Some Advice on Promotions

My Kodokan Judo Sensei, Yuzo Kato, used the kyu/dan ranking system that he was taught when he studied Judo at the Kodokan in Tokyo, Japan. This system only used white, brown, and black belts. 

The benefit of this system is that it took away the distraction of worrying about belt promotions. You would just come to practice, work very hard, and after a long time of this (sometimes years), you might eventually achieve brown belt. Then, at brown belt, you come to practice, work very hard, and after a long time of this, you might eventually achieve black belt. In my twelve years of training under Kato Sensei, only two of us stuck with it long enough to receive black belt honors.

Kato Sensei often spoke about how the belt was just a cloth used to keep the Judogi closed. However, I did witness a white belt student receive a stern reprimand for deciding borrow and wear a brown belt because he had forgotten his white belt. Kato made it clear that although the belt is not to be thought of as the goal and that it should not be worn with arrogance, it was only to be worn by those that had earned it.  

Etiquette:

"Do not seek the acquirement of Dan alone; rather pursue your true power. Your progression through Dan grades will follow." Kyuzo Mifune, Kodokan Judo 10th Dan

It is considered poor etiquette to assume you are due for a promotion, to ask for a promotion, or to question why you did not receive a promotion while others did. This is true in Judo as well as BJJ (and other traditional arts). Testing comes in many forms, there is a day to day testing, period testing based on curriculum cycles, and overall development. We are judged on how our skills are developing, our character is developing, our etiquette sincerity, our knowledge of the art, understanding of sport rules, and overall attitude. Everyone is individual and will learn martial arts by discovering their own unique strengths and weaknesses along the path.

Promotions should be received with humbleness. If you feel unworthy of promotion, you are more qualified than the person who feels entitled.

Story one:

Class lined up to begin with the opening zarei (kneeling bow). Kato Sensei and Alex Sensei sat in front of the class. We noticed that the infamous briefcase was next them. Kato announced that there would be some belt promotions today. I was a little anxious, as I was the most senior student in the group. Surely, I would be getting my brown belt.

One by one, about half a dozen students were called up front to receive a brown belt wrapped around their waists. Among the promotion recipients, was my good friend and regular training partner. He had been training but a fraction of the time I had. I was now certain that I would receive my brown. I was wrong.

After my friend received his belt, we spread out for warm ups, did ukemi, and started in with uchi-komi. I partnered with my friend. He was conflicted with emotion and said to me, "This belt should be on your waist, not mine. You're the one that helped me learn this stuff."

I was confused. I had been training Judo under Kato Sensei longer than anyone else that received a promotion that day. I continued to practice and told my friend, "I must have been doing something wrong. I guess I just need to work harder."

Practice was slightly more intense due to the newly promoted students feeling accomplished. It was a good practice and ended with our Judogis drenched with sweat.

The call to "line up" signaled the end of class. We lined up and prepared for mokuso (meditation). Kato Sensei interrupted to announce, "There is one more promotion tonight. Larry is receiving "nikyu" (second level brown)." This was the next level higher than the others had received that night.

I was surprised and nearly humbled to tears. I felt very undeserving of this level, but, I kept my emotions bottled in and received my promotion. It wasn't until much later that it dawned on me that it was my character that was being tested to decide my promotion. How I reacted to not receiving a belt, while my juniors did, was a deciding factor on the rank I finally did receive. I didn't complain, I didn't make excuses, I didn't place blame on anyone. I just congratulated everyone, bowed to my partner, and worked harder than ever before.

Story two:

I wore my Judo white belt for 7 years and brown belt for 5+ years. I do not claim to be a fast learner, but I can claim perseverance. 

Kato Sensei's day job was as a technician at Lithia Motors and my parents would sometimes run into him there when getting their vehicles serviced.

My dad later would tell me about running into my sensei and talking to him. I often cringed at this, because I knew what was coming next.

Dad would say to me, "I asked your sensei how long he was going to keep you at brown belt and if he was ever going to award you a black belt."

I would reply, "Dad, you know you just probably bumped me back at least another six months."  

This was probably not really a factor in whether or not I was to get a promotion, but it felt like my dad was breaching etiquette in his approach. It is highly likely that Kato Sensei was amused more than anything.

Story three:

I arrived to Judo class a few minutes early. As I walked into the dojo, I saw two of the white belt students sitting in seiza (kneeling) on the edge of the tatami. I put my gym bag down, kicked off my flip flops, bowed, and stepped onto the mat. They continued to sit there quietly.

More and more students arrived and stepped onto the mats. The two young men remained sitting at the edge of the mat, not saying a word.

Eventually, it was time to begin class and Kato Sensei called for us to line up. The two men lined up and bowed in with the rest of us. As we spread out for warm-ups, the pair went back to the edge of the mat and returned to sitting in seiza position, still not speaking. I purposely moved myself near them during the warm-ups. I whispered to them, "What's going on? Why aren't you guys doing warm-ups?"

One of them replied, "Because we got in trouble." 

Both of them kept their eyes forward and never wavered from position throughout the entire class. At the end of class, they lined up with the group and bowed out. Kato Sensei never mentioned to anyone what was going on with them. He carried on just like a normal day of training.

After class had ended and Kato had made his exit, the two guys came up to me and told me what had happened.

The two of them had arrived extra early to class. Having time to kill, they decided to bounce a racquetball off the inner walls of the dojo while waiting. Kato arrived to the dojo to find them in this act. He saw this as a sign of disrespect for the dojo. He then basically told them that the type of punishment implemented in Japan would be for them to sit quietly in seiza position for the entirety of the class and only take part in opening and closing of class.

These two particular students had good skills, but were known for having rather squirrely behavior on and off the mats. For them to show the self discipline to sit quietly in seiza for an entire class was quite an accomplishment for both of them.

What they did not know is that they were both candidates for receiving brown belt promotion. The disrespect they showed by using the dojo for a ball court, nearly served as a major setback for that promotion.  But, because they were able to swallow their pride and display a greater level of self discipline by enduring through the penalty, they redeemed their candidacy. A couple of weeks later, they both received their brown belt promotion. 

All of these stories reflect on the self discipline and proper attitudes that must be in place for one to "earn" a rank promotion. Feeling "entitled" or that you "deserve" a promotion is an indicator that you are probably not qualified. There is a careful balance of being proud of your accomplishment while remaining humble.