I'm in a promotional dilemma.

[ArTofF16hT1ng]

Here's the story.

I'm a 2nd degree brown belt in Judo in the States. Actually, I'm not even sure if my last promotion got processed because of some bull politics that were at play at the time I was promoted. Anyways, my Sensei wanted to promote me all the way to 1st degree Brown belt before I left.

That said, I went to my first Korean Judo practice the other day and I schooled the cats in matwork. I haven't had any formal BJJ training but I've rolled with blue-belts and have given them a good go, but that doesn't mean anything. Basically what I'm trying to say is that I have decent matwork.

My Sensei (a 6th degree Black Belt) is willing to promote me to Sho Dan based upon my skills. I wouldn't mind getting promoted, but the only thing is I don't quite have a grasp on all the throws of Judo. I have about 2-3 throws that I do, but some of them I can't do at all. For instance, I know the basic movements for Tai-otoshi but I've never pulled it off in practice.

Thoughts?

 

[TheNinthCloud]

Practice them is all I can say.

 

[UrbanSavage**]

You were the one that just made a thread about wanting to be a lazy black belt...

 

[ArTofF16hT1ng]

You were the one that just made a thread about wanting to be a lazy black belt...

Yeah, if you want to read everything out of context and disregard everything I said by believing subjective flights of fancy.

 

[Title Fight Productions]

Actually, I'm not even sure if my last promotion got processed because of some bull politics that were at play at the time I was promoted. Anyways, my Sensei wanted to promote me all the way to 1st degree Brown belt before I left.

Wow, first your buddy loses his purple due to "bullsh!t politics" and now you..........
Birds of a feather?:icon_neut

 

[Podgorny]

Well keep practicing the throws you're not so good at. But there are plenty of guys with high ranking who know the throws, but are only good at pulling off a handful of them. Thats what makes our games unique.

 

[ArTofF16hT1ng]

Wow, first your buddy loses his purple due to "bullsh!t politics" and now you..........
Birds of a feather?:icon_neut

Well to be fair his was BJJ, mine is Judo. They cashed my check and then told my Sensei he had to pay an extra fee otherwise they'd withhold my promotion. So basically they strong armed him into paying.

I left for Korea a few weeks ago and I filed for my promotion about 4 months ago. As of now, I still don't know if my promotion got processed.

 

[Tropic]

Well to be fair his was BJJ, mine is Judo. They cashed my check and then told my Sensei he had to pay an extra fee otherwise they'd withhold my promotion. So basically they strong armed him into paying.

I left for Korea a few weeks ago and I filed for my promotion about 4 months ago. As of now, I still don't know if my promotion got processed.

In any martial art, it takes too long of a time to master and learn EVERY single move, if you feel you deserve the promotion. Take it.

 

[UrbanSavage**]

So basically your instructor asked you if you wanted to be promoted? Does that make zero sense to anyone else? It's his call, not yours.

 

[ArTofF16hT1ng]

So basically your instructor asked you if you wanted to be promoted? Does that make zero sense to anyone else? It's his call, not yours.

I asked him about the promotion system in Korea, and based off one practice he said I have the skills of at least a Sho Dan so he's willing to promote me. He's a 6th degree Black Belt and has 30 years of experience...so I suppose his judgement is good.

 

[KGB313]

If you don't feel comfortable with all of the throws, I'd say politely explain why you don't feel you deserve it yet. If he still insists that you deserve the rank, go ahead and take it.

Either way, I expect he will respect your honesty and candor.

 

[Uchi Mata]

First thing: Shodan means less in the East than in the West. Westerners think it's the end of learning, Easterners treat it as the beginning. If you took the belt, you'd need to do it in that spirit.

Second: are you going back to the same instructor in the states at some point? Will he be pissed that a Korean sensei promoted you? That might affect your decision.

Third: how do you do in standup? If you're beating the other BBs both standing and on the ground, then you're probably ready for the promo.

