BillC wrote: Hanon wrote: Kata are judo just as ukemi, the gokyo and reigi. They all have their reasons for being in the syllabus what the pupil needs to do is ensure they find the best sensei available to teach them that judo.
OK Mike, I think we are still on track here, but can we not have another belt thread?
How is a student supposed to find such sensei if ...
- knowledge of said ukemi, gokyo, reigi are not really required for promotion;
- if belts are handed out for "service" ... which means for example signing up hoards of clueless people and selling them belts in varieties that make ROY G BIV feel inadequate;
- past competitive glory serves as the single qualification (that's a tough one);
and so on with a list of shortcomings in the rank system already beaten to death ...
... if a student takes his guidance FROM people who are not a good example in the way they take care of themselves to a minimum standard physically, people who avoid participating in whole sections of judo when it is within their control to participate in a more comprehensive manner mentally and physically? Concentrate your superior reservoir of information on this last bit if I may make a request.
Hi Bill,
I hear you.
May I brainstorm? With great respect the USA is a massive, I mean, massive country. In the USA there are about four or even five various associations that have a judo section or support judo in some way. Let me put this into perspective. In France there is ONE judo federation and more people in one district practice judo than the combined membership of ALL the associations in the USA.
Judo in the USA must be fragmented simply by size of country and amount of federations etc. I have the greatest sympathy for the American judoka, to learn judo one may need to travel across the country, its simply not realistic YET.......since joining the cyber world of judo some many years ago I have seen pictures of more senior ranks in the USA than I have seen on one mat at an international seminar here in Europe. I have no idea what the ratio of high rank to judoka are in the USA but from what I have seen, I don't know for a fact, you have a top end problem?
Again this is not the system but individuals who abuse it. I don't disagree with what you write one little bit. I have seen the photos of red obis wearing mixed coloured go with base ball hats standing on a tatami, lines of them?
PLEASE accept though that this should not reflect on the rest of the judo world. Sure every country has some good kyu and high ranks and some bad kyu and high ranks this is the human aspect. To suggest, however we do away with ALL ranks in judo is simply disingenuous to those who have spent their time learning then teaching judo in a professional manner.
I don't asses my own rank, others do, that is how it should be. Peer review, the amount and quality of ones pupils should speak for ones sensei. This comes to your original point, I think. If a candidate for graduation appears on a day to be graded then many things should be correctly taken into consideration. IF a man of 60 with injuries can no longer perform the kata or the gokyo then pupils HE has taught would be a great indicator of that candidates ability in judo. Bad teachers seldom produce good pupils.
"- knowledge of said ukemi, gokyo, reigi are not really required for promotion;"..........How and why would the syllabus that every association on earth has would NOT be required? If this is the case the examiners should be dismissed. There is a clear syllabus in most federations that have specific requirements for each and every rank, if NNK or KNK is required the candidate does that or fails? How is that a difficulty?
"- if belts are handed out for "service" ... which means for example signing up hoards of clueless people and selling them belts in varieties that make ROY G BIV feel inadequate;"...................I don't understand the last sentence but the first is easy. "Service" to judo comes in at rokudan in most federations that is after the normal process of grading through shiai and the technical syllabus has been achieved. Go gyo is about the last grade one can be expected to actually be graded on a tatami for. By the time most of us reached that rank we are stuffed by age and injury. apart from that if by godan one didn't know the go kyo and the kata of judo one shouldn't have been awarded the godan. Service to judo is a tiny part of a much larger picture but it should be a tiny part of ones latter day promotions. No ku or ju dan has sat any sort of test or exam, non. So how are they graded? Mostly through a past record and what they have done since achieving rokudan. NO rank should be automatic through time, NON zero.
"- past competitive glory serves as the single qualification (that's a tough one);" A competition record can be an indicator of an individuals strengths in shiai. Shiai is vital to judo but not at the expense of other parts. Yamashita past glories SHOULD and will be taken into consideration when he is looked at for his future ranks but an awful lot more as well besides.
"-Waste candy"...............do you mean kohaku ranks? By the time an awful lot of judoka reach that level their own days of Olympic judo are over. Not all there are always exceptions. Do I like the hachi dan who struts around the dojo shouting orders at the class. What do you think? There is a karateka here who is about 85 or more and every event they have he attends IN GI and ON the tatami. So many karateka bad mouth him behind his back saying he is a joke etc as he is limited by what he can do. You have no idea the respect I have for this man and how many arguments I have with those that derise his efforts. It is generally those who are off the dojo leaning up a wall wearing some sort of jewelry.
The systems are there to grade in a professional, structured fashion, like all systems it is man who abuses it. Peer review is a very good way of ensuring we are all where we should be in a dojo.
I agree if a pupil has a teacher who is a poor example the pupil can have problems. that is why it is also important for associations to hold regular courses for teachers to ensure we are all up to scratch.
Lastly. Age comes to us all and ONLY ones pupils can be the sounding board if the sensei is still of value in the dojo. If the pupils are still learning judo and progressing well through school and work, growing in character and judo knowledge then the sensei MUST be doing something of value regardless of his physical state.
Let me put this another way. I have pupils who can now perform kata that I cannot. Same with certain throws from the gokyo and even ukemi. I am old they are young. They have the bodies and I teach their minds. The day I cannot produce happy well rounded judoka I will stop teaching at the courses I am invited to teach at. BTW due to age and illness I will not be grading any further. That is my choice and I shall maintain it.
Very best wishes Bill,
Mike
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