Filed under: enart.cgnq.com — admin @ March 11, 2010 edit
I was taught a strict set of guidelines as to who was qualified to test and promote people.
NOTE: watch for more questions along these lines, as I will post more related questions!!!!
What is the minimum rank that a person can hold and be qualified to promote a student to (by traditional Japanese / Okinawan standards)?One must be both a Sandan and an officially titled Sensei to promote anyone to Shodan if the system is authentic. One the other hand the greatest honor for any Sensei is to have their Sensei attend the test and assist in promoting the kyu rank students to shodan. To promote a student to Sandan one must be a Yondan and so forth according to most set standards in traditional arts. Keep in mind that you can not promote anyone officially if you have not been given permission to do so by your own Sensei regardless of your rank.you must hold the title sensei in order to give rank and the title sensei is not given until sandan level
you can only promote up to 2 ranks below you so a sandan can only promote up to shodanAt my school 3rd dan and can be an assistant judge butthe highest ranked sensei has the final say (99% we all agree)Promotion requirements can vary traditional to traditional wether it depends on a councel on Black Belts as mine does or if the school is smaller than it may just be the Senior Black belt and what ever other Black belts he has, but only a Black belt can promote someone to another rank. Yes a brown belt can prepare them or even a green or purple belt can be their teacher but they are still under Sensei supervision so when testing comes it is done be either a BB or a councel of them as I have. To meet Japanse standards and Okinawan they would have to be accepted schools with a legitimate Dojo from those areas of Japan and Okinawa.
So shodan is the lowest but they could not promote any one to a shodan themseleves, in my school it takes two degree higher to promote or put some one up for promotion for the councel. So I cannot make a Shodan until I am a Sandan in the style. Some other require only one level difference. It varies.
hope that helpsI like your questions. Thanks for good oneslike this! I got tired of the usual UFC and other silly questions...
I am currently living, training and teaching in Tokyo. In our association, sempai of any rank can help teach (but usually the minimum is brown belt - depends on the clubs, such as a high school class or university club) but they cannot test the students. To test students one must be an actual teacher. But to be an actual teacher and be given the title of sensei one must have a sandan and also take a shidoin/teacher test.
With so much competition in Tokyo and the surrounding areas, even a sandan will usually have tests with other teachers and higher ranks (at least one or more shihans on the testing panel). Someone in an offshoot or a smaller association or away from the big cities may do it differently.
Just how I see it...The minimum I was taught was Sandan, though I was allowed to take on students at Sankyu, Nikyu, and Ikyu. We were allowed to do so, but could not promote until reaching Shodan, and could not promote to Shodan until we reached Sandan because having the ability to teach and further the system was a requirement for the Dan rank.When I was in Goju, it was Sandan at a minimum that could actually give rank promotions. Even at that, it was up to the governing body of our style to give that license. Just because you were Sandan didn't mean you automatically received license to teach and promote students. My sensei was Nidan and so we all had to travel to his sensei's dojo for promotion testing.
In my iaido, all promotion testing is performed by one of the Rokudan or higher from Japan. Even our Sandan and Yondan here in the US have not been allowed to perform promotion testing because they present menjo for all acheived ranks.In most places you hace to be at least a shodan. But a shodan can not promote anyone to black belt. You have to be a higher rank than the person you are promoting.#If you have any other info about this subject , Please add it free.# |
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