Syllabuses (syllabi?)

[AngelaG]

bob said:

the problem with a syllabus that makes a grading the same for everyone is that everyone is not the same. for example when do you require head kicks? lets say for talking sake green belt. now lets imagine a 45 year old starting martial arts for the first time. they cant lift their leg to face height no matter how much stretching they do. are they never to pass above yellow belt? they might be the best puncher in the club but that wont matter. each grading has to take into account that people will be better at some things and not others. whether its strength speed or flexibility or something else entirely.

I agree. We also have to remember that importance of separate aspects will vary depending on the club ethos. This is why comparing grades as like for like across clubs will never work.

[Aefibird]

angelag said:

bob said:

This is why comparing grades as like for like across clubs will never work.

Even comparing clubs within the same organisation is a bit of a pointless exercise. Many karate organisations (especially the larger ones) allow instructors to conduct their own gradings.

This means that a yellow belt at Joe's karate school isn't the same as a yellow belt at Bill's karate club, even though they may have the same grading structure, the same sequence of belts and the same "set" techniques to be performed.

[Shorin Ryu Sensei]

There appears to be two topics going on here in regards to grading/testing, so I'll answer them both.

1. No, I don't require any sort of fitness levels for a grading. Why? Because I teach for self-defense purposes, not to be able to run a marathon or win an aerobics championship. Anybody should be able to learn the martial arts regardless of their fitness level IMHO. Smokers, fat people, disabled, etc should be able to learn, and that's what I do and why I do it. If I was training national competitors for tournaments...that would be different.

2. As for a syllabus for gradings/testing...not really. My students are made aware frequently that they are tested each and every class they attend. No, I don't give a formal test each class, but I watch and listen each class and make mental notes as to effort, attendence, improvements, attitude, etc. Actual belt gradings/tests are a formality. I already know they will pass a test, or I don't test them. Actually, my students never know when I test them normally, as I will seemingly ask them at random to show me something, such as a kata, or a series of techniques I know they have been struggling with, and if I'm satisfied, they are promoted without fanfare. The Okinawan systems generally don't make a big deal out of testings, even black belt testings like many other systems do.=

[Aefibird]

srs said:

2. As for a syllabus for gradings/testing...not really. My students are made aware frequently that they are tested each and every class they attend. No, I don't give a formal test each class, but I watch and listen each class and make mental notes as to effort, attendence, improvements, attitude, etc. Actual belt gradings/tests are a formality. I already know they will pass a test, or I don't test them. Actually, my students never know when I test them normally, as I will seemingly ask them at random to show me something, such as a kata, or a series of techniques I know they have been struggling with, and if I'm satisfied, they are promoted without fanfare. The Okinawan systems generally don't make a big deal out of testings, even black belt testings like many other systems do.

IMO, I think that it as it should be. I can see why some schools make a big thing of testing and for some people that is a good thing - they need that to give them a boost.

Personally, I think that too much is often made of testing and that in some quarters training is done purely or mostly for testing, rather than testing being carried out to asses the level and understanding of training done.

[AngelaG]

Ok, what are people's thoughts on a principle led syllabus. So rather than having a preset kihon/kata/kumite instead working through the various core principles and understanding.

Doable?

[Aefibird]

Do-able, yes, I think it could be.

Howver, it may put some people off because they like to know exactly what is coming up and when.

I've got a friend who is going to be testing for her 3rd kyu tomorrow. She's recently joined a new karate club nearer to her home and had never tested there before. Their gradings are conducted on a "class" basis - a lesson just for the students who are testing. The chief instructor doesn't set a syllabus and doesn't tell students beforehand what they will be doing - they just turn up and train. This is stressing my friend out no end - she's the kind of person who likes to know exactly what she's doing and exactly when. The thought of a "made up on the spot"-type grading is giving her apoplexy. I'm sure she'll be fine (she's good enough to pass) but the situation isn't ideal for her.

Same with a principle led syllabus. It would probably be a lot more difficult than having some thing "set" and saying "all yellow belts need to do roundhouse kick, all green belts need to do roundhouse kick & reverse punch" etc. but I think it would make for better/more developed karate students.