Fourth, and this is more of a comment: don't worry about any rank below black being certified in the states. It doesn't matter. I have a USJI certified black belt, but other than that all my belts were merely given to me by my teachers. Prior to black, you have to get a signoff to compete anyway, it simply doesn't matter that much what you put down as your rank before black. Would you get some sort of signed documentation in Korea showing that you received your BB from a legit instructor?

Finally, at your rank I'd start learning the gokyo and the nage no kata anyway for US promotions sake. I don't think knowing the kata or many of the more obscure gokyo throws is really of any value for a competitive judoka, but such is life. You will be expected to know them in the States. I had to learn them for my test, and then I never did them again (until my next test). It's silly, but it's the way it is and the system is hardly ripe for change.

 

[pittfrog]

A roku dan (6th dan) is more qualified than you are to decide if you have the skills for sho dan. Respect his long experience and contribution to judo, and take the promotion. Continue to work on stuff you're not good at. The end.

 

[redaxe]

It's not called "shodan" in Korea, it's "chodan" and judo is "yudo."

In Korea every adult training yudo is either a white belt or a black belt, and it only takes like a year to earn your black belt. Colored belts are for children.

 

[Steeltwo]

It's a belt, who cares?

He believes you have proved your efficiency at techniques, in turn, black belt.

 

[ArTofF16hT1ng]

First thing: Shodan means less in the East than in the West. Westerners think it's the end of learning, Easterners treat it as the beginning. If you took the belt, you'd need to do it in that spirit.

I'll mention it to him again next month. I want to avoid the promotional politics in the States so I want to get my Black Belt here.

Second: are you going back to the same instructor in the states at some point? Will he be pissed that a Korean sensei promoted you? That might affect your decision.

I train at two clubs in the States, and both of the Head Senseis are super cool and wouldn't mind me being promoted here in Korea.

Third: how do you do in standup? If you're beating the other BBs both standing and on the ground, then you're probably ready for the promo.

I threw every Black Belt I practiced with thus far and submitted them as well. So far, I've only been pinned once in practice and nothing even close to being submitted.

Fourth, and this is more of a comment: don't worry about any rank below black being certified in the states. It doesn't matter. I have a USJI certified black belt, but other than that all my belts were merely given to me by my teachers. Prior to black, you have to get a signoff to compete anyway, it simply doesn't matter that much what you put down as your rank before black. Would you get some sort of signed documentation in Korea showing that you received your BB from a legit instructor?

Yeah, the Senseis in Korea give out promotional diplomas with a picture and verification stamps and what not.

Finally, at your rank I'd start learning the gokyo and the nage no kata anyway for US promotions sake. I don't think knowing the kata or many of the more obscure gokyo throws is really of any value for a competitive judoka, but such is life. You will be expected to know them in the States. I had to learn them for my test, and then I never did them again (until my next test). It's silly, but it's the way it is and the system is hardly ripe for change.

I don't like the Katas, all I care about is Randori and Newaza, but I'll keep what you said in mind.

 

[ohmalley]

i trained judo off and on for a year under a korean national champion here in the states. the black belt means VERY different things there than it does here. if you reached brown belt in the us system, chances are you're MORE than qualified for first degree black in the korean system. a few guys i trained with got their black belts in under a year, with 2x week training (2 days/week was all that was offered). they worked hard as hell those two days (koreans don't fuck around!), but none of them could really hold a candle to the black belts i encountered at a reputable local judo school i also trained at briefly. those guys worked an average of 5-7 years on their 1st degree black belts, and the difference was huge.

 

[Noob 1.0]

Take the promotion. Don't take the promotion.

It's a Non-issue.

 

[Rod1]

Competition powress = rankings

Technical knowledge = belts.

This is not BJJ, you can be an olympic champ as a whitebelt.

 

[ElKarlo]

Competition powress = rankings

Technical knowledge = belts.

This is not BJJ, you can be an olympic champ as a whitebelt.

I think that would be great, to spite the heck outa everyone, and win or place in the Olympics as a WB:icon_chee