Belt Auction

Are Karate belts handed out more loosely in the West than Japan?

Particularly Goju Ryu. Oh and excluding McDojos. Basically I mean is grading stricter in Japan. In Japan do you need to demonstrate a higher level of understanding, fitness, kata, spirit, kumite, and technique than in the West to go up a belt. Both pre black belt and post black belt, so Kyu and Dan.

Public Comments

1. karate belts are overrated CRAP. Used to go to a DOJO where the emphasis was on getting the next belt. Karate is not about crap showman ship and belts, but the embodiment of self defence and strength in REAL combat. Thats what they should be training for really.
2. >"Are Karate belts handed out more loosely in the West than Japan?" It depends! The proficiency is contingent on multiple factors: 1) The organization/association the dojo is associated with. 2) The quality of the instructor. Where did the instructor train? Who was his teacher? What's his/her reputation? 3) The consistency of the "testing standards". 4) The student's dedication to practice and train. I haven't heard of any empirical statistics or studies. The belt is supposed to represent your progress toward learning and demonstrating some level of proficiency (of connecting your mind & your body). Grading and proficiency/mastery are not the same! Keep in mind the training in martial arts is a life long practice vs earning belts.
3. japan is much better with belt then america
4. Yes. Not just "Karate", but in most American martial arts. For that matter, they are given out more freely here than in Spain or Mexico. There, because machismo is so common and men so quick to really fight each other, MA men are often challenged and tournaments are almost a requirement for gaining a rank. Here, men that have never been in real fights are being called masters. Men that have been in the arts longer are watching as younger kids rise up in higher ranks than they. I know of one master of Karate and Mugai-ryu who has been in his art for over 50 years now, travelling to Japan & Okinawa frequently since the 60s, yet is only a 7th dan. That man has been in many tournaments and trained champions in international competitions, as well as serving in Vietnam. Yet, there are men in this country that have not even been in the arts for 20 years that supposedly hold the same or higher rank. So, yes, rank is literally given out more in this country than in many other nations. Some sell it to anyone willing to pay, some test anyone who thinks they are ready, and some don;t even test at all (simply handing it out to those they think worthy). The old standards of time in rank and proving yourself in tests no longer apply to many schools here in this country.
5. It's a little bit different in Japan because kids who are interested in karate will often choose a school that has a karate team and thus train just about every school day. On a school karate team they will likely make shodan by the time they finish junior-high. Obviously those junior-high boys would not meet Arenas tough-guy credentials! Then they can move on to 2kyu or 3kyu in high school. The karateka who continue in college and afterwards will be the ones to end up with the impressive ranks and then go on to teach karate at the local budokan. Obviously it's different in the west for adults who are just doing it as a hobby two nights a week so they can earn a "black belt", and then maybe they move on to some other hobby. It's also different in the west where people want to make a living teaching karate, whereas in Japan you can receive excellent instruction for next to nothing at any public budokan from the guys who fought for their school teams in their younger days. Obviously money is more of factor in the ranking system in the west. Therefore we are really talking about apples and oranges here.
6. In America we like to think that thing are much different in Japan or anywhere else in the Far East. However, many of us including me can't say or prove this theory not having trained over there. I can tell you a few stories of why I think it is different without personal knowledge. I know a couple of people that have trained over there. I attended an Hall of Fame Banquet a couple of weeks ago. One of the persons being honored had trained for some years in Japan. We were told how hard they treat Americans. They treat them harsh in hopes of them quitting. If you survive this treatment they begin to respect you. It is pretty much a cultural thing. They do not think highly of Westerners and don't always want to share their Martial Arts with us. I know a few on here like Pugspaw and others don't think much of Martial Arts Hall of Fame. I am glad to announce that the one our organization holds does not do it to raise money. They only try to break even on the price of the banquet hall. We honor martial artist from all styles and organization. Honorees do not have to be present in order to receive an award. One of the person honored this year received 2 awards(hall of fame and life time achievement). It was a surprised to him. He is an older fellow. I will guess in his 70's but still in good shape. He is a referee for Judo and works all over he USA doing that. He didn't think that anyone noticed him. Another honoree this year is Rodrigo Vaghi. Rodrigo started his Jiu-Jitsu at the age of l4, in the original Gracie Academy in Rio de Janeiro. Vaghi's instructors were Grandmaster Helio Gracie and his sons: Rickson, Royce, Royler and Rolker. Vaghi could make the banquet because he was teaching a seminar that same day out of town. The Hall of Fame committee plans on personally delivering him his award at his mm event this weekend.
7. I think so. I think people earn their belts faster in the West. And I think that instructors in the West are more lenient with students. If you trained in Asia , it would be a completely different ball game.