlined is someone telling the Sensei they were ready to grade - I feel the Sensei should tell the student when they are ready to grade, and not the other way around.
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The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

-Lao-Tse

telsun · Green Belt

The colour belt you wear should represent your ability. If this guy is better than a white w/stripe then he should be allowed the opportunity to earn it.
In regard to putting himself forward rather than being selected. I think that all depends on his attitude. If he tells sensei he is ready for yellow rather than ask I would not even consider it as he has much to learn.
As he reminds you of Tommy I guess he is not asking. My own sensei has failed people on their attitude despite their skill being adequate for the grade.
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I keep asking God what I'm for and he tells me........."gee I'm not sure!"

RedDragon · Yellow Belt

I don't agree with skipping belts. The way I see it, the time that you spend trying to master the techniques taught during each belt helps you to grow as a Karateka. By skipping a belt, not only do you have to wait twice as long for your next grading, you also have twice as much to learn for your next promotional. I know someone who skipped from Yellow belt to Green belt, then was skipped from Green to brown (White, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown, black). That means that this person missed out on at least 2 years of experience on his way to his black belt. Just doesn't seem right to me. The funny thing is, by the time that I obtain my black belt, I will have more experience then this gentleman, and he will be in for the shock of his life (no disrespect meant towards a senior rank).

KarateWoman: Where in Ontario do ou train?

Pepparoo · Yellow Belt

IAMA_chick · Purple Belt

i only think someone should be skipped in belts if the person already knows another similar martial art and came from a different school. a new martial artist should have to wait out the whole belt system.
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Tae Kwon Do
15-years old
purple--belt

TKDLadyInSC · Orange Belt

karate_woman · Pre-Black Belt

AnonymousCoward · Yellow Belt

I think that it matters how hard you train and how long you spend training hard in the dojang. As far as I am concerned, the belts just give a rough indicator of the wearers skill level.

If a student attends twice as many training sessions as another student in the same time frame, then although he may not have been studying for as long in terms of time, in terms of time spent in the dojang he will have been training for longer.

On the other hand, another student where I train turns up to every single training session, but he doesn't train hard. When the instructor demonstrates a move and asks us to try it out, once he's done it twice he stands around talking rather than practising and has no focus, he doesn't push himself during aerobic excercises and feigns injury when he feels tired. So, should he grade at the same time as the student who trains twice as hard?

People at my dojang have speeded along the grades faster than me because of their superior fitness or experience of other martial arts. It's no big deal, good for them.

Understanding of the art doesn't come overnight and although my understanding of the art has come from spending a lot of time thinking about it outside the dojang, at such a low level I don't think skipping a few belts is a big deal...

I skipped my first belt as my instructor felt that I was ready. All that was involved in the first belt were some basic punches and kicks anyway, but I agree with others that it is right for the instructor to tell the student they are ready.

Mind you, if the instructor feels they are ready, why not just promote them without grading (and paying for the privilidge) - If I had a school that is what I would do.

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