When I started my Kenpo journey with the IKKA in the early eighties we were still using the old 24 tech, set and form curriculum, on which was based a minimum 6 months between lower rank test up to 1st brown then a minimum year to black belt, no matter who you were or the abilities you processed. This produced cohesion in the school and comradeship in the school and association, everyone was treated equal. Those with talent displayed it at tournaments and with the trophies they won.

I personally don't see the advantage of rapid higher learning unless you are a twenty four seven student as I feel it presents to steep a learning curve and does not allow for the impingement of the material learned. I have been witnessing the quicky grade results for years now and would just like to ask the question, "Whats the rush", money? depth of students? Prestige for instructors?

Would be interested in hearing honest view points, not looking to put holes in ships, as I personally would have a problem with this if sitting on a testing board.

Brye Cooper
5th Degree Black
AKKF

My problem is anyone who advances past 1st Black without pushing their training. Too many people train too little, but hit the magic TIME IN RANK mark and are allowed to advance. Cheap politics, an Insult to Kenpo, and Insult to dedicated martial artists, and a detriment to Kenpo in general. All too often now days you run into advanced Black Belts whos skillset would make a Brown Belt fail a test.... But they have been in Kenpo for 30+ years, so they are entitled right?

Over the course of a school year, I have quite a few skills that I'm given the task of making sure that my students before they progress to the next grade. My major concern with the time minimum in belt ranks is the same problem I have with the set number of days a kid has to be in one grade. I teach 6th grade, but I have several kids who are on a 7th, 8th, or 9th grade reading level. Some know 7th and 8th grade math skills. Why are they still in the 6th grade? The public school system as we know it holds back a great number of young, smart people that could learn so much more if we had a better system of determining grade level. My guess is that with time requirements between belts, this happens in martial arts classes as well.

In public schools we also have the opposite scenario. I've got students who unfortunately are on a 3rd grade reading level. Why are they already in the 6th grade? They could learn so much more with much less frustration in a classroom teaching 3rd or 4th grade skills. Again, I'm guessing that some martial artists hit their minimum time requirement, go through a test which is nothing more than a formality, and get their next belt when they may not actually know the material as well as they should to hold that rank.

Admittingly, I have only been involved in Kenpo and the martial arts for a year. I have no complaints whatsoever about my own personal "dead" period between potential tests. I'm not all that concerned about rank anyway. I'm more concerned with just getting my hands on new material. But my point is that I'm relating this question to what I know and applying my thought and logic about what I know to this situation. They may be altogether different, but they seem very similar to me.

highlights alot of the problems as I see them as well.

Good comparison however, I think there might be a better one. Public schools are limited in what they do - mostly by choice. Home schools and private schools have a lot more latitude in what they can do. A studio that is part of an organization may be limited in what they can do but the independent is not.

Home schoolers (good ones, at any rate) aren't typically worried about what grade level kids are in. They are very aware of what state standards are being used but just don't feel bound by them.

Instead, they are concerned with the mastery of a skill. You simply don't move on to the next concept until the foundation has been laid. Math and reading are foundational and each step requires mastery of new concepts and material. Science and history are taught in layers - material is repeated in more and more detail.

With public school, the teacher is frequently concerned about getting the kid through the grade they are in now (when they will become someone else's problem). Home schoolers are concerned with the end result.

We have the choice when we promote students to recognize a level of mastery or simple time in grade. I'd like to think we are recognizing a level of mastery.

Before the hate mail comes - as a home school parent, public school teacher and now private school teacher, I've laid this out in gross generalities to make a point. There are many good public schools (and public school teachers) and bad home schoolers. Use the analogy as it was intended, por favor.


Take it out on the heavy bag,

Chuck Peterson
[email protected]

I agree.

Waiting to progress in the ranks, builds patience and maturity. Patience is an old-school concept that's slowly fading away.

But, when someone chooses to promote someone is his or her own buisness, and no one elses.

I agree that a student should wait even if they're superior in skill to their classmates. This builds unity within the school/organization. On the other hand-students that haven't matured in skill and as a person, shouldn't advance until they have met their teachers standards for that rank, and accept the teachers judgment.

I know that Mr. Nackord wouldn't promote anyone with a bad attitude, regardless of skill. And, everyone waits, if they don't like it they will leave, thus proving their lack of character.

A quick story.
When I was a teenager I wanted my 3rd brown really bad. I lived at the school, helped with classes, and really kissed up to everyone-hahah. I was one week from my 3rd brn test and Mr. N told me to wait. So, I did what I was taught, I said nothing and kept training. I was disapointed but kept going. A few months later I got my 3rd brown. He told me he wanted me to wait, Just to see how I would react.

Good topic
John

The issues highlighted in the posts above seem to be on the increase and are a becoming a pain in the butt at all levels,

Thanks. Mr. Nackord is really old-school. He once turned the clock ahead 15 minutes and asked the BB candidates why they were late. That wasn't the last time he tested me in that fashion.

He also taught me that no matter what I'm not to react to a bad call at a tournament, even if I'm obviously being robbed. I've been robbed but I didn't lose it. I bow and go sit down.

If I were to post something negative on the net especially about somone else's rank, school, organization, he'd be really disapointed in me. I've been with him for 20 years from yellow belt - up and he definately has standards for his students in skill and behavior.

That's old school.