Black Belt.
Hmm, till you got to the shop, put some money down and buy your Belt.
Than wear it to class and get laughed at as we don’t use Belts or sashes.
Err, don’t know, one of my boys I used to spar with matched up against him in both of the sparring divisions, mopped the floor with him (shut out in the point, almost knocked him out in the other division). We used to go about 60/40 with each other, depending on the day. So we were a real close match, as seeing them go at it, he had no clue what was going down so I would like to say yeah, I would have killed him, however you never know he might not fight like he spars. I know my targets change slightly in the priority list when I’m in a real fight (well first priority, whatever is exposed).
NP, I was just teasin you a little, since all these TMA vs MMA threads have been around as of late. 
At my old karate school, it would take at least four years to reach shodan. Most styles that use the ‘dan/kyu’ system would consider the dan ranks ‘advanced’, I think. Though in all of them, shodan would just be the beginning. Reaching shodan would be like being accepted as a real ‘disciple’ in the Chinese traditions. Or it was like that in my school. We engaged in more interactive training, more experimentation and ‘research’, and class was generally less structured.
But I know in some systems, the black belt or sash is the ‘top’ level, when you’re there it signifies you know everything in the style.
Leto and apoweyn, thank you for your gracious replies.
As to the others, I have been duly humbled, and I will think twice before foolishly attempting to interupt your adolescent and vulgar banter with a question pertaining to martial arts training.
What was I thinking? 
My kungfu teacher used a sash system.
your sash level would be dependent upon the criteria to be met.
some guys were 10 years and no black sash, other guys about 3 yrs and a black sash.
some guys came in with previous skill and would gain it even faster.
But, although they were used, they weren’t of great importance compared to what you really knew and could do.
In Tae Kwon Do it took me 2 years to get my first black belt.
In Isshin ryu Karate it took me 4 years to get to Brown belt. I didn’t have the opportunity to continue.
Generally, the belt ranking system is used in Japanese styles due to the traditions inherant to that body of styles of asian martial arts.
Equally as general, many traditional Chinese martial arts don’t subscribe to the use of belts or sashes as a ranking method and instead adhere to filial piety. grandfathers, fathers, older sons, younger sons, uncles, small uncles(lower classmates of the sifu) and so on.
These days, many martial arts are not traditional (yet) and have no filial piety and no belt ranking heirarchical structure.
In the end, it really has to do with your own hands.
cheers
TKD, 5 years to BB. One person did it in 2 but was real talented.
As to the others, I have been duly humbled, and I will think twice before foolishly attempting to interupt your adolescent and vulgar banter with a question pertaining to martial arts training.
No you asked about belt rank, if it was a MA training question you would have started with, “A guy goes for the double…”
And as far as out banter being adolescent and vulgar, nyuk, nyuk nyuk.
Samurai Jack.
Crappy cartoon by the way.
You asked how long it takes to reach BB or BS.
CMA are known for not using a system similar to the I-Dan system.
Heck most JMA been using it less than 100 years.
Sashes are even newer in the CMA scene and some finish with a BS othres start with a BS and finish with golden sash or similar.
Same as the I-Dan system the ranks are designed normally per school not on a style or even overall system.
Thus having a BB or BS has only meaning within the style/school that handed it out.
Example:
In Chen TJQ and similar styles we can spend years if not our whole life working on 1 or a few forms.
In my kwoon we got Guys working the same form now for 10+ years.
Cheers.
there are guys in my bjj class who have been training consistently (read 4 nights a week for 2.5 hours) and still have not gotten a black belt.
In judo, I think it takes 4 - 5.
In shuai chiao, there are no ranks.
Our school has a sash system but it isn’t too heavily relied on. Mainly worn by the instructors & assistant instructors so that the students know who is able to answer their questions.
There are 3 grades before black, with black signifying that you have learned the fundamentals and are now ready to learn the real stuff. Usually takes people at least 3-5 years to achieve black.
And rogue is right about the MA questions - didn’t you know that grappling and MMA are the only real MAs?
at one tkd school i trained at it took 4 yrs for black belt
at another tkd school it took 6
at another, if you had the money, it only took two yrs (plus you get to join the happy-suck-the-life-out-of-you payment plan)
For a lot of tkd schools, ( i dont know about other styles, but as my experience goes with tkd), belts are a huge money making device, and symbolize little else than a nice chunk of money you’re gonna have to pay in another 3 months. (That’s why some tkd schools have like 17 belts — one actually had a “camo colored belt”!! - a stage between orange and green)
Although my style recognizes belt rank, I do not agree with it at all. At some schools, you will find yellow belts who will beat the living p*ss out of so called black belts from another school… of the same tkd syle! I’ve seen it at tournaments and on the street. In tkd, someone’s belt gives almost NO indication of wether or not they’re any good ( in any aspect of the art ). This is partly why tkd fully deserves its watered down, commercialized reputation. Yet, because of that reputation, there are some very hard core tkd schools out there that deserve respect but don’t get it.
