No, I the dojo i run my own dojo and i would not allow it.
In my senseis dojo they use a red belt as a junior black belt rank and then they have to retest for there adult belt when they come of age.
I really dont see the point of it, and refuse to use such a system, they can wait. if they cant they know where the door is. ( yes im mean i know, but i will not compromise my principals for anything or anyone)
there is more to being a black belt then just knowing kata, techniques and time. its a mind set and maturity as well, even for adults, infact some adults i wouldnt promote to black belt either.
If I walk into a dojo with children blackbelts then unless I see them do something extroadinary I walk straight back out again. I don't think young children should be awarded a black belt. So many parent's are just bribing to get the grades these days.. Never seen it in judo,have seen it in other martial arts.
Back when I was in TKD they had Poom belts which were essentially black belts for juniors. It created the purgatory level where kids can keep advancing, and they will get upgraded to proper level black belt when they come of age. Don't know if they do that any more, but that's what they did when I was in TKD in Korea.
Only other belt art I did was judo and I haven't even seen brown belt kids let alone black belt. They would have few more colors for the kids(it wasn't marketing since we didn't have belt tests to do or pay for) and limited the level they can advance into. Mind you I had a green belt kid that can chuck me around like some of the grown brown belt could.
Yes, in all of the Taekwondo schools I go to, there are. And many are not very good. One school's black belts are not bad at competing, they do fairly well. Another school is a complete joke. Nearly all are at their ranks - including adults - because they tenured there. Meaning, they stayed at the minimum time at a rank and then moved up. This is quite common. These folks will usually leave at around 3rd or 4th degree, because from here on it is required to put in "too much time" before advancing. So you see their mindset - it's all about the belt. What they don't realize is that many schools refuse to take them at their current rank - even when crossing styles. And they can't understand why. Apparently, there's some thought of entitlement, and it's disgusting.
However, in my Aikido school, children have color belts, and advance all the way to the "end", where they graduate into the adult program - which is all white belts. No one under 14 can be in the adult program, and no one under 18 can get a black belt. It takes no less than 7 years to get to black belt. Therefore, the youngest black belt in our school can be around 19 or 20 if they started as a child, but usually, if they started in the adult program, they'd be no less than 21 with a black belt. Most of our black belts are high 20's and up. The bulk are in their 30's. We have more black belts in their 60's than we have in their 20's. Clearly, our Aikido school has rigid standards.
In my own school (Taekwondo), I have no black belts.
I've seen it more and more in recent years.
Not in my school. We haven't had a black belt test in over two years, period. Someone who was *really* dedicated and started really young could be allowed to test at 15, but 16-18 is the more realistic earliest age.
A black belt means you basic ability to perform the techniques, it does not mean you are skilled. becoming skilled requires many more years of practice.
there is therefore no reason children cannot reach a basic level of ability, and therefore black belt.
Contrary to popular belief, black belt does not mean you are some sort on indestructible ninja killing machine that has to register his hands as lethal weapons with the local police.
A few kids in my dojo earned black belts. The explanation was that they were technically proficient in katas and one steps. But they would have to retest for black belt at a later age, when the body matured.
I can agree with that policy. A kid who comes to class twice a week for five or six years, applies himself, can do the katas, and spar well, and help the junior students, shouldn't have to hit a brick wall at red belt. Or wherever the arbitrary stopping point is. If he can pass the black belt test, he should earn a junior black belt.
But let's not forget, a dojo is also a business. Warm bodies pay the rent. Arbitrarily high standards don't.
it used to be 18 but they gave ones to kids under 18 recently. I don't like it. I'm no sensei but I think being a black belt requires a certain level of maturity that you just don't have if you are under 18
When I was a kid I was in karate. In 5th grade my friend who was there only 2 years longer than me had a black belt. After seeing that my dad pulled me out because he thought I wasn't learning anything and that there was no way an 11 year old could have a black belt.
I've been seeing more and more children with black belts lately. At my dojo you must be at least 16 years old to be awarded a black belt. What's the case in your dojo?
Not one.
All applicants qualifying for the rank of 1st Dan must be 18 yrs old.
Also it takes about 12 yrs to qualify anyways...
Well, I was at the ATA for 6 months, enough said. 2nd degree 8 year olds. LOL. The youngest at the karate dojo I train at now is 16.
You must be atleast 19 with more than 12 years experience to gain Blackbelt in what i teach, even then i rarely award black belts because i dont think most people deserve them.
Oh
hey everybody .. :)
well i'm 24 y .. i'm practicing judo since i was fourth ... i've 2 dan now ...i was 16 y when I got the black belt and i've won 5 tours all of ' em senior and i was jenior coz im training hard ... is there a problem ?? i mean if someone can do it let it him do it .. and respect him if he can do it .
