What It Takes To Earn A Black Belt 🥋

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Thanks for your amazing responses! 🙏 Check out my website to learn more about Karate: www.karatebyjesse.com 😄

[@mullm5375]

Hey Jesse, are you German? Just curious 🤔

[@sattashreyasharma]

Can you say sensei what style do you teach ?

[@rodrigosierpe5995]

Jesse, you practice goju Ryu right? Can you tell me what style it is (the name, that is)? I practice Seibukan Okinawa Goju-ryu, our leader is Sensei Seibun Uchima, student under Sensei Meitoku Yagi (and allowed by him to branch off). It's awesome, and Sensei is like a walking, talking history book, well in his 80s but still strong as a bull but always cool and always willing to correct you with a smile, no matter your age or degree. Probably one of the best folks I've ever met, wether wearing a gi or not :)

[@matteomelchiorre9673]

I would like to start karate but I'm 18 yo and I want to join the army

[@rodrigosierpe5995]

@@matteomelchiorre9673 of you want it, go for it. It won't hurt you and nobody says you can't resume your karate training after boot camp. Best of luck in the military! Go for it if it makes you happy. I resumed choir singing after 20 years inactive, and not only it's awesome, but the skill synergies can be found in the most incredible places, as I needed to seriously rework my breathing technique. Take both, for as long as you can, and go for broke! :)

[@bharadwaj091]

Nice.... U r teaching ur students exactly what they need .... Not just sports karate as in many dojos... Oss..

[@bharadwaj091]

@Professor Mike AmericanuckRadio I meant the playing tag point based one..😁 well Kyokushin might be new but it is a different style of karate by itself not a sport..

[@classyman2458]

Spelled ous weong

[@eclinvo4910]

Isn't it ous?

[@bharadwaj091]

@@eclinvo4910 oss.. ous... Anything does... It's just a matter of spirit.. why crack ur head on it..

[@kob3178]

@@classyman2458 u speled, speled wrong. Stopid

[@Cleared_To_Land]

A Black Belt, over time, fades to white. Where the journey begins again.

[@PrimaDina]

Lovely words!

[@ellobo2899]

I love your thinking. I really want a Black belt. Or earn it. Only because i want to learn more and more, and make my sensei proud. I get my own pride based on adults. I don’t know when i’m doing good on my own. I’m a 14 yr old, 7th grade, but my class is very immature compared to the other ones. They don’t respect adults, but for me it’s the other way around, i only speak with adults (Cruz i’m a wierdo)like my sensei after a lesson to get the most out of my katas ippons etc. I really want to learn karate!

[@scooterbois4177]

Yes my Sensei told me this multiple times to motivate me to try harder and I am trying to earn my black belt in November

[@scooterbois4177]

And I also do shotokan karate for ijka sa

[@rickywoods3101]

@@ellobo2899 from an older experienced person , make sure you train jiu jitsu also if possible. I thought I would be ok on the ground because I'm strong and muscled and 230 lbs but first.time sparring I was taken down and submitted by an 150lb guy , I been doing bjj also now for 2 years. Don't think you can knock bjj or wrestler out before they take you down, because 99 percent of the time it doesn't end up that way, it's hard to knock one out before

[@wubear260]

Man I would want to one day come to practice in your dojo. Your holistic approach to Karate is great and to be taught by many different styles of teachers in various different Martial arts, is great to. Love your videos and continue inspiring the next generations to become a better person through the teachings of Karate. Jesse you are an awesome teacher and one day I hope to train alongside you and learn from you in person. Ous.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Thanks for your kind words 🌟🙏👍

[@oKAT1NKAo]

It's refreshing to see so many younger students attending and practicing Karate, I really hope more people start to take on this art form and teach more people, not just as a sport or self defense. But as a reflection of the relationship between the mental and physical body.

[@oscarcordeiro7229]

To be a black belt in kyokushin I needed Written exam on karate history and terminology All katas from white belt including in ura Tamashiwari (minimum 3 boards) Kihon and endurance test (basically the whole test takes 8 hours) Kumite (15 fights) Completely drained at the end of the day but so rewarding Love your videos and the inclusion of grappling at your dojo Thank you

[@FakeZOOr]

Where is your dojo?

[@hankhilderbrand9929]

Sounds about right to me. I noticed black belts in this video who shouldn't be. The tests should exhaust you, then put you into the technical drills. Fatigue is no excuse for poor technique.

[@sebastianangborn1396]

Osu!

[@FRESHL1887]

@@hankhilderbrand9929 Well, I see your point in saying technique should remain even under fatigue. However, I think you should have shown your stamina and endurance throughout your years of training before. Physiologically it makes no sense to grade technique, when you are physically exhausted, because you did 400 push-ups and one hour of rope-skipping before your exam. That's why you should not work your technique either after doing a full strength work-out right before. It can really mess up your technique long-term. Though I see the use in taking occasions to practice sparring or your examination program under fatigue overload.

[@shelseajohnson2542]

You have it hard thankfully my dojo allows you to become a black belt at a young age for me I had on on the sixteenth of December and got it at twelve though I was a junior black belt anyways I had to learn 10 Cata translate 276 vocabulary and techniques break two thick boards together learn the history of the dojo and do a bo and nunchucks kata aiki jutsu and ju jitsu and fight three black belts at the same time in all it took almost three hours

[@tadghc.9648]

Great and interesting to see real life based kumite.. much more realistic than competition based fighting.. will have to give that a try in my school!

[@corynewton-adams3868]

Exactly I want to do that kumite because I'm in competition kumite 24/7

[@tauhid9983]

It's not realistic when u where gloves and legs guards and stuff

[@shibilinshibilinkerala1101]

@@tauhid9983 it is still realistic. Remembered, they r there to learn, not to die

[@michelleford2704]

I’m testing in September for my black belt in kenpo. I’m 57 years young 🥋☺️

[@Alexgamerback]

I tested for my advanced blue belt in kenpo which school do you go to

[@michelleford2704]

I go to DePalma’s in AZ

[@Dogger1230]

I’m 47 and an orange belt In kempo. I’ll be testing eventually for my black belt when I’m around your age Do your best and good luck on your test!

[@michelleford2704]

Thanks!

