Blog
I want my Black Belt now
Gradings are based on benchmarks which are necessary for students to aspire to a particular level. They should be within everyone's reach and not just for the elite few, which would, otherwise, discriminate the older person, the less strong and the
not so athletic etc. Martial arts is an education for everyone and it is the job of Instructor to ensure students have the best chance possible of achieving their goals. The benchmark should be at a level so everyone tries hard, really hard.
How is the standard set? Instructors have certain expectations but take into account the student’s attitude, ability to learn, physical attributes and class attendance. There are varying degrees of learning so not every technique taught is achievable by everyone, however, the 'try' factor takes the student to another level.
The Black Belt Marathon benchmarks in the past are just a memory. I knew Instructors who sent their students on a 15km run before starting their Black Belt test. They could barely stand on their own two feet let alone do Karate; the Instructor asked me if they should pass. What a silly question I thought.
How hard would it be for the Teacher if a student asks for their black belt? (don't ask the question if you don't like the answer). It's a lot more prestigious to wear a black belt when its given to you because you deserve it rather than ask for it.
GA
Playtime
As adults, why do we play scrabble, monopoly or video games? Apart from the entertainment value and the social aspect of getting together, we do it because we want to see how good can we get when we are up for challenge and even compare ourselves to others. If we seriously want to get better, we observe others who are good at them. In a martial arts school the student develops largely with the instructor's guidance. However, the more keen and forward thniking students always look at the persons who are good at something they might want to learn. It is just a matter of asking that person which is a compliment to those who have something to offer.
The martial arts school is like a challenging playground of obstacles to develop skill. 
I like the idea of students getting in early and working on something. Socialising before class just drains energy and enthusiasm. We can learn something from kids who waste no time when they drop in at McDonalds and go straight to the playground. They see it as a challenge, game and fun. The dojo should be no different.
Don't waste precious time when you're at the school.
GA
Get Technical
An exciting thing about the martial arts is the technical aspects and detail. Back in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s it was about courage, strength, and toughness but as evolution started doing its thing the martial arts have now become increasingly technical that we are putting aside the much emphasis on that which, back then, was only a drive for a unique class of people that were physically and mentally up for the challenge discouraging many other interested people.
However, everybody to a certain extent has courage, strength and toughness (CST). Courage is not about being gung ho or being a hero, it is about have the mindset to take on challenges. Strength is not about brutal strength or how much weight you can lift, it is about the inner strength of your mind and body. The letter, 'T' can also mean Technical which is an important learning aspect and there is nothing wrong with compensating knowledge with the technical aspects if persons don't possess the physical attributes young people and athletes have. Ultimately, the more technical, the better the martial artists. The infamous Brazilian Jiu Jitsu master, Helio Gracie who was naturally a weak man, proved that by mastering leverage to beat his stronger opponents.
Learn to pay attention to detail and committing ourselves through our martial arts training is what will get us through the challenges in life. Parents are always seeking what kind of results could their children expect to achieve from their martial arts training; hopefully, this may explain it.
GA