How does a person become a Black Belt in Jeet Kune Do ?

[Joe Hubbard]

Jeet Kune Do does not have belt rank. It has beginner, intermediate, advanced rank etc. However, does rank really matter? Shouldnt skill be what your going after?

It depends who you study with, Bob Breen has had a belt system for years.

Joe

[Wi Kali Group]

my experience is a bit vintage. I didn't know about the senior Associate position. I remember back in the old days (and this my be my uninformed opinion not a fact). But you ran into apprentice's under Sifu/Guru Dan (again I'm willing to admit I may be wrong) that just didn't seem all that good or well versed. But they always seemed to be in areas with little or no exposure to JKD/Kali. So we just assumed (maybe making an ass out of you and me) that apprentice's position was more flexible based on location. We may have been wrong or things may be different now. Neither then nor now am I trying to second guess Dan. I value his opinion more than most peoples facts. Thanks for the info Mike.

It’s a good post with some useful information, I hope you don’t mind if I make some additional comments.

First of all, just as a technicality, for several years now there have been five levels of instructorship under Guro Inosanto:

Apprentice
Associate
Senior Associate
Full
Senior Full

The only other point in your post that I’d like to clarify is your view on the Apprentice level. I think credit where credit is due, this is not in any way a beginner level, you need to be a very well versed exponent of the arts to reach this stage. To be considered for an Apprentice Instructorship under Guro Dan you have to be recommended by one of his Full Instructors, and for this reason Guro normally expects you to already be certified under that instructor. In my case, I had been training in the arts for eight years and was already certified under Paul Vunak, Rick Faye and Terry Barnett - before Terry put me forward to Guro. You will find that most Apprentice candidates are already very experienced before they will be recommended. Once recommended you start a one year’s probationary period where Guro can asses your ability, and in that time you need to get as much exposure to him as possible. During my probation (2003-2004) I trained with Guro in London, Edinburgh, Bournemouth, Germany and L.A. I was awarded my Apprentice Instructorship on January 18th 2004, nine years after I started my study of Jun Fan & FMA.

[Wi Kali Group]

I really hope I add Buzz not inflamation

Ok first off I agree with all of Mike's comments. And I'm in a good mood.

A little bit of history. If you do a little searching on the web you should be able to find what I'm about to mention.

Originally Bruce taught 3 areas at his school (not all from the start) Chinese Gung Fu (or something with Chinese in the name), Jun Fan Gung Fu & Jeet Kune Do. Each art reportedly had 8 ranks 1-8. Rank 1 & 8 were the empty circle you see on most of the inosanto school shirts. This was I think representing that at the same time you get as far as you can in any art you then have to become a student and try to learn more. Either from your students or from other arts. Ranks 2-7 were various plays on the ying yang symbol. The red and yellow ying yang that is so very popular in JKD influenced schools is actually one of the rank symbols from Bruce's schools.

Level 3 was the rank you needed under Bruce to teach. Bruce only promoted 3 people to instructor level. Kimura, J. Lee & Dan Inosanto. Kimura was level 5 in Jun Fan (Dan refers to him as his senior in jun fan) J. Lee was level 3 in Jun Fan. For those two I don't know if they were instructors in the Chinese gung fu or not. Dan was made level 3 in all three arts. He was the only one Bruce authorised to teach JKD. He received all certs on the same day.

I don't know if its true but I found something out on the web. It stated that Dan made some of Bruce's old students (like Ted Wong) instructors after Bruce died. In Ted's case it stated Dan felt Bruce would have wanted it. In some cases he did this on certificates left over with bruce's signature on it.

Dan then changed the system. He got rid of the student & int ranks and just went to the system he has.
Apprentice - you teach what you know maybe one technique
Associate
Full
Senior Full

Some schools have gone to rank systems (in some cases to separate classes by ability) or to give out belts as a means of comfort for people who need validation for personal growth.

