The Road to Promotion
The only road to promotion is through hard work. There are no shortcuts or secrets to earning rank and gaining skill in martial arts. A good friend of mine and fellow martial artist asked me one day if I knew the secret to martial arts training. I replied no. He stated the only secret to martial arts is unending practice and time on the floor.
Rank decisions are based on several platforms for Powers Martial Arts Academy. Students must learn and progress through the school curriculum. You must make corrections to your techniques to show continued progress. At each belt level, you must perform the prior requirements at a higher level to show your continued growth.
Your evaluation for rank begins the day you stop on the floor. Instructors consider factors such as your class attendance and participation, technical skill, behavior, and discipline.
There are minimum time frames between each promotion as well. This is followed to give students the time to grow within their training level and to progress. If you at not training consistently (mat time), it takes longer to progress through the ranks. You may be able to say that you have been a certain rank for a number of years, however your skill may not match if your training schedule is very infrequent. The more you train the better you perform. Students often debate the concept of hours of training for promotions. The belief is that it should only be skilled based. I have a friend of mine who was a student of a very well known instructor. His instructor would not give him a black belt until he won a world championship as a brown belt. Call this what you want, but this is training hours plain and simple. No one is winning that kind of title training on a part time basis. It may be quantified in a different way with winning tournaments, but no matter how you look at it, this boils down to mat time. I am happy to report that my friend reached his goal and was promoted to black belt by his instructor.
The reasons you are personally training are taken into account as well. Are you training just to get fit, learn self defense, inspire to teach, or want to be a tournament competitor? These are all important aspects to your journey. These reasons are all taken into account when rank is given. Each person’s journey and path is different. A mom who wants to have fun and get in shape is not held to the same standard as a high level tournament competitor. I have had countless conversations with Pedro Sauer on how Jiu Jitsu benefits everyone.
People with mental and physical disabilities also benefit from Jiu Jitsu training. At Powers Martial Arts Academy we have put programs together for Autistic and other special needs students. We have students who have physical disabilites as well thriving within the academy. It may not look the same as what is considered a “normal” training situation, but none the less, each student is progressing and growing getting 1% better each day.
At the end of the day, enjoy the journey, training, comradery. Trust that your instructors have your best interest at heart and know what is best for you. Don’t be disappointed if you are not promoted. Sometimes you just need more time to improve. Each student has their own pace of training. Students learn at different rates. Your journey is your’s and your’s alone. Keep dedicating yourself to becoming the best you can be. Trust in our motto: 1% better each day.