[@rodrigosierpe5995]

Kenpo as in kosho Ryu Kenpo? Cool, best of luck and success, mate. Keep going :)

[@TrulyClipTastic]

To become a blackbelt in Shotokan Karate at my dojo I was required to: Run 12km/7.5miles (Within the 8 hour grading, broken up into 3km portions throughout) All katas from white belt, including Bo staff, Sai, and Tonfa. Ground escapes Self defense (essentially 1-2 bunkai's from each Kata excluding weapons) Sparring multiple black belts at once, as well as fellow classmates who were also grading. Basics learnt from yellow belt onward (kicks, punches, throws, etc.) And hundreds of pushups, sit ups, jumping jacks, burpees I lost fifteen pounds from that grading alone but it was worth it.

[@eliasayele8989]

That's crazy dude

[@81rbutler]

Kurtis Marinos, 15 pounds? That's a bit much.

[@TrulyClipTastic]

@@81rbutler no word of lie. Went from 180 to 165. It was 8 hours of nonstop working out. (7am-3pm). We barely ate and when we did it was like a piece of a banana.

[@81rbutler]

@@TrulyClipTastic Ok, fair enough then. That's intense.

[@callmecharlottex]

I used to do Shotokan! I stopped when I was brown belt I think but now I’m wondering where I’d be if I hadn’t given it up!

[@TJ-nn8wl]

After 8 years of training Kyokushin, my grading was done in 2 separate sessions. In the first session I had to take a theoretical test of 100 questions and afterwards teach a 2 hour class. The second session (next day) I had to do all the kihon, kata and kumite and of course the crazy amount of push-ups, squats + mae geri and situps. It was absolutely hell. After receiving my blackbelt, I was told that this is where the journey starts and I should keep forming my character and skills. Meanwhile I also started studying Goju Ryu to add to my experience. Hopefully for many years to come.

[@EnglishLab365]

I am 24 years old, having an impaired organ. I started learning Shitorio Karate during the lockdown. Next month, I will take.part in the green belt exam. I started my karate journey late though, but I dream of getting the black belt one day.

[@extremelytired6566]

If course you will. All the best ❤️

[@faynoz8566]

Where are you at in your journey now ? Hope things are going well

[@EnglishLab365]

@@faynoz8566 i earned blue belt. After that, I stopped training.

[@asb4711]

@@EnglishLab365why?

[@spazzdineveryway]

Hey! I can relate. Got a diagnosis that everyone hates but I’m going for my blue belt soon. 42 years old. Taking it one training session at a time. I hope you doing well

[@jonathansefcik473]

My school's black belt tests have 8 components: 1. Essay (topic varies depending on Dan you're testing for) 2. Mile run 3. Proximity kicking and other technique demonstrations. 4. Forms (only 3-5 typically) 5. One-step sparring (typically about 10 moves) 6. Self defense (typically about 10 moves from various positions) 7. Continuous contact sparring (1-on-1 and 2-on-1) 8. Board break (techniques can vary greatly) We try to get everything done in 1 day, though I've seen tests go 2 days due to the number of testers.

[@defaultset]

Guy fights girl: Both: Haha yes. This is fun Sensei: Y'all I'm giving black belts if you beat yo- Both: *_Eye glows red_*

[@malcolmlewis5393]

I am a Kung Fu instructor from the U.K for over 25 years. Even though our styles differ, I have tried a variety of styles of karate and multiple other styles over the years too. your approach to how you teach, guide and inspire your students with ur explanations, tone of voice and inkeeping with teaching current methods and with traditional values. Well done Jesse, it keeps my faith in the martial arts in general for the next generation of instructors. Thank you

[@ravenironside3274]

You're preparing your students to be better people altogether bro. What I admire about you is your humble attitude and open mind. Keep up the great work man.

[@sid5664]

i live in north part of India and the exams for each belt is held every 6 months , and for white belts to blue belts the exam lasts for 4 days .... and for everyone else its lasts for 5 days except for black belts ... their exams lasts for 6 days and the timings are .... in the morning from 5 to 11-12 and in the evening from 5 to 8 - 9 .... continuous .... the exams are held outside on the ground regardless of weather ... (it rained for my black belt exam and we continued to give the exam) , the details of the exams are - 1st day exercises including cardio and yoga , 2nd day punches and punches techniques , 3rd day kicks and kicks techniques , 4th day kata , 5th day kumite , 6th day fight ending with some tips and tricks given by our country's highest ranking master ... Shihan . i am black belt from 2 styles ( goshin ryu and shito ryu ) and some of the teachings of our sensei are - karate is for defense , don't show off in front of people and always be humble . we do not really think much of breaking things , our teachers and seniors prefer growth instead of destruction so we do charity works , teach young girls for free who can't afford classes and plant trees . edit - like Mr Miyagi :)

[@amazinggrace5692]

Sid giving back is important!

[@sidh4780]

Wow man. My experience in india was completely different from yours. Got my black belt in 2 years even though I felt like I hardly learnt anything. Wish I could've found a school like yours

[@kevinh21labs]

I was a white belt for 5 years in vsk Jiu-Jitsu. Several classes passed me up and I love watching them grow. It wasn't that I didn't have the skill to be a black belt, but it was more about the spirit and the discipline for me.

[@ShotokanWarriorPete]

I love the bredth of your gradings. All of mine have been very simple; basics, kata, some kumite. My first club was incredibly demanding for gradings. Requiering a blackbelt to know all 26 kata and do basically everything ever! So when I left at green belt i had a super easy time at other clubs and competing at my grade level. But I did very much miss out on a lot of the training my first club afforded me.

[@chrisc5499]

3 3 hour days 1st day is cardio with running a mile being the biggest part of the day 2nd day kata with everything from the lowest kata to the highest we know and then all of them together without stopping and demonstrating bun kai from one kata of our choice 3rd day is a bunch of techniques, sparring combinations, ippon kumite, and self defense we had to memorize, and 5 self defense moves we came up with our selves

[@davidkinnison9157]

Ours was a tough school. Two days camping in the woods. We had to run 10 miles swim 2 all the while being tested on our materials. Blind fold walking, kata on scary narrow cliffs, kickboxing, technique lines, mud fights, capture the flag at night, so much more. But at the end you have to survive being kicked by head instructor into a lake to get Black Belt.

