Stripes

aceofspades said:
I've been training for eight months now (for twice a week, i've never had a break longer than two weeks from training) on a small academy that's a branch of a larger one. My trainer was a recently promoted brown belt, and I've always had a great deal of respect and admiration for him. Two weeks ago, we merged into the larger academy under a black belt who was my instructor's sensei and, on occasion, ours as well. Whenever there's a belt promotion, it's him the one that gives them out, not our instructor.

Because our instructor never bothered for the stripes system NONE of us had them. On this new academy, however, I saw certain people wearing them. IOut of curiosity, I went up to our sensei and asked him if I could attach a stripe to my belt when he felt I had earned it, and he didn't really give the matter that much importance, he just said "Sure sure, go put some tape around your belt, I think that guy has some". Then I tried asking my instructor, but he was busy and so I decided not to bother him since it didn't seem so important. Being a little childish and eager to impress my friends outside the mat, I went and wrapped some tape around my belt, and fought really well later besides. And at the end of the class I took my usual place in the line despite there being several older white belts who didn't have any stripes (I assume because they don't agree with the system) to my left.

The problem is, my instructor is now incredibly pissed off at me. He sent a mass email airing off his concerns about this subject, but seeing as I was the only one who did it, it was obvious he was referring to me. He went on for a really long while saying that it's in bad form to request promotions, that he is our instructor first and that it's a breach of respect to speak to go over his head to seek promotions, etc. I tried sending him an email apologizing but he read it and didn't reply. Obviously I've taken off the stripe now.

Still, is he overreacting or is he right to be so offended about it? I understand I was wrong now, but shouldn't have he explained it to me first before going off like that?
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I, too, would be angry if I was your instructor.
 
he's definitely overreacting. keep trianing hard and just forget about it
 
Sounds like the politics of the gym are gonna get messy...

Sounds like your gyms merged, classes are combined, but they are still separating students into 2 "clubs"? Your stripe might be the least of the issues going on behind the scenes. Things will sort themselves out in the end, or the club will split back into two.

As for the situation, my opinion is you can't have breaching etiquette held against you, when no one told you what proper etiquette was in the first place. Given the situation, chances are it is in flux right now anyways as the two instructors figure out how things are going to work now that they are one club.
 
One of the guys I train with is ex-military and takes his uniform/gi very seriously. He was lead to believe that after completing the 20 basic classes you got a single stripe on your belt... so to be in compliance he promptly went home and sewed on a stripe... very professional looking... another 20 classes another stripe... and then another... and... no one noticed it... our school is not big on stripes... but he and I train together 2-3 times a week so I noticed... so I asked... bro what up with your belt??? "Every 20 classes I sew on a new stripe". "Why"? "I thought that's how it worked." NOOOOO NOOOO you don't put your own stripes on!!! He was so convinced that he was following "Standard Proceduers"... it just never ocurred to him....
 
honestly, i think both parties are 'at fault' in this situation. but, don't take it personally, learn, live, move on. don't worry about stripes or rank, as others have noted, just learn and work hard and let your actions/technique earn you your rank.
 
Sounds kind of weird to be honest, I'd just apologize in person and keep training.

I learned very early on to never ask about being promoted. A 4 stripe white belt asked when he was gonna get a blue belt (he asked with some attitude). Well, a year later he still has all 4 stripes lol.
 
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Apologize in PERSON and just forget about it.....Just go out there and train hard and get your mat time in. Forget about the 2 school migration politics(it's not your problem).
 
lol @ the people dogging on people with stripes in this thread.
 
The most important question is.....what color stripe did you put on?!?!?!!!

did you go with the unassuming white stripe to blend or did you jump right into a blue one? did you go all crazy with some glitter gold stripe from Hobby Lobby?

Inquiring minds what to know!



In all seriousness...just apologize. I am sure after the email the controversy has been cleared up. You will get promoted (stripes or not) when your instructor feels you have met the abilities that they require for said promotion. The more you harp on the subject, the more it will remain your focus. Just get back to training and having fun.
 
Isn't there tension between your two instructors, bearing in mind the brown belt has discarded his own instructor's stripe system? Ask him did he get stripes from the black belt at any point and, if so, did he just tear them off.
 
HomerPlata said:
Isn't there tension between your two instructors, bearing in mind the brown belt has discarded his own instructor's stripe system? Ask him did he get stripes from the black belt at any point and, if so, did he just tear them off.
Click to expand...

I don't know about any tension, but neither places much importance in the stripe system at all. They both think it's a bit of a fad, which is why I didn't think much when my sensei told me to go ahead and wrap one on. I thought he was just indulging me. In the academy not EVERY student has stripes on their belts whether they deserve them or not. I've never seen or heard of a single 'stripe giving' ceremony, I just kept seeing people showing up with them and I thought it'd be nice to have one also.

@ 256 White stripe on a white section of my white belt. I didn't want it to be too conspicuous.
 
Okay, the thread is a tad bit silly, but to be fair, if two instructors in the SAME school are each using a different promotion protocol (i.e. one that uses stripes and one that doesn't), it can be a bit confusing. They should standardize on a system.
 
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