Fitness Belt

fitness belt
Are Karate belts handed out more loosely in the West than Japan?

Particularly Goju Ryu. Oh and excluding McDojos.
Basically I mean is grading stricter in Japan.
In Japan do you need to demonstrate a higher level of understanding, fitness, kata, spirit, kumite, and technique than in the West to go up a belt. Both pre black belt and post black belt, so Kyu and Dan.

Yes. Not just “Karate”, but in most American martial arts.

For that matter, they are given out more freely here than in Spain or Mexico. There, because machismo is so common and men so quick to really fight each other, MA men are often challenged and tournaments are almost a requirement for gaining a rank.

Here, men that have never been in real fights are being called masters. Men that have been in the arts longer are watching as younger kids rise up in higher ranks than they. I know of one master of Karate and Mugai-ryu who has been in his art for over 50 years now, travelling to Japan & Okinawa frequently since the 60s, yet is only a 7th dan. That man has been in many tournaments and trained champions in international competitions, as well as serving in Vietnam. Yet, there are men in this country that have not even been in the arts for 20 years that supposedly hold the same or higher rank.

So, yes, rank is literally given out more in this country than in many other nations. Some sell it to anyone willing to pay, some test anyone who thinks they are ready, and some don;t even test at all (simply handing it out to those they think worthy). The old standards of time in rank and proving yourself in tests no longer apply to many schools here in this country.

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