I read a recent Martial Arts forum about some folks who are very concerned about the length of time it takes between belt rankings in their style…

Here’s what I shared…

Really, at the end of the day, as they say, there are so many styles, schools, organizations, etc., that there never has been, nor will there ever be, any true and widely uniform standards for advancement in the martial arts…
What we call “Martial Arts” is so remarkably broad, worldwide and throughout history, that each individual, and/or each individual Master/Instructor, must ultimately decide for themselves what “progress” and varying degrees of technical proficiency looks like.  There is nothing wrong with designing protocols and having standards, which may include “benchmarks” or “ranks.”  Still, people have been training to fight and defend forever, and anyone who wants to systematize their particular way of preparing for battle is simply making it up as they go…

Some people are far more proficient martial aritsts than others, and some systems are more likely to produce effective warriors than others.  We are all, however, just making this stuff up as we go, so I think it’s important to not take ourselves, or anyone, for that matter, too seriously…
Do your training, trust your teacher, and get your new belts whenever your school decides you’re ready…focus on the process, not the outcome…
Train hard, train smart, and be well.

David Lader

Warrior’s Dance