The Story of Martial Arts Rank "Standards"
We hear a constant barrage of
comments about rank standards, especially among inexperienced Martial
Artists. By inexperienced I mean people who have less than 20 years
hard training, have never produced a champion as a coach and often
have never been in a fight in their lives.
These people insist that we must
have “standards.” Of course each one means something different by
standards. Let’s take a look at some facts about standards.
First, there are those who say
that only competition (winning in tournaments) should count for
promotions, that is their “standard.” That’s OK for the first 20
years or so, if you wish, but what about the teacher whose knees are
shot but who still goes down to the YMCA every week, year after year
to teach kids? He’s too old and injured to compete. Is his promotion
career in Martial Arts ended forever? “Well, no, say these
people--in this case we’ll make an exception.” By the way, how
many of our high ranks in any Martial Art actually got their high
ranks from competition? Find me one, please, and I’ll show you the
exception.
Let’s take technical knowledge.
Some shout from the roof tops that every person must have deep
technical knowledge and pass an actual exam on the mat before a
promotion can be made. But what about our international Judo
champions who can’t do the Nage No Kata of Judo or pass even a first
degree black belt test? Are their promotions ended? “Well, no,
say these people--in this case we’ll make an exception.” By the
way, how many of the people sitting on the promotion boards testing
the others have themselves taken a test? Find me one, please.
And then there are those who say
that there must be a certain time in grade between each rank. This is
their “standard.” But what about Nakabayashi Sensei, who won
“batsugun” (instantaneous promotion) to 2nd, 3rd,
and 4th Dan in Judo, just one year apart for each rank, by
beating a whole line of equal ranks? Should we take his ranks away?
“Well, no, say these people--in this case we’ll make an exception.”
Exactly! Everyone’s rank is an exception!
And so it goes. For each
standard, there must be exceptions, and in truth the whole promotion
area is, and should be, full of exceptions. In Japan in 1963, a leader
gave two million dollars to the Kodokan and was immediately made 8th
Degree. That rank (Hachidan—8th Degree) is called,
“Important person of Judo,” and believe me, anyone who gives millions
is certainly important, so that rank is very valid.
Excuse me for saying it, but that is another exception!
We of the USMA believe that time
in service to the Martial Arts is the most important factor in making
promotions. In the beginning, students have nothing to give but their
hard work, and they should be judged on that. Of course technical
knowledge is important, of course competition is important, of course
coaching and writing are important. But these are all types of
service, and so is long effort over many years. In the end, no one
fools everyone very long. We always say, “Everybody knows who can
dance.” It is basically the club instructor who makes the promotion
decisions in his or her club, and the USMA always gives him that
prerogative. For most of our leaders and instructors, who have no
Sensei to rely on for promotions, I am proud to be their O-Sensei,
which means “Teacher of teachers.” Further, I have been directed
by our Board be O-Sensei for our USMA, to take charge of teaching and
promoting all our teachers.
Not a week goes by without my
hearing from some old trooper in the Martial Arts who has been
neglected for promotion. Martial Arts organizations are famous for
neglecting their members for promotion. I find 30 year veterans of
competition and teaching who are still first and second degree black
belts! It is my pleasure to study their records and often immediately
promote them to 4th or 5th degree, often
backdating their ranks so that we can promote them again soon. We
even find leaders who started in Judo or Aikido, got no rank in those
arts, then became high degrees in other arts and have no rank at all
in arts they have studied for 30 or 40 years. We are proud of the
fact that we correct these injustices. In fact, that is one of the
major reasons we started the USMA.
I know these ideas cause some
people to have fits. That’s just the way it has to be. We are going
to do what we believe is right, even if some inexperienced or
narrow-minded person doesn’t like it.
We have very high standards in the
USMA because we dare to reward service and devotion to the Martial
Arts. This policy is very traditional, very much in keeping with the
long history of the Martial Arts. We are proud of the ranks we award,
and so are the ones who receive them. There is no need to defend
them, just look at the composition of our International Board of
Martial Arts Masters on our beautiful website:
www.wwmaa.org . These are the people who stand behind the ranks
of their systems and the ranks of the USMA. We are proud of them.
Or come to our yearly National
Training Camps held each summer. There you will find great teachers
teaching many Martial Arts, and everyone studies all the arts in
friendship and eagerness to learn. Solid national training is an
important part of our USMA rank system.
Above all we know that the purpose
of the Martial Arts is the development and eventual perfection of
human character. If we constantly strive for that, we can’t go
wrong. And for the great men and women of the USMA who daily give
their best to teach students the ways of better character, we can do
no less than reward them with the ranks they deserve.
You are always in my heart.
O-Sensei
[Go Back to Top] |
[Home]
