Belt testing and advancement

[mara-jade]

Re: Belt testing and advancement

Nickolas,

I think you’re confusing instructor training with student training. Student Training has levels yellow, orange, green, blue, brown and black. Instructors have phase training within those levels to teach, I believe.

[nickolas-cook]

Re: Belt testing and advancement

Ah. Yeah, must be. I tried to find the link I read yesterday just to check, but unable to find it. Thanks for the clarification.

[russell]

Re: Belt testing and advancement

i take krav at a ata school in indiana, we train 2 times a week 1 hour each time, i have asked so many question’s i think mike run’s away when i come over, we don’t have belt’s and only have 3 phases, but they break up the phases differently than the ntc (i asked why only 3 not 5) and was told that our school teaches weapon defense at level 2 while the ntc won’t train untill phase 4(i think) and by our level 3 we are disarming 3rd person(i hope that’s the correct way do describe it, disarming the person who is holding a gun at another person) he said it takes about 6 month’s to move from phase 1 to 2, and that he would let us know when we are ready, i’m in no hurry, i’ll wait till I’M ready, i have trouble with a 1 hour class i can’t imagine a 1.5 hour test!

as for the belt’s i think they can be a false sense of security, my daughter is a 1st degree black belt testing for her second, she’s good at tkd, she beat up a bully who was trying to hurt her(he ran away crying) but you can’t count on a belt “color”to make you good at self defense,remember danielsan beat up johnny in the karate kid! haha!

[hazardoussmoker]

Re: Belt testing and advancement

It’s still true that you can’t reach black belt in Krav unless you travel to Israel correct?

[giant-killer]

Re: Belt testing and advancement

You can become a BB at the KMAA by testing in LA (where all of the leadership resides).

I started training in September 1997 and we still wore belts then. Then they became optional (but I believe still required to wear for belt tests). Then fewer and fewer people wore them, then nobody did, but we still got belt with the certificates for a few years. Now, I think it’s just the certificate.

As for schools only teaching level one or two, I think that’s horrible and should only be allowed during a transitional period (for example allowing a school to open teaching level one, but having the school commit in writing to eventually teaching all other levels as well). KM is much more than just a few punches and kicks and choke from all sides. There are weapons, multiple attackesrs, third party defenses and even weapon vs weapon techniques. Unless a school commits to eventually teach all of these things, they are not really committing to the system in my opinion.

_________________
Giantkiller

[jjk]

Re: Belt testing and advancement

I don’t know Giant, that’s like asking all Karate or Judo dojo’s to be able to certify you to Grandmaster. Obviously you can only learn up to the teacher’s rank.

The idea that the teachers must commit to learning is a good one, but that’s a contract of years… and it’d be hard to enforce. Why didn’t you test for the next level? Was it because you need more time? Or was it because you’re not “committed”.

I think a more realistic way is to require new certified school owners to be of a certain rank.

[gitano]

Re: Belt testing and advancement

quote Nickolas Cook:

Ah. Yeah, must be. I tried to find the link I read yesterday just to check, but unable to find it. Thanks for the clarification.

Hey Nickolas-

Just an fyi…the other Ultima school on Speedway teaches up to Level 3. It may be a matter of getting enough students to warrant setting up a class for the next level at the Thornydale location.
Just IMO and all that.

Sean

[giant-killer]

Re: Belt testing and advancement

I just think that schools should be committed to teaching all levels of Krav Maga over time. Now, maybe one can allow the school to start off teaching level one, but then there should be commitment on their part to ultimately go to a higher level. KM is a complete system. There have been guys on this forum in the past, who have stated that they have practiced KM for four years or more and are still in level one, because that’s all the school teaches and they have no intention of ever teaching more. That’s wrong in my opinion. KM prides itself on being a system that is fast an easy to learn, a system that will give you tools that could help you in a variety of violent encounters you might be unfortunate enough to find yourself in. An attacker pulling a knife or gun would be a relatively common threat. Students who only learn level one for years never get to learn defenses that are an integral part of the system.

