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Original poster

Martial arts belts

49 replies

Kungfupanda67 · 27/04/2019 21:20

Very random one, but a friend of mine’s daughter has been to a Matt Fiddes martial arts grading today - she’s not a brown belt. She is 5.
How??

Surely, surely, a 5 year old can’t be a brown belt in any martial art? It just seems ridiculous. There are black belt kids in her class who’ve only just started school. Where do they go next?

Someone help me understand!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Kungfupanda67 · 27/04/2019 21:20

She’s now a brown belt**

OP posts:
kittykarate · 27/04/2019 21:46

As far as I can see it's his own invented system with an under 7s , juniors and adults categories. Maybe when you hit 7 you are drummed back to white...

Or maybe he's invented double secret ultra black grades? You can do anything if you're not linked to a governing body.

TheCakeCrusader · 27/04/2019 21:48

Sounds like a very low bar for grading standards at your daughter’s dojo if the instructors are handing out high grades like candy at such young ages!

My father is a martial arts instructor ( over 50 years experience) and the particular style that he’s involved with are extremely strict with grading standards and pass rates- students have to train for minimum several years before reaching any higher grades.

My father despairs at how other organisations seem to hand out belts so frequently without evidence that certain criteria’s have been reached from the syllabus.

Neron · 27/04/2019 22:26

Coloured belts for children are for building their self esteem and rewarding their 'dedication'.
They mean nothing and you shouldn't take it seriously.

MereDintofPandiculation · 27/04/2019 22:49

Neron I hope you're talking specifically and not generally. In some karate disciplines, the grading for children is the same as for adult beginners (except that people will only fight people of similar size), so although there is a motivational aspect to it (hence 8 different grades on your way to 1st Dan), it's far from being a reward for "dedication".

MegBusset · 27/04/2019 22:55

Neron that is not the case for my DC'S karate club - they work hard to get from one belt to the next and the criteria is the same for children as adults. DC2 (age 10) has put in five years of regular training to get to brown belt level; DC1 (age 12) is brown and white. They are both accomplished martial artists and have more than earned their belts.

thenightsky · 27/04/2019 22:56

My DH knows this Matt Fiddes guy. He runs a franchise martial arts process which is considerably derided by serious martial artists and is referred to as 'McDojos. A senior black belt should be able to lead a class, showing and demonstrating lethal techniques.

Yes... its a rip-off.

TheWoollybacksWife · 27/04/2019 23:03

I agree with Mere and Meg. My son took 5 years of hard work and gradings to get his black belt at karate. The only distinction between juniors and adults is that juniors do an intermediate level at some grades - everyone follows the same syllabus and the grading for his black belt took hours.

evilharpy · 27/04/2019 23:08

We went to a trial class with a Matt Fiddes franchise and didn't go back. The grading system is a laugh. I did judo when I was younger and we had to work our arses off to go up a grade, including learning theory, you didn't go up a belt by attending x number of sessions. The pricing was also extortionate and I struggled to even find out which martial art it's based on (turned out to be Tai Kwon Do).

I would like my daughter to take up a martial art if she's interested but only if it's a "proper" one.

Trebe · 27/04/2019 23:10

Depends on the martial art. Brazilian jiu jitsu takes ten years to get a black belt unless your exception. BJ penn won the abu dhabi worl championship after 3 years of training. 3 years to get a BJJ blackbelt and then win the pinnacle of the sport is unheard of. He has legs with the ambidextrous of hands.

thenightsky · 27/04/2019 23:12

I don't see how you can get to black belt in 5 years either. Its a year between each of the three browns at least. So, white, yellow stripe, yellow, orange stripe, orange, green stripe, green, brown, brown 2, brown 3, then black, then black 2 if you can afford to go Japan to get it...

whippetwoman · 27/04/2019 23:18

DS6 does Taekwondo, as do I. He is still a white belt despite having started doing it aged 4, as it's so hard to progress. You have to learn theory in Korean, do a pattern, line work etc. The very quickest you could be a black belt is about 4 years.

Vgbeat · 27/04/2019 23:22

Matt Fides is a bit of a Mickey mouse school. My lg did karate (she stopped recently) and she started at 4 and they can't do there black belt in karate until a minimum of 10 and that's with 6 years of gradings.