[@thaddeuspatinii8231]

I am still on the journey towards Black Belt currently in Shotokan Karate. In Taekwondo thought, to be a Black Belt, or rather 1st Decided Black Belt, you have to go through a total of 6 months as a 1st Received Black Belt. It is comprised of Forms/Kata, Sparring, and doing 2 station board breaks consisting of a hand technique and a jumping kick. The testing criteria is the same for 1st Decided Black Belt as well. I am proud of my accomplishment in Taekwondo, but I am prouder of my accomplishments thus far in Shotokan Karate, as it is not as relaxed, and I dare say as easy as Taekwondo was/is at the school I attend.

[@coagulatio.]

In my dojo in brazil, shotokan style: u have to demonstrate all yellow to black belt kicks, punches, defences and stances; bunkai of heian shodan to basai dai, the kihons and 5 minutes kumite. Breaking wood is not usual here...

[@rfunk727]

That was about the same for our Shotokan club here in Florida back in the '70s to '80s.

[@jackdoyle9105]

I love that the kumite is based on possible real-life scenarios. Love your dojo. Keep it up.

[@riffgrindergeneral]

To get your black belt at our dojo is not the easiest thing I've ever done .And yes, that's an understatement. After being able to execute techniques called out in Japanese, we then demonstrate set combinations, including kicking combinations. Then we show our kata, of which the most I've seen in a guy taking his 4th dan performing 19 kata one after the other as the examiners called them out. We don't really do weapons, though there is a requirement for weapon kata at 3rd dan. We'll move on to the pads, doing all the basic punches and kicks, plus any others the examiner wants to see. This section can take a couple of hours if there's a lot of people grading. You can end up doing hundreds of gyaku-zuki, oi-zuki, uraken, furu-zuki, koken, teisho, haito, various empi, mae-geri, mawashi-geri, ushiro-geri, otoshi geri, ushiro otoshi geri, ura mawashi geri and so on. Sometimes with variations, sometimes just in pairs. After all that we do a stress test. One person surrounded by three or four, with an assortment of weapons on the floor. Defend yourself for a set number of minutes against multiple attackers. In amongst this, you can get random things thrown at you. Blindfold defenses, chair defenses, floor work. Expect the unexpected! We finish with 100 pushups and 100 sit ups. That's the bit most of us dread! The whole thing takes between 3 and 4 hours. Edot: did I me tion that we spar?

[@Gonosen]

I am judo BB and got a BB in shotokan a couple of year ago.... I wish more karate organisation would adopt a similar grading model... To many are wkf focused imo

[@RicoMnc]

Thank you for another great Karate video. I love seeing Kumite with the smaller gloves allowing grabs. There are only a couple of small Okinawan Karate dojos in this area and they both do Kumite. I train at a local self defense focused fighting gym, but the owner also has black belts in both Tang Soo Do and Shotokan, so he expresses great appreciation and respect for TKM. Many Karate like techniques are included in training as more advanced, next level inserts after more basic, gross motor skill (think Krav Maga) are learned. I also love seeing MMA fights where advanced fighters with Karate backgrounds successfully incorporate those styles and techniques. It is a beautiful sight to behold.

[@Hzur]

If I lived in Stockholm, I would join your dojo in a heartbeat.

[@crazyalaskan22]

We must submit a 2 page paper on what a black belt means to us and why we deserve it. We have to sit in meditation for 1 hour without moving. Do a warm up which generally takes about 1 hour. Go through our entire curriculum which consists of 10 traditional open hand forms, 48 self defense techniques + 2 we have created ourselves (must do ground fighting for the ones we can), 7 weapons forms, various creative combos + a creative form we created ourselves, 29 sparring combos + 2 we have created ourselves. We must pass a 12 page written test which basically breaks down everything we have learned. Be attacked by all of the self defenses; spar. Power break through 3 boards (comes out to a little over 2 inches) one hand strike and one foot strike. A speed break (break a single board that is only held at one edge). Break a brick, and some secret stuff I can't share! My testing lasted for 11 hours and 30 mins. If you pass this day you get to move on to the second phase of testing which you also must pass.

[@satheeshkumar6865]

Rightly said. In India, the above used to be the blackbelt test many years back. 👍👍👍

[@backtobasics1051]

Its good to see a school that actually teaches how to defend yourselves and not just competition karate. Lots of folks teaching martial arts and having black belts that cant fight.

[@KlaiverKlaiver]

Great! After about 15 years training diverses fight sports, specially kickboxing, I started training kyokushinkay some months ago, and I LOVE the traditional aproach of Karate. From the studies of Bunkai to the exploration of the own body through dicipline and application. Seeing this video I realise how much more Karate can be in a dojo like yours. Someday I'm going to okinawa to humbly learn more about the roots if Karate. Maybe, if I may have the opportunity, I'm going to be grateful to take part of one of your seminars! Thank you for your inspiration Sensei Jesse and may I be blessed with such honor. Osu!

[@revolution322]

This is an older video, and maybe you won't this comment...but WOW! This videos has inspired me a lot to comeback and train Karate, I left my dojo disheartened because the style taught felt incomplete, everything was about tournaments but not about growth, you could see black belts making the John Cena poses when they won a sparring match and feeling the were the great thing, and above all it got so expensive my mom couldn't afford, now as an adult I would love to travel to Europe to train at your dojo, the way you train looks so complete, and the love you have for the "Do" shows Jesse :)

[@noahbryson2122]

I love the way you earn a black belt in your dojo sensei enkamp

[@mariaec1599]

Grat video Jesse! I especually enjoyed seeing your school's approach to kumite. It would be awesome to see a video on how you practice this more functional kumite (rules, dynamics, etc.), and how to safely incorporate locks, chockes, etc. Keep up the great work!

[@ryanbeals5979]

I'm new to this channel, but I like your mentality behind what is emphasized on your black belt test. I am currently doing MMA, and am testing for my 2nd degree black belt. Testing takes place over 3 days, which includes a written test, taekwondo kicking techniques, MMA fighting patterns, stick/knife self defense (eskrima), Muay Thai, regular self defense techniques, MMA sparring, grappling, and 3 forms, one of which we have to make up on our own. After all of that, we perform a big show to celebrate the testers for all of the parents. Immediately after the show, the testers begin their conditioning part of their test, with up to 6 sets of push ups, sit ups, and burpees accompanied by a 5 mile run and wind sprints. Its brutal, but I'm looking forward to completing my test and watching more of your channel!

