Many years ago
the Japanese invented
the Belt Grading
System to help a student
progress through their Martial Arts training.
Now the coveted BLACK
BELT is a World renown qualification
within Kickboxing. A goal to aim for, and an achievement
to acomplish.
The
Studio conducts 6 Kickboxing examinations for
adults each year on a bi-monthly basis starting
in February. For Children, we arrange for just
3 examinations per year, holding them in April
August and December. During these tests student
demonstrate their skills and knowledge to a pre-set
level. This then gets increasingly harder as the
Grades are progressed through.
These
regular assessments help to vastly improve a students
skills and confidence as well as highlighting
any areas requiring improvement.
Most members upon starting at the Studio, never
intend to Grade, ( or compete ). Only to find
having a training goal helps them progress much
quicker than they would do otherwise.
 All
the Students that do successfully Grade receive
a Diploma Certificate and a Coloured Belt
, to
show their rank and level of personal achievement.
Pict: Michelle Preston,
I.K.F. Pro: World Lightweight Champion,
and Amateur Silver medalist ( W.A.K.O ).
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The
Okami-Dojo ( Wolf-Gym )
Grading Syllabus at the Studio is a very well
structured training program. This guarantees that
a Student, over their martial arts training career,
will learn all aspects of the Okami-Do (Wolf
Style
) system of KICKBOXING.
In all
the Martial Arts no matter the style studied.
The Students that take regular assessments through
Gradings Tests are always much more skilled than
those who do not!
Belt Grades Colour System
: White to Black.
In many
Martial Art Styles, a Red
Band
is the Insignia used
to denote an Instructor
Grade.
Within the Okami
Dojo Kickboxing system you will see this Instructor
Insignia, (
Red Band )
worn across one end of the Black Belt.
This is system is not exclusive to Kickboxing
and Black Belts with Red Bands on them can be
seen in other styles too, such as Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu.
If
you see a martial artist wearing a Black belt
with two White Tags
across
it, this represents them as a 2nd Dan Black belt.
If you see a Martial Artist wearing a Black belt
that has three
White Tags across
it, this represents a 3rd Degree Blackbelt, etc..
etc...
( Please
note, some Martial Art Styles use Gold Tags on
their Blackbelt to represent Dan Grades, although
the majority do use White Tags- but again it is
the same system).
To better
understand the belt ranking system, please refer
to the following chart.
Juniors
under the age of 18
may only grade upto Brown Belt ( 3rd Kyu ) as
we do not believe in watering down a system, simply
to grade children, as commonly seen in other Martial
Arts Centres.
Shodan literally means 'First Level'. While 'Kyu'
means 'step'. A student progresses through 'steps'
towards the first level black belt or Shodan.
When a person becomes a Shodan, they are still
required to train just as regularly and as hard
as they did when they were a Kyu grade, as holding
a Shodan ( First Level ) is only the start of
greater learning.
Some Martial Arts Centres
quickly grade students to black belt simply, for
the financial gain - charging upwards of £
300.00 per Black belt exam.
This is not true of Warrington
Kickboxing Studio, as we do not charge
any fee for the Black belt exam. A student will
be invited to take their Black Belt test once
they are ready, and not for financial gain.
BROWN BELT RANKS - POSSIBLE FUTURE BLACKBELTS
Senior
Brown belts that are currently waiting to test
for their Black belt Exam, cannot enter the test
until at least two Senior Instructors feel they
are 100% ready, only then they will be invited
to attempt the exam.
No student may ask if they can take the exam as
this would be disrespectful to the Teachers, the
School and to the other Black belts that had to
earn their chance through dedication to their
training.
Therefore
the integrity of the Okami Dojo Black
belt is secure, and taken only by those who deserve
to. This helps us maintain our reputation of having
such high of standards.
The
Black belt is certainly a goal to aim for, and
an achievement to acomplish.
INSTRUCTOR
GRADES
A senior
student of any martial arts style can achieve
through examination a Black belt.
However at the Warrington
Kickboxing Studio,
as indeed it should be with other
Martial Arts Centres,
this alone does not automatically qualify
someone to teach!
Our belief is that an Instructor does not learn
the required teaching skills purely through academic
exams, but experience through apprecticeship.
Many of the worlds leading craftsmen learned their
skills through working apprenticeship rather than
in the class room. When a person passes a driving
test, they cannot then suddenly become a driving
Instructor - and so it should be with the Martial
Arts.
A
Black Belt at Warrington Kickboxing Studio wishing
to become an Instructor must pass a probation
period succesfully as an Apprentice Instructor, attached to
a Senior Instructor.
During this time they may teach beginners, ( White,
Yellow and Orange belts ), whilst under strict
guidance and supervision of their Senior Instructor.
Should they show appropriate teaching skills,
they will then be awarded their Instructor Insignia
- the RED BAND.
As a Level 1 ( 1st Dan ) Instructor they may teach
beginner and intermediate level students, ( White
Belts through to Purple Belts ).
After approximately a years experience at this
level an Instructor maybe promoted to Level 2
( 2nd Dan ) and can Instruct students upto Brown
Belt.
After 2 years coaching as a 2nd Dan, aBlack belt
will be promoted to Level 3 ( 3rd Dan ) Instructor.
As a 3rd Dan Black belt, they can now coach independantly
without a Senior Instructor.
After 10 years coaching students an Instructor
will be promoted to YODAN. As a 4th Dan Black
belt, with 10 years (+) experience they can now
take on their own apprentice Instructor, to continue
the cycle.
As shown above on the Black belt chart, a teacher
wears the Instructors Insignia,
which is the Red Band
across one end of his Black belt.
On the opposite end of the Black belt will be
the 'White Tags' that represent their level of
experience as an Instructor, 2nd Dan ( 2 tags
) , 4th Dan, ( 4 tags ) etc...
From 6th Dan an Instructor
may chose to longer use a Black belt and instead
use a Red and White belt.
From 9th Dan an Instructor
may use a Red and Black Belt.
A 10th Dan Grandmaster
may use a Singular Red Belt, or in some instances
a White Belt to symbolise that they have come
full circle.
It is extremely uncommon to find Instructors of
such high ranks as those of 8th
or 9th or 10th
dan in any martial arts system.
People claiming these ranks are generally referred
to as being Professors in their martial science
such is their knowledge and experience.
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