We never had it at my first school people after a few weeks figured out who was better at what by watching. When asked how we measured ability I'd usually say by height. (My instructor was about a half a foot shorter than a few of us so he usually didn't laugh.) A school owner has to do what he has to do to keep his school open. But to me a school that gives out black belts for JKD, Jun Fan, or Kali (unless its a rare case like Doce Pares where its legit) I instantly am sceptical. Hey I know its not right. But I was never encumbered with a background in a belted system. So the stigma still sticks (and its one of the many character flaws I have yet to purge.)

When Guro Inosanto certifies his students as instructors, he prefers that they form their own identity and have their own label e.g. Progressive Fighting Systems, Combat Submission Wrestling etc. If you wish to assign rank to people under your own label he has no objections, however I feel he is still wary of people issuing their own grades in "Jeet Kune Do".

Its a very common misconception that Guro Inosanto issues instructor certification in Jeet Kune Do, which technically and accurately speaking he does not. You are issued with two seperate certificates, one in "The art and science of the Filipino Martial Arts" and one in "The art and science of Jun Fan Gung Fu". There is no reference to Jeet Kune Do anywhere on the certification.

I believe this goes back to Guro's beliefs that Jeet Kune Do was Bruce Lee's personal philosophy on the martial arts, and although the concepts can be shared the actual art cannot be standardised. Therefore he asks for you to have your own identity, and if you are teaching Jeet Kune Do you are teaching your Jeet Kune Do.

[fire cobra]

.
In most styles of Martial Arts their are different degrees of advancements and different collars of belts to represent them.

!. In Jeet Kune Do how does a person advance in a concept without a real style to grade someone with.

2. How high of a degree can a person achieve.

3. How would a student be advanced when there is not a definite style to go by.

4. How can another person judge if a student has or has not achieved his or her on ability in a style that has no set guidelines.


In all that I have read, seen, and heard about Jeet Kune Do I like the idea or concept, but if I did everything and acted like Bruce Lee I would not be practicing Jeet Kune Do. I would be practicing and I would be a student of Bruce Lees style and not a person of Jeet Kune Do which would be my own style that is suitable for me and my life, no matter how large or small my ability would be.

That which is good and works for me will only work for me and that which worked for Bruce Lee is only his and what he accepted as his Jeet Kune Do.


bumpus
.

I wouldnt mind being as good as Bruce Lee was!.

[Enthusiast]

I have read that JKD has only three certificates. One to rank you as a student. One that enables you to assist an instructor. And one that makes you an instructor, and there are very few that hold the third certificate. Such as Sifu Dan Inosanto.

[Ginvera]

Well, in JFJKD or IJKD, there isn't any rankings like the belt system. Instead, we have ranks like beginner, intermediate, advance or levels eg. 1,2,3,4..

[Semper Fi]

I was being facetious in my first post in case that was missed. There are no belts in JKD. If you want to know more info on JKD here is a nice little article.

Combat Journal - Martial Arts :: Interview with Richard Torres

[bumpus]

OK Grasshopper.

[Semper Fi]

Currently I have a black leather belt around my waist. The same one I bought at the store a few months back. =)

[bumpus]

Quiet easily actually. Just go to the store and buy a black belt. =)

If I stoop that low and I did that,
I might as well knock out a black belt and take his or her belt.

Why waste money if your going to be dishonest.

What's around your waist ?


bumpus
.

[Semper Fi]

Quiet easily actually. Just go to the store and buy a black belt. =)

[bumpus]

Jeet Kune Do does not have belt rank. It has beginner, intermediate, advanced rank etc. However, does rank really matter? Shouldnt skill be what your going after?

Real Combat - About Seminar

Yes skill would mean far more to me, even if I never had to use it..

bumpus
.

[redwave540]

Jeet Kune Do does not have belt rank. It has beginner, intermediate, advanced rank etc. However, does rank really matter? Shouldnt skill be what your going after?

Real Combat - About Seminar