Yesterday, two of my Sempai achieved shodan (first degree black belt) at the Eugene Aikikai. (Low bow to them). It took them nine years of training between four and six days a week.
Now, I understand that shodan is considered a beginner’s rank in many traditional martial arts, though in our school the shodan are treated as advanced students. I must also add that nine years was an unusually long time to wait to recieve this honor, but one of my Sempai explained that it took him so long because he began training late in life, and it therefore took longer for his body to adjust to Aikido practice.
When I was training Kung fu San Soo in the nineties, it took about three and a half years for me to get my black belt. I was training about six days a week though, which greatly accelerated the process of learning. Having a black belt in san soo hasen’t made learning Aikido any easier though, LOL.
So what style do you guys train in, and how long does it take to achieve a black belt or sash in your school?
You must be able to walk on water, turn water into wine, and walk in the land of Bhudda before you can wear the coveted black sash. It takes about 1000 lifetimes.
Dude,
TCMA don’t have belts. You’s good or no’s good. Tat’s all.
in my eskrima school, the average was about 5 years, i think. but i started out in taekwondo. left that school without testing for my black belt. so by the time i got the black sash from my eskrima instructors (yeah, i know; there generally aren’t ranks in eskrima), i’d been at martial arts for about 10 years.
all that said, i have to agree with the sentiment that it really doesn’t mean a whole lot.
but if anyone makes some pithy remark about holding up their pants, so help me…
come get some pretty boy, not only am I drinking milk, but also the blood of my enemies, and I am getting stronger!!!
The reason he switched from milk to blood is R5A is lactose intolerant.
Originally posted by red5angel
[B]come get some pretty boy, not only am I drinking milk, but also the blood of my enemies, and I am getting stronger!!!
My sparring gloves are just like that!!! Except sort of a cream with a little more lace at the top…
besides if you are wearing them while spankin it it feels like MightyBs’ mother is doing it…
Well, 2.5 years into my training at this particular school, and I have a red sash (it maches my pjs). Actually, a funny story, wearing that sash at a local karate tourney almost got me in trouble. They kept saying I was in the wrong division, etc. etc.
The guy who was pointing this out never even approached me, but did try to talk to the judges during my form…err, so I gave him some words afterwords, and blah, blah, blah, some dude comes up to me that was in my division and gets in my face. I started laughing, and just said, if you are upset that I am wearing a red sash, please realize that it is rediculous, and I only have it to match the uni, we don’t use belts or sashes at my school. This seemed to confuse this guy he started yelling for the guy who was interupting me earlier, man, what a bunch of goons. Anywho, I beat there team in the forms, so it all turned out hunky dory.
