MT: Etiquette Question

[Knowledge Bot]

Etiquette Question By Golden Crane - 10-21-2009 02:57 PM

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Howdy, all...

Just had a quick question about obis and rank - especially when it pertains to training in a new style or dojo: If you are a black belt in say, Shotokan or TKD, what should you do with your obi if you decide to step on the mat in a Goju-ryu class? I was taught that the practitioner should either:

1. wear their current rank but line up in the back of the class
2. turn their obi knot to the back and line up in the back of the class
3. ditch the obi altogether and line up in the back of the class or
4. don a white belt and line up accordingly.

We had a situation last night when a young woman who is about to test for nidan in Shorin-Ryu (a Japanese style that is a close cousin of Goju-Ryu) - but who has been coming to our class gi-less for about a month or so - showed up to class in her Shorin-Ryu gi and black belt. She was allowed to line up directly behind the class shodans, which put her in front of some second and first kyus who have been training with sensei for 4-5 years or more. I got there just as we were falling in, so I'm not sure if she just showed up in gi and sensei, out of respect for her rank, just told her to fall in up front or what, but shouldn't she have deferred and respectfully lined up near the rear?

At my sister dojo, a similar thing happened a while back: two students showed up in black belts from other styles (Brazilian Jujitsu and Kung Fu), but lined up in back without incident. After about a month, the seipai pulled them aside and asked them to please start wearing their white belts to class. They've done so ever since...

In the Tuesday night class, I am the seipai - although I earned my shodan rank only five months ago. Should I pull her aside or is this something I should speak with my sensei about first? I'm trying to do this the right way - and as respectfully as possible.

Domo arigato gozaimasu :asian:,

Felicia


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MartialTalk.com Post Bot - Women's Self-Defense Feed

[Wi Kali Group]

You should ask the head instructor for that class and/or the school owner. When I started taking Judo a number of years ago. It didn't matter that my size and non judo grappling allowed me to toss around all the blue belts and 1 brown belt. I was a white belt. If you are a black belt in Judo and you take BJJ you are a white belt. If you are a black belt in a similar style you might advance faster but you are a white belt tell you are promoted by the school you are at.

It's the biggest problem with belts. You get this air of superiority. If your ego gets in the way its hard to strap on a white belt and learn another style.

But again its really up to your head instructor/owner. Just ask him how he would like you to handle it. He should respect that you are trying to due your duty as seipai and represent him and the school in an honorable way.

[shaolin-warrior]

Ditch the obi all together and line up with white belts. If you are a true black belt, you will be recognized by your ability. I would respect you and publicly announce your rank in another system if you came to my school as a black belt, but not allow you wear it in my classes. I also will not allow you to wear another school patch in my class. The only concession I will make for an advanced student is that I will allow you to test faster if you are both competent and confident. Why? Because at the black belt level you should be able to have the ability to see technique and form for what is. The discovery period of your training will be shorter of that than a novice student.
You martial discipline should already be instilled and engrained; you should also have a true understanding of proper body mechanics and weight distribution. The fight science necessary to defend yourself with absence of void, although not mastered at the black belt level, should be understood enough that your level of proficiency in one art will become transferable in anything you do, not just another style of Martial Art. And then I will give you much credit for wanting to start all over and do it again in another system.

[madtrufli]

In the Tuesday night class, I am the seipai - although I earned my shodan rank only five months ago. Should I pull her aside or is this something I should speak with my sensei about first? I'm trying to do this the right way - and as respectfully as possible.