It took me 5 years to get black belt, party because I moved around a lot, but it wasn’t until I’d been training about 8 years that I felt somewhat knowlegable in the art. Now that I’ve been training for 13 years in tkd, and crosstrained in other styles, I can say that I have a nice basic grasp on hand to hand combat in general, but I have a ways to go before I would consider myself to have reached the level of skill that the term “black belt” implies.
I think true rank is determined when you’re in the ring, or when you’re students are in the ring (or on the street I suppose). One’s skill level should be apparent enough not to need a belt to indicate it to others… hmm maybe I should change styles anyways sorry for the rant, just kinda venting my problems with tkd here lol bye
5 years to black sash
5 more years at least to a Sifu title
Samurai Jack, let me give you a piece of freindly advice. Your going to have to lighten up if you want to interact here. There are plenty of people with alot of knowledge here but somedays we just can’t seem to get focused. Sooner or later one of us who posesses more sanity then the rest will steer yout thread back to its original subject.
Trust me on this, I have had more threads hijacked by these jokers then I Can count!
SJ
r5a’s real lesson is to just post a heck of a lot so at least some
of your threads aren’t hijacked.
:eek:
belts 
:eek:
Originally posted by ricksitterly
[B]at one tkd school i trained at it took 4 yrs for black belt
at another tkd school it took 6
at another, if you had the money, it only took two yrs (plus you get to join the happy-suck-the-life-out-of-you payment plan)
For a lot of tkd schools, ( i dont know about other styles, but as my experience goes with tkd), belts are a huge money making device, and symbolize little else than a nice chunk of money you’re gonna have to pay in another 3 months. (That’s why some tkd schools have like 17 belts — one actually had a “camo colored belt”!! - a stage between orange and green)
Although my style recognizes belt rank, I do not agree with it at all. At some schools, you will find yellow belts who will beat the living p*ss out of so called black belts from another school… of the same tkd syle! I’ve seen it at tournaments and on the street. In tkd, someone’s belt gives almost NO indication of wether or not they’re any good ( in any aspect of the art ). This is partly why tkd fully deserves its watered down, commercialized reputation. Yet, because of that reputation, there are some very hard core tkd schools out there that deserve respect but don’t get it.
It took me 5 years to get black belt, party because I moved around a lot, but it wasn’t until I’d been training about 8 years that I felt somewhat knowlegable in the art. Now that I’ve been training for 13 years in tkd, and crosstrained in other styles, I can say that I have a nice basic grasp on hand to hand combat in general, but I have a ways to go before I would consider myself to have reached the level of skill that the term “black belt” implies.
I think true rank is determined when you’re in the ring, or when you’re students are in the ring (or on the street I suppose). One’s skill level should be apparent enough not to need a belt to indicate it to others… hmm maybe I should change styles anyways sorry for the rant, just kinda venting my problems with tkd here lol bye [/B]
good grief. i’m stunned. after some of the asenine nonsense you’ve posted…
this is brilliant. one of the best looks at ranking systems i’ve come across. nice!
stuart b.
Originally posted by Samurai Jack
[B]Leto and apoweyn, thank you for your gracious replies.
As to the others, I have been duly humbled, and I will think twice before foolishly attempting to interupt your adolescent and vulgar banter with a question pertaining to martial arts training.
What was I thinking? [/B]
no worries, samurai jack.
and don’t take this too hard. as red5angel said, sometimes we have a hard time getting focused. sometimes people get riled up unnecessarily. and sometimes you have to fire a volley or two back in order to be heard. but hang in there. there really are some extremely knowledgeable people around here. in the long run, it’ll be worth your time, i think.
stuart b.
KFO = 99% filtering bs, 1% yenhoi.
LOL
Samurai Jack.Crappy cartoon by the way.
u trippin… that joint funny as he||… the 3 episode I’ve seen… anybody see the one when he was crossing this bridge… joint was so long he had to sleep on it… thaan he had to fight this irish dude coming the other way… anyway… soory no belts or sash here…