[@valeriecatanzaro_art]

I love your approach, not leaving any aspect of karate forgotten. :) Here in France, you have to be at least 16 yo to be a black belt and at least 1 year of brown belt. There are 6 tests: 2 kata, bunkai of the kata you chose, kihon (in line, circular motion and striking a pao), then kihon ippon kumite, jiyu ippon kumite and finally randori. It doesn't take place in your dojo with your sensei. You're evaluated by 6 karateka (I think they have to be 3rd dan or highter) and it is supervised by both the French Karate Federation and by the French Ministery of Sports.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Seems well-regulated! Interesting to hear, merci! 👌

[@valeriecatanzaro_art]

@@KARATEbyJesseDe rien ! I'm surprised the assessment of the black belt level is not regulated by the national federations in all countries. I guess there can be dishonest teachers who give black belt ranking too soon...

[@valeriecatanzaro_art]

@@KARATEbyJesse In the region I live, there's only one place to go for the black belt gradings (any Dan), so I had to drive 2 hours just to get there. Then the whole day of test, then 2 hours driving again. But that was also part of the experience I think. ☺

[@trospeATH]

In my shotokan school black belt candidates did shome kihon, atacking combinations, all the heian katas, jio, kankudai, bassaidai, onestep drills, self deffence techniques, jiuippon, some genneral sparring and some sport-based kumite

[@martialartness]

Good work Jesse... this is a very practical approach to Karate training.

[@scooterbois4177]

I just got my shodan yesterday and i am so happy and it is a very special experience

[@DocGiraffe]

In the Dojo I'm in, in order to become a black belt, there are pre-designated Kihon. I believe there's 14 different techniques that must be shown with not just technique, but strength (or the illusion of strength) and confidence (even if you aren't 100% confident). Then there is a Kata of the students choosing between Bassai Dai, Jion, Enpi and Kanku Dai. Depending on the Kata depends on how it must be performed. For example: Bassai Dai needs to be clean and strong. While Jion needs to show clean and crisp techniques over power, etc. After that is Jiyu Ippon Kumite (Semi-Freestyle Sparring) involving Jodan Oi Tsuki, Chuudan Oi Tsuki, Mae Geri, Mawashi Geri and Kekomi. I believe our Nidan does Ippon Kumite (Freestyle Sparring). I am actually preparing for my Shodan as I'm grading in September for it. Honestly the only reason I know what we do for a black belt. It's definitely not as hard as in Jesse's dojo, but considering you need a 3/5 on all 3 K's (Kihon, Kata and Kumite) at the very least (3 being what the bare minimum a Black Belt should be able to do), it's fairly difficult in it's own right.

[@safdarkh786]

This is how karate should be taught. Thank you for sharing sensei❤🙏🙏

[@robbboto]

It feels good to see how other dojos conduct their tests. In my dojo, for 1st degree the people who test have to do all the basic shotokan katas and one black belt kata. After that are some basics, and then we have to fight all black belts that show up to the test. Each fight lasts for about 3 minutes with a minutes rest inbetween. While we don't do joint locks and other techniques like in your dojo, the kumite (in my opinion) is a pretty big test of will as it's really easy for someone to get tired and give up, especially since the black belts don't go easy on the person testing!

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Most definitely. That’s the spirit! 🔥

[@Dailydoseofreddit.]

i started karate when i was 3,it took me 9 or 10 years to get my first dan black belt.Getting their taught me discipline and the importance of it although it took a lot from me, it costed me time,strength,money,friendships and i am grateful for it. Now i am a 4 time junior Asian champion,a part of my country's olymipic team and the 3rd ranked under 18 player.Thankfully during this journey i had my 4 fighting partners and my 3 coaches who till this day i consider my family.But my favorite part by far was the times when i got hurt, there is just this adrenaline in getting up an winning the fight

[@DanielArthur_profile]

Thanks for sharing. I'm a student of Grandmaster Kim Soo, founder of Chayon Ryu (Natural Way), by way of Master Travis and Master Richard at Central Florida Chayon Ryu. Chayon Ryu combines natural movements from Karate, Taekwondo, Kung Fu and Hapkido. It takes quite a while to earn a black belt in our system, with 5 years being about the earliest most would be considered ready. Once ready, a candidate is not allowed to ask to take the rank test, but rather must wait until he/she is told to take the rank test. Once assigned to take the rank test he/she must write a thesis, usually assigned from Grandmaster, which is expected to be a well-prepared and written thesis roughly at the collegiate level. From there, there are two pre-tests (usually in the form of video sent to the HQ school in Houston, TX). The pre-tests usually consist of a form (kata, or in Korean, hyung) from each style, self-defense and various other practical and formal applications. Once Grandmaster reviews these he gives feedback and/or approval to take the black belt test. The test can be either at the HQ or local dojang (Korean word for school) and is typically several hours, and can even extend to several days (master and above, 5th dan and higher). Black belt tests are generally held only twice a year, June/July or December. On test day it consists of a written exam and demonstration of any techniques, forms, self-defense, formals, practicals, etc... going back to white belt to current requirements. After demonstrating techniques is sparring, typically sparring other black belts and culminating with multiple opponents against the black belt candidate (you know, when the candidate is nice and tired and his opponents are fresh). The entire rank test typically ends with a couple breaking techniques, usually multiple boards (2 or 3) broken with a kick of choice then another stack of boards with another technique of choice. Once that's done the black belt candidate must break a brick (1.5 inch concrete paver) with either a punch or hammer fist. After that, if the candidate passes he/she has earned his/her black belt.

[@kenshukaikarateeastlondon]

This is an excellent video. Wow! The take-downs and wrist locks look really cool. I also love how you’re training with your mom! Thanks Jesse.

[@stickyrubbers]

I gained my Black Belt in Kung Fu a few years ago and it’s true about it just being the beginning. I now teach as well as train but am now also train in karate and hope to grade for my orange belt soon. Our testing for Black belt actually starts a minimum of 6 months, usually 12-18 months before the grading day and every lesson becomes a test of sorts. Then for additional Dan’s the test starts the day you get your black belt, the minimum requirement is 5-7 years of continual testing on techniques and attitude before they will consider you for promotion. For me personally the best bit about martial arts is every lesson, whether I’m training or teaching I learn something about myself. Thanks for the great content 👍👍👍

[@nickb303]

Great to see a variation of techniques in a shodan Grading, we are Wado Ryu based, we have kihon, pairs, Kata, breaking, fighting. However the grading is just a culmination of a years dedicated training where you are tested and judged throughout.