Personally, I think one should require schools to teach all levels of KM within a certain, realistic time frame. If not, students may be stuck with doing simple punches and kicks that they might as well learn at their local Bodies in Motion or any other fitness/fighting place. It may still be useful, but you could probably not call it KM.

_________________
Giantkiller

[hazardoussmoker]

Re: Belt testing and advancement

Giant Killer,

I can see some schools having a problem going to higher levels because lack of instructors as well.

I know the school I attend there is basically one instructor. We have had two other instructors fill in for one session each but I haven’t seen either one of them in months.

My school only teaches up to Level 3.

[liquid-rockface]

Re: Belt testing and advancement

I think that if you make a decision to require all schools to teach all levels, then you’ll probably find a lot of those schools simply closing. I think a little Krav maga is better than none at all. If there is a demand for higher levels somebody will/should eventually fill that demand, it wouldn’t make sense not to.

[blindfold]

Re: Belt testing and advancement

I am pretty proud of the fact that I remembered all of the levels and belts. I told an instructor last night about them and they were correct.

Back on track now.

This has most to do with ATA locations:

I feel that if you have a chain of schools teach KM, then you should have at least one teaching all of the 5 levels.

My school offers a variety of levels, but always the same rotation. A KM plan is drawn up by a Chief Instructor and then implemented by all of the schools in the area. There are 4 schools with 10 miles of my house. If they offered different levels at each school that would even work for me. Instead they offer training only up to phase 2 for the instructors and they are supposed to rely on them for certification each year, when they come down. They only come down once a year and they cover the same things.

I don’t feel that it’s the instructors fault, because they are just working for a corporate headquarters who tells them “this is what you do”. They then follow it without question.

We have started a sparring class which is being more dictated by the students and the instructor is more or less a guidance for newer students. We have some exceptional students, who are in very diverse martial arts. A few of the students are trained Level 3 or 4 in KMWW and we all have input and drills in mind. It seems to be working well so far and it still hurts.

As stated previously I think every school should be up to level 5 within a certain time frame and should offer more than one level of class. If they offered a Level 1 &2 class and a Level 3-5 class it would be better than what is in place now.

Just an opinion from the peanut gallery

[blindfold]

Re: Belt testing and advancement

I have a question in regards to this thread.

Has anyone ever received an answer about ATA schools and the belts?

Or about the single classes for everyone?

I don’t need to know the answer I just haven’t gotten one.

I feel unloved thumbsup

[kmky]

Re: Belt testing and advancement

Maybe it is just in Florida. The school I go to is affiliated with ATA and it is nothing like what you have described. In fact I wouldn’t know that they were ATA affiliated if I didn’t get there early enough to see the TKD classes wrapping up.

[bradm]

Re: Belt testing and advancement

quote KMKY:

Maybe it is just in Florida. The school I go to is affiliated with ATA and it is nothing like what you have described. In fact I wouldn’t know that they were ATA affiliated if I didn’t get there early enough to see the TKD classes wrapping up.

Just curious. Where is the school you train at located? I as because the school in trained at in GA was the same. The TKD never interfaced with the Krav. They werelike two seperate entities.

[hazardoussmoker]

Re: Belt testing and advancement

What exactly is your question about ATA schools and belts?

I attend Krav at an ATA school here in Virginia Beach and there are 3 total in the Blackbelt Academy chain.

They teach to Level 3 here and as of right now that is it.

I think much of this has to do with the number of students that attend classes. I started class back in September and I can tell you at times that were had less than 8 people in the class so I can only imagine the other 2 locations have had the same instance occur.

Now that interest has peaked (could have to do with peoples New Years Resolutions) and our classes are closer to 15 or more students Maybe they can look into it further.

But I imagine not until they have large class attendance on a consistent level can they justify it financially to have the instructors get further qualified.

I am excited that we are finally going to start doing Boxing and MMA style fighting on Fridays soon.

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