Brashtweedyimpertinence · 27/04/2019 23:23

Matt Fiddes = mcdojo. Not affiliated to any reputable organisation.

Onthedowns · 27/04/2019 23:24

My daughter has been to Matt fiddles for 3 years. There are different ability groups based on ages. They move through belts and badges through the age groups. My daughter is a brown stripe at 7. So it’s taken her 3 years, gradings are taken seriously and properly. Her classes are also based around fitness not just martial arts. She has a fantastic supportive teacher as she isn’t very confident. She will now move onto her badges before proceeding to a blue belt. Her blue belt grading will then be nearly two hours long in front of a small panel. So no mean feat. She has to learn all hand drill, kickboxing drill,pads,sparring etc. Gradings aren’t pushed upon parents - at least not in my class. Really gets on my goat because it’s a franchise people assume it’s crap. Don’t knock it until you have done it . I know kids in ‘independent ‘ martial arts group who have been equally unhappy with their tutors and the costs for both are the same

Itsagrandoldteam · 27/04/2019 23:26

Matt Fiddes is just about making money. My son went when he was about 6 or 7, he very quickly flew through the belts and ended up a brown and white belt. Back then I don't think they could advance to another belt until they were 11. They were then expected to go to the gradings every few months to receive badges that you sew on their trousers, if I remember rightly it was an additional cost of about £20-30, each time.
They then changed instructors and location, gave us a good reason to stop going. But it was way more expensive than other martial arts classes.

Putthatlampshadeonyourhead · 27/04/2019 23:35

Lots of dojos do this.

Lots if gradings and all pupils put in for the next one coming up. Its and extra charge and makes the dojo more money.

At my dojo, you had to be capable before they let you do the next grading.

I did kick boxing. And honestly, the sound of kids and adults in black belts, with maybe a year or two experience was ridiculous. I was a yellow belt and could easily beat them.

The problem is that a lot of parents would pull their kids, or adult pupils would leave because they knew someone who went to a different dojo, where they got belts loads quicker.

There was a reason my dojo, produced loads or European and world champions. Because they didnt use grading as a money making scheme.

Neron · 27/04/2019 23:41

I'm well aware of the hard work involved in some disciplines. I've trained and competed a very long time in multiple disciplines (kickingboxing, BJJ and thaiboxing), however in this particular thread the OP is wondering how a 5 year old can be a brown belt hence my comment.

IWantMyHatBack · 27/04/2019 23:42

Yeah, that's fucking ridiculous.

Neron · 27/04/2019 23:45

*kickboxing obviously

justarandomtricycle · 27/04/2019 23:45

Small children's belts are not usually valid, and they will have to go through the belts when they are older, this is fairly normal.

Even where the dojo is run by legitimate sensei attached to a legitimate martial arts body........

Yubaba · 27/04/2019 23:51

The dojo my dc go to is a minimum of 6 months between belts for the lower belts and up to a year or more for the higher belts.
They do shotokan karate, they’ve been going 2 years or so and are green belts, so 4 grades up from white.

IWantMyHatBack · 27/04/2019 23:52

Interesting reading these though.
Ours is (beginners) white, red stripe, red, yellow stripe, yellow, orange, green (start of intermediate), blue, purple, brown (advanced).

If you start white belt at 3 it takes years to progress, they take it really slowly, some start much older and progress much more quickly, but minimum 2 years to get to have a high intermediate.

The three levels of brown belt take at least a year each.

BlitheringIdiots · 28/04/2019 07:34

Ours start at white and then progress up through the full belts although they do intermediate belts in between with stripes on which don't meant much but show commitment.

DS has been going 7 years and is now two belts from junior black. Will need to re take black as an adult when reaches 18 to continue.

No belts just given out. Indeed DS has been refused new belts on occasion for not making the grade.

Damntheman · 28/04/2019 08:24

I did Ki Aikido.throughout my childhood and some of my adult year. With that you are capped at purple (before brown and black) until you're 18. You cannot be black belt until you're 18 because it requires a decent measure of maturity. I really appreciated that system. I can't be doing with child sized black belts. I like the system where kids grade through stripes AND belts as it gives the kid a good boost without adding a false sense of expertise like awarding a young black belt does.

Amusingly enough aikido in Japan doesn't even use coloured belts. White for everyone to encourage humility. I like that best.

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