[@evanwright365]

At my place, we spend all summer doing"check offs" where you basically have to complete all forms and self defense etc with no mistakes. Then in August, on test day, you start with a 3 mile run followed by 2400 kicks( which take around an hour) then 100 push ups and 150 sit ups(no stopping) then you sparr everyone in the dojo for about five minutes . And you also perform all of your forms

[@loki200]

Hey Jesse thanks for your Video and I love it that your Dojo runs in a family tradition! :) In our Dojo you also have to proove that you understand and know the techniques from all the Kyus. So we have a audit program that has the following points: - Kihon, for every Kyu we have Kihon techniques they have to learn and study with focus of a prniciple on every kyu. Starting with basic techniques to complex combinations. For the blackbelt examination we don't have a strict form, so the sensei that leads the examination constructs some combinations while the examination and the students have to adapt to this -Kata, we run the classic shotokan kata, so starting with Heian, tekki, bassai, kanku and specially for black belt its jion, hangetsu and empi. -And Kata bunkai of course -Yakusoku kumite, its ippon kumite, once done in streight kihon and then preformed in jiyu kihon, where we allow and demand more ashi sabaki -Goshin kumite, self defence techniques -Jiyu kumite, here we have starting from kyu to kyu different kumite principles that we want to see from our new black belts. Things like covering in fight, countering in different ways, throwing techniques from close and far distance, okuri and kaeshi techniques, things like that -Kobudo, here we also have the Bo staff as primary weapon, and we want also that a black belt would specialize for another kobudo weapon I think these are all parts of the black belt testing, in Oktober we will have an examination in our Dojo and will also upload some clips to our channel, maybe you want to have a look. We are the "Budokan Bensheim". I got one last question, what style of Karate do you practice, because sanshin is often used in goju ryu isent it? So best wishes to you, your mom and the rest of the dojo and of course congratulation to your new blackts

[@kristen3468]

I test for my Taekwondo black belt in August. I trained when I was younger from 1998-2002 with my brother and we got to one belt away from black. We ended up leaving due to life (school, work, marriage etc) After 16 years of being away from it and free from an abusive marriage, i started back to class May 2018. I am older now, have knee problems, don’t move as easily, and I’m very nervous, but I am determined to get my black belt. I have to write two essays, 1000 words each, perform all 33 one step self defense moves randomly, both right side and left, understand curriculum and be able to instruct classes and teach low ranks, perform all forms from White up to my current belt, perform board breaks, spar multiple competitors, take a written test, have a verbal test about the history of Taekwondo. I really enjoy your videos about traditional Karate and you and your family are an inspiration. My best to you!!

[@ajw9975]

My school has a direct lineage from Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee. For my black belt exam, it was divided into two "phases". Phase I tests your technical proficiency of: -10 combination attacks -10 reaction defenses -22 self defenses (wrist grabs, goose-necks, arm bars, hair grabs, whole body grabs etc). -2 Traditional forms -1 Self-Creative form Phase II tests your physical proficiency in a simulated attack. -Run 1 mile in under 8 mins (simulating being chased), followed by; -100x pushups/situps/squats, followed by; -8x 2 mins sparring (fighting while fatigued); followed by -Accuracy in breaking boards (i.e., accuracy in your attacks) after all that. Now I almost failed my spinning back-kick board break (I easily broke all the others on my first kick/punch attempts). You think 1/2" is easy. But after having done all the previous testing elements, my body was vibrating and I was missing badly. So much so that the grandmaster who was holding my board, I missed on my 2nd attempt and bent (luckily not broke) his wrist. He calmly left the main room, walked into the adjacent room, and let out this loud roar. He then calmly returned after having wrapped his wrist in packing tape. I felt like shit. But I finally managed to break it on my last attempt. Now I consider myself among the more "technical" of the students in my cohort. But I was shaking and almost lost it after bending my grandmaster's wrist!

[@matthijsvanwijhe864]

Very nice!! In taekwondo we have much less of the grappling and self-defense, but it's structured in the same way. It's just limited to the most basic things and more focussed on the kicking techniques. I'm glad I did judo for 10 years!

[@matthijsvanwijhe864]

@@AyeJordan7 I didn't say taekwondo doesn't use grappling, I said they use much less compared to Karate. For example in one or three step sparring you very often finish with a joint lock in karate but in taekwondo a kick to finish is usually preferred.

[@HangoverBlues]

Hi Jesse, I found the black belt exam method at your Dojo fascinating, and it got me quite eager to give it a try myself. Your school seems to have a rather complete approach to Budo and Karatedo, and from what I can see it tends more closely to Gojuu Ryu than Shotokan. As for me, I study the Chidokai branch of Shotokan with Nakajima Sensei, and our general approach to grading and exams is wildly different. First of all, exams consist of a weekend of training with demonstrations and lectures dotted throughout and a formal exam at the end of the Sunday. However, the formal exam only applies to 2nd Kyu studends and below. Starting at 1st Kyu, the exam itself serves more as a demonstration of one's dedication and diligence over time. Once a 1st Kyu student is deemed to have earned it, Sensei will promote them to Shodan candidate on the spot (this may take place during training, during a seminar, or at any point during an exam). As a candidate, the student will once more wear a white belt indefinitely until Sensei deems that they have earned their Shodan. This process is repeated for every Dan grade up to 6th or 7th I believe (Sensei is currently 8th Dan). The granting of Dan grades is somewhat less about techniques in our school as it is about overcoming one's personal failings and bad habits accumulated over years of practice. It's about self development and learning. I hope this has been interesting for you, if there's anything else you'd like to know I'm happy to discuss :)

[@emmetstuart9533]

I don’t do Karate but I do Taekwondo, getting a black belt at my school is easier but progressing past black belt is the real challenge. For the testing you must preform 8 choke self defenses, 8 forms, 20 minutes of stamina drills, 50 push ups, 50 sit-ups, and 500 jumping jacks, and break 3 boards stacked on top of one another. But first degree is pretty much the same except 5 random breaks in the span of 20 seconds, 14 self defenses, 1 form, 25 minutes of stamina. For second degree testing you must preform all 15 forms, 20 minutes of continuous jump rope, 1 hour of stamina, preform a breaking demonstration, preform 24 self defenses, and last but definitely not least, break a fucking brick. Like one from Home Depot so no bullshit.

