weapon69

I've seen a few threads about martial arts and they seem to get quite a good response. Just wondered how many of you on here are actually black belts though? And how long it took for you to get to that level in whatever discipline you do?

CivicD

Hi There,


Blackbelt 3rd Dan Shotokan Karate under the tuition of Sensie Tomiana. Been Practicing the Art for approx. 20 yrs on and Off.
Competed in America quite a few times, got my **** kicked a couple of times as well.. Spent 6 months teaching self defence to USAF personel. That was fun..
Would deffo recommend it to anyone of any age.

Regards

Chris

minor_threat

CLICKY

mad_dr

Earning a black belt/sash really varies from martial art to martial art. Some clubs give out black belts to their students like they were giving out 10m swimming certificates. At the end of the day, for a club to have black-belt students reflects well on the club so it's a bit of a conflict of interest when the club awards the belts...

On the other hand, none of the clubs that I've been a member of have been overly frivolous so I guess an accurate figure would be dependant on the reputation of a club. I'd prefer to be a deserved Orange/Blue/Purple/Brown belt than an Undeserved Black Belt.

The length of time it takes to earn a black belt is usually reflective of the effort you put in, rather than just technical ability (We can't all touch our toes with our noses!) or "length of service".

Basically - Fairplay to anyone who has a black belt, but it ain't everything...

A belt is good for holding up your trousers - it's who's wearing the belt that counts.

CivicD

I bloody love that site !!

What a Nutter !!

Got mine quite a few years ago, but theres not substitue to Knee, Nut and Boot..

BTW..They are pretty good at holding my trousers up (Not That I wear Trouser you understand)..

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

got my black belt within 2 1/2 years but damaged both my crutiate ligaments so i just did thai boxing instead as there is no jumping and its all quite basic and i think its much more fun

super_si

Now your just short and fat

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

damaging my cartliage at xmas doesnt help much neither mate

super_si

I think not doing anything about it has something to do with it

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

after i gave up fighting i said i wouldnt be bothered too much about my weight, as weighing your self to maintain your weight becomes an addiction plus my lass hated me being 10 stone as i was far too skinny

wakeboardar

I was national champion thai boxing 72kg some years ago, never had belts but we wore a shoelace round our bicep when fighting mine was of course a black one.

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

i used to fight at 65kg but had to give it up due to a freak accident and getting a fractured skull while sparring down the gym never had the same desire for to train as when i did when i was fighting

boxst

Hello

I'm a Blackbelt at Kyokushinkai Karate. It took about 4 years, and did it in Tunbridge Wells.

That was, oh, more years ago than I would like to remember, so these days I would probably rate myself as a fading grey belt.

Steve.

FASTER MIKE!!

another thai boxer no grading in the gym i go to. been doing it 6 years on and off only serious injury was a broken bone in my hand, went 6 weeks with it broken because the junior dr did'nt look at the x-ray properly and said it was badly brussed and swolen(tw@t)

mike

Sbradley

Aikido 3rd Dan, gained in 1984.

Injury in 1986 and not done it since. Now got arthritis as well

Stil loved it and wouldn't have missed the experience for the world. No doubt the unrelated injury would still have happened and perhaps, had I not been as fit, would have been more damaging for me in the long term.

Arthritis partly down to lots of full contact sparring and partly to other, unrelated stuff again...

SB

Chris_

Shotokan Karate 2nd Dan

Took me four and a half years to get to 1st dan after failing my black belt the first time.

Trained at the girls school in Windsor under a guy called Roger Carpenter who was a 2nd/3rd dan at the time and is now 6th.

All of my belts were taken by Hirokazu Kanazawa who visited our club at least every 4 months to train us.

A couple of webby's to look at about Kanazawa. I am actually in one of the pictures.

http://basic1.easily.co.uk/059060/05...nKanazawa.html

http://www.fightingmaster.com/legends/kanazawa/

Brendan Hughes

Used to be 2nd dan taekwondo but haven't done anything for 10 years, so I say ex-2nd dan. Took just under three years to get 1st dan. Loved it, best part of my life. Started Kingston Poly's TKD club, hope it's still going.