[@eftichia7344]

For my country self defense martial art "Silat" that's actually just a simple workout to buff our body,and it's not really that simple to get to the black belt,the test to get the green belt(the third belt if I'm not mistaken) you need to fight three people the same belt as you(one belt lower than green belt) and they're using knife while you just fight them bare hand.. it's cuz silat one purpose is to end a fight quickly as possible and it's actually used to be for fighting soldiers from differents nation a long time ago..

[@pasta4762]

Why does proving these things matter😂

[@emmetstuart9533]

Pasta it shows that you learned something and are willing to do what is Necessary to achieve the goal you have been striving for

[@kase9963]

i tend to forget that the Black Belt normally isn´t standardized

[@uwuy429]

I’ve been training since I was four and I’ve been a karate master for almost five years, when he says the black belt is just the beginning, he really means it. I will be taking the second day soon. 🥋

[@_uchiha]

how did it go

[@superbean8110]

I was the youngest person ever at my dojo to get a first degree at 14 and a half and it was a grueling experience to test my bunkai and kumite against adults kata surprisingly was the simple part but the 2 and a half hours were some of the most rewarding moments of my life

[@edgein1830]

Have you grown any. Nut hair yet ?

[@filipematos2689]

That was amazing! I've recently graduated into a black belt myself, and I saw allot in my own process of examination as per in this vídeo. Our dojo also advocates a far more marcial and raw style, in contrast with the more modern and standartised styles comon nowdays. Ground figthing, self defense, throws, blocks and locks, Combat with multiple assailors, some bearing knives, as well as the traditional kata, kata bunkai, Kion techiques, and more. Of course, we do not use staves or other weapons (even tho I've trained before with nunchakus), or break boards and bricks, but otherwise, a familiar concept! Great job! Love your vídeos, and they are an inspiration.

[@Ncolane]

Thanks Jesse for great videos. I am the proud parent of 2 blackbelts, brother and sister, in the art of Ketsugen, under the teaching of Grandmaster Ken Riley, and they also had an opportunity to train in Tang So Do for a time. A 5 year journey so far and an awesome opportunity of learning and teaching, giving back. Keep up the good work of quality instruction. Armylane in AK.

[@avationmusic]

Hi Jesse! I'm from south Africa and I train with JKA. Grading from white to brown belt is fairly easy but going from brown to black is the challenge. All the previous gradings have been kata demonstrations, kumite and basics. Shodan grading (1st Dan black belt) is the same thing except you do all the gradings from white to black but the graders are extremely strict. If you make a jump and you lose balance slightly they will fail you, even if everything else is perfect! But here's the catch, you don't do Shodan at your own dojo, you do it with hundreds and hundreds of other people in a massive arena, the judges are flown down from Japan. They don't speak English. So you also have to make sure your Japanese is on point haha. The pass rate is something rediculous like 30%. I'm going for mine in about 2 years, I'm only a brown 1 as of right now. My sensei has spoken about your videos a few times. Os!

[@daredevilbr3900]

Awesome video. I hope someday i could visit your dojo! Best regards from Brazil

[@gabrielemanderioli2113]

I'd love to practice in your dojo, man It looks awesome :D

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Thanks!

[@hallabryn9428]

Last year I quit karate, I just didn't feel comfortable and it was becoming too intense. I started at 7 years old and quit at 11. I had the purple belt with 2 stripes, watching this brings back so many memories

[@hallabryn9428]

@Elias Ahmadi 7B Søndervangskolen oh wow 😂

[@drmateusarruda]

When I took the black belt test it was 9 years ago, was headed by the Brazilian Karate Federation. It was a whole day of things to do, starting in the early morning with a paper test, in which we needed to answer some questions about the history of karate and some terminologies. After the test was the practical one, which consisted of kihon, kata and kumite. Very happy to be approved, at that time was quite difficult to achieve the black belt haha. Greetings from Brazil! Osu!

[@mrfreddorenton]

In my style, black belt gradings are given their own time, so that the candidate can reflect on themselves without distraction. First they need to write a 300+ word essay on what their experience with karate has been so far, and what they will do with their black belt in the future. Next they are required to do a routine of 100 pushups, 100 situps and 100 shiko dachi squats without a break. Then they demonstrate every unarmed kata they have learned till now. Including something similar the the Sanchin (bear) kata you showed in the video. Finally, 30 minutes of sparring (sports karate rules) broken up in 2 minute rounds. If the sensei of a particular dojo believes that the candidate can fulfill those requirements, age is not a barrier

[@Grayhawk95]

Black belt testing was over the period of about a month. It included sparring against multiple black belts. To apply techniques in sparring, I was a great striker, so part of mine was to get more comfortable grappling. Demonstrate all of the techniques from white belt, and teach an advanced class.

[@therolentless]

Our school has a pre test where the aspiring black belts go through an intense training session, basics and kata, a few balance and skill tests such as standing on one on a wobbly bench performing a front, side, roundhouse, hook, crescent in both directions, and a low side kick facing in 4 directions, and then doing it with the other leg. Then there's a brief sparring warmup followed by 12 minutes of sparring with your opponent being a cycle of 8-10 black belts. Finally it ends with some sort of strength exercise, I've seen them do geksai ich with 20pound dumbbells, Bo kata with a bar bell, Bo kata holding 5 or six Bo's. After the pre test they are given a list of things to work on and then the official grading happens two weeks later

[@scottcameron1476]

Love your teaching style. My black belt test was very similar 16 hours over two days. I had to start with a 2 mile run and 100 pushups before the test began. My passions is karate not how many belts I have earned. I thinks it always fun to join a new school and study a different style of martial arts and put the white belt on again. Because there is always something new to learn.

[@hezekiah74]

Here in Japan a Black Belt (Sho Dan) simply means you have mastered all the basic and foundation moves and you are “Beginning” your journey into more serious Karate. We have black belts in Japan from 9-10 years old. There’s a couple in my Dojo

[@clayvision]

Your karate school reminds me of my karate school, we had a sense of tradition, but also learned some grappling to be aware of it and you seem like you are a pretty good professor to boot

[@scottwyden]

At our school, Kanzen Goju Ryu, we have 5 belt levels: white, green, purple, brown and black. For each belt level test you have to perform every kata and ippon from white on up. Once you're a green belt you also have to do kumite at the end of the test. So for black belt you have to do all white, green, purple and brown belt katas and ippons, plus fight everyone in the room that's a green belt or above. I believe there is also a final component for black belt that's a special thing that each student has to show they learned or created. For example, I believe some black belts create their own katas and then perform them. The black belt test in our school could last 2 hours non-stop.

[@chrismiass7193]

Ima be honest with you that test sounds easy af. At my school we do almost 2 hours of conditioning before we even do forms and then we do sparring and board breaking at the end. A test could last up to 6 hours especially if someone can’t break there boards since u have to break the boards to pass

[@elipson198]

In my Dojo, We have a 4 day Karate test wherein each day we practice 10ish hours each day. We need to run around 10 km within 2 hrs and then complete 200 metres of exercises like duckwalk, Knucklewalk, crawling, etc on rocks. Then we need to do all the katas, Shios, Yaksokumites, etc. We do all of these 10-20 times in 2 days. On 3rd day we have forearm, stomach, Legs and Back Conditioning. We get punched in stomach 300 times, Kicked on Legs 300 hundred times (each leg) And back as well 300 times (Each side). We then have Jiyukumite (we need to fight 5 people at the same time) and then we finally get our blackbelt. (For context, I practice Goju-Ryu)

[@karateiq8158]

Sensei Jesse, I admired you so much, i'm a venezuelan guy begining my dojo, i just got white belt childs, i inspired by your tips n advices, i'm so grateful for your work, becouse it helps me to be more professional.. thaaank's a loooot

[@josephshamosh9577]

For my black belt we had to go through all the techniques from orange to black, including kata, grappling, 3 step fighting(self defense sets), escapes and something called the one thousand hour drill, the one thousand hour drill is done at the beginning of a test, it is doing basic techniques 1000 times fast, the purpose of this is to see how the students preform when they are stressed and tired. We also used to do sparring when my instructor was coming up but somebody got hurt and they ended it but we are going to start sparring in the tests this year.

[@ntthnn7]

In our karate , for our black belt exams we have a set of kihons , a kata we can choose among 4 of them and jiyu kumite. We dont use weapons.

[@andresvesalio7848]

Where i used to train karate the blackbelt could be earn only over 18. But then the sensei started giving it to kids up to 13 year old. Thats when i quited karate and swiched to kickboxing. Is very important to mantain some level to give the blackbelts

[@moxxi3377]

In my club, you have to know every technique from black belt to white belt, that includes singular techniques, combo techniques, kata, jutsu and kumite. We also get an exam on Japan and on our karate, where questions about the backstory about our karate etc, as well as a Japanese test. And my Sensei is also very strict, some times he can go down to the last detail, if you have your hand 1 degree to far to the left in a kata, you won't get your belt, every thing has to be perfect. This is also why we are a very proud club, because your belt is what signify what you've worked so hard for

[@hadiamir3982]

Now thats the complete original karate striking,throws,grappling and weapon.

[@agskinner2009]

Jesse , greetings from Brazil. First of all congrats on your Channel. Amazing! I used to pratice Taekwondo (i am now with some injuries that need surgery and are getting alway from the dojang), I am a 1st degree Black belt. It took 7 years to get there. Ar least at our dojang, the evaluation steps are pretty similar to yours. All poomsae (kata) from white to current belt, basic movrments (kibon donjak), self defense (hosinsul) techniques, fight (kyorugui) and always end up with one or more breaking (kyucpa) techniques.

[@thewannabemartialartist4613]

I never got to see the full black belt testing at my school but I will share what I do know. When testing for your black belt you start at about 6 am and you you go through higher level techniques, and you spar against all the teachers, and you are out through a pretty difficult physical/mental endurance test. After that the rest of the students testing start at 8am and everyone testing goes through each ranks level until they reach the level they are testing for. ( for example if you were testing for your yellow belt you would go through your white belt and orange belt) this is to show that not only as you progress have you continued to develop your basics and lower level techniques but you are continually growing by learning and devolving your newer and higher level techniques. Also there is no drinking water during testing except for 1 break that you get at the middle ranks for about 2 mins. Depending on your rank and how many students are testing it can last hours

[@skkpartsmartiaux128]

In my karate school to become a black belt actually for most belts it's a weekend of training. But for black belt and higher it's a full week with katas, kumite, kihon, phisic, running.... all this with maximum 2 hours of sleep per night! It's crazy but really good fun! And at the end you know that u deserve it!

[@louispons11]

In our dojo (Traditional Jiu Jitsu) , the black belt test is in fact easier than the brownbelt test. For the brown belt we need to execute all exercises from yellow to brown. These are about 450 separate exercisesranging from locks, block, throws, sweeps..., we need to do them left and right. Here speed, technique and power are key. After this we also need to o 3 small KATA'S and two 1 minute full on fight against 5 blackbelts, who keep on coming, one unarmed and one armed. The exam takes about 5 hours. For the black belt we mainly focussed on the exercises from that grade, altough we sporadicly ask to do exercises from all previous belts. Also we ask student to defend against a surprise attack that can come at any moment during the exam. Then again 2 1 minute fights against 5 attackers, one unarmed and one with concealed weapons.

[@ReaperBlade-ns2hs]

Loved the video, I got my black belt on May 31st of this year, the test was over two days I had to pass a written test with a 98% or higher (got 101% w extra credit) then u must teach the little kids class and family class by yourself (u can have assistants but no one is allowed to tell u what to do or teach for you); if u get through that the second day is kata, self defense, and Kumite; ... Kata is in front o a panel of all attending black belts, must have all the black belts decide each of your 15 open hand, two weapon and signature kata are performed at a black belt level (I had 10 BB at mine) .. Then u must complete a mix of 50 self defense techniques (takedowns, jointlocks, misc. (strikes, kicks, escapes)) going against black belts and high ranking students ... Then you must complete a 1 hour long continuous sparring match with a fresh partner every 3 minutes. ... and finally after that you are awarded your black belt and must read your 1000+ word essay about how karate/martial arts changed your life .... Then there a small party after with everyone at the dojo

[@MARK-fe4jt]

This is the true karate's teaching! Many people say that karate's techniques are useless only because their sensei doesn' t show them what was real karate!

[@thomasrussell4928]

I study Taekwondo, and my school has an intensive process to earn a black belt. You have to do two 2-mile runs and show improvement. There's an endurance test which lasts about an hour and really tests your endurance! A single steps pretest (which are essentially a preset of moves used to practice different techniques and work on timing) and a forms pretest both of which you have to show everything for each belt. Then there's the day of the test. Where you have to demonstrate a few forms and single steps, 1-v-1 sparing, 1-v-2 sparing, sometimes even 1-v-3 sparing, self defense techniques, gun and knife defense, grappling, breaking, and what we call the gauntlet. For sparing, you face everyone present 1-v-1 and you have to score a point to move on to the next person. For grappling, again 1-v-1 everyone, but it's either 3 mins or submission to move on to the next person. It's a brutal process, but incredibly rewarding to see what you are capable of as well as seeing where you can improve moving forward.

[@yeetonmytoes3074]

Ossu! I am a black belt and I will tell you the black belt part 1st we do standing basics punch stepping etc The. Ippon kumite Then kata what I had to do for a black belt is they do a kata for the whole unit we perform that then we do a basic kata teno kata etc then a heian kata then intermedite then favorite kata sometimes weapon kata then we end with sparring. Now I am a black belt that is 11 my name is joaquin I am probationary black belt so another year till I’m a actual one going by years I think my sensi has gone a little easier on us cause now people are getting black belts on 1st try I compete in tournaments. I am going to test for 2nd degree with shihan minikami akio

[@avationmusic]

Yeet on my toes?

[@avesenatureza6512]

The dojo where I I practice is really hard to get a blackbelt, sensei Dilceu Rossoni is very severe, but thanks to this we learn a lot, he's a 68 year old man who holds a 5⁰ dan in wado-ryu karate and he's also black belt in BJJ and Sipalkido. What is cool because we sometimes exchange trainings and experience with students from these other martial arts.

[@MalyNedved]

I'm currently a red belt in Taekwondo working towards my black belt in September. I'm really excited, because I want to get my instructor accreditation when I become a black belt to help teach in my dojang. The blackbelt grading in my Federation is a 3 day process of participation in an international instructors course culminating in an official 3 hr grading on the last day of the course

[@b3agz]

Not part of black belt grading (that I'm aware of) but back in the dark ages when I was going through my first karate stint as a child (around 1998) our dojo put on an exhibition for the local community. As a 13 year old blue belt I just did a kata display and some light sparring. But I always remember this adult brown belt we had who decided to demonstrate breaking a breeze block (cinder block?) with his bare fist. He uhm... he wasn't successful.

[@tlewisAK]

I studied Shutoka Karate-do (Okinawa style) as a youth (80's and 90's), I made it close to black belt, but life got in the way and I never made it back. Im now in my mid 40's Im studying ITF Taekwan-Do. I never witnessed a Black Belt test when I was in Karate, but I have been a photographer for a ITF TKD Black Belt test. There are a lot of similarities. In ITF TKD, you have to do all the patterns (Kata) from White - Black, All the Self Defense attacks from White - Black belt, all 9 variants of 3 step, 2, step, and 1 step, sparring (these are different than the ones I did when in Karate), and regular sparring. You have to a set of specialty board beaks with punches, elbows, and kicks. You have to do a power break with either your fist or with a kick, and typically have to break a stack of boards 4-5 boards thick. You have 5 attempts to break them. its quite humbling to see those testing work their butts off to earn these belts.I hope to be amongst them one day.

[@carolpenrose243]

At 74, testing in the spring for black belt...it takes courage, faith in yourself, determination...with, arthriris, a blood cancer that affects your skeletal system too..this last part of my journey has been rough...it will happen!! I have faith in God and myself!!

[@riazzaman20]

Nice grading. Congratulations for all involved.

[@loganpeterson2289]

At my dojo, you have to wait 3 months to get a new belt, but you have to meet certain requirements and attend enough classes. Once you qualify to test for black belt, you have to pass the black belt exam, which is longer and harder than a normal belt exam (a typical black belt exam can be maybe 8 to 12 hours with like 2 to 3 breaks). After that you have to wait 6 months to do your next black belt exam, and once you get to 2nd degree, you have to wait a year. Instructors have to do a bit more like preform almost every kata and technique they’ve learned so far, but that’s about it

[@albertogomez6196]

Hey sensei, in my school for a black belt you need to fight for it ... literally, black belt aspirants should do all the basic moves and then win at least 6 out of 10 full contact bouts with 10 different black belt people , in 2 minutes per fighter without rest, the sport is called *Kudo* , take a look! you may like it;) allows almost any type of punching, throwing techniques, and also has ground fighting :D

[@sangramroy4604]

I'm also practising in the traditional way. In our style we've to practice 7 years to became a black belt.

[@Brian_L_Griffin]

To become a black belt in our school you have to have control of your body. Once you receive a black belt your training really begins. You focus on controlling your opponents body. We had to do the same. Katas randomly chosen from yellow up, one steps and knife, club defense, basic to advance techniques, sparring. Lots of sparring demonstrating control, technique as well as a no quit attitude. And breaking.

[@TheInternetofRandom]

In my Karate it starts with an hour of physically inessive cardio and calisthenics. We then demonstrate every technique we have learned individually in front of the class while we are blindfolded. The teacher will then place each student on a bed of swords placed horizontally and then place a slab of concrete on the students stomach and break it with a one strong blow of a sledgehammer. We must then demonstrate are weapons training. To demonstrate strength we then break a 14 inch block of ice with our head, if you don't succeed the first time you have failed the grading. After this we then get paired up for sparring where you spar till knockout. The winner of each pair will receive their black belt and the loser receives nothing because we don't encourage losing in our dojo. Any age can receive a black belt as long as they can pass the grading.

[@googesowders8622]

Wish I could go back to the start . The learning is wonderful .

[@patriksvensson2360]

I have to say, it was a very interesting watch! I didn't keep up my karate long enough to reach the black belt mark, but I've always been curious as to how that evaluation is performed. Thank you for sharing! I also want to say that your enthusiasm for karate along with your positive personality is just mesmerizing. Watching your videos is always time well spent; I always learn new things and I always end up feeling happier.

[@Tanabataanne]

I agree with you senpai, one of my mates had his black belt grading and for them exam could last between 5 and 8 hours as long we check since 10 kyu technics and kata, for Kyokushin the spirit it’s measured in kumite; my senpai (testing 3rd dan) got 50 fights in line, we hugged him for holding bravely 😊

[@mishaklokkers6871]

After fighting for 50 fights and getting 3rd dan it's fair to call him Sensei. At least thats how it works at our kyokushin organisation.

[@Tanabataanne]

Misha Klokkers Osu, you are right, I have started calling him Sensei 😊 and it was well earned.

[@davewheeler8709]

My training did not have belt rankings but still you had to show that you have learned the techniques.