Six-year-old Chatham boy eyes karate black belt

[Neilmccarthy]

Karate kid going for black belt


This is from my neck of the woods - too young to be a black belt?

[Ljgale]

Ohh good question.

I think it comes down to what a black belt in that organisation stands for.

In mine, it stands for competent in all basics and has the ability to set up their own club and teach. Along with this, has the right attitude and emotional maturity to represent our organisation at this level.

If it is the same here then i think it is too young, as amazing as his dedication is, he cannot be responsible enough to to run a club. In our organisation, the children have a different grading syllabus and can go to black stripe but you cannot obtain an adult black belt until 18.

If on the other hand the black belt is just standing for a level of competency in technique and he meets it I feel this is ok.

[Paul J]

I personally think this is too young. For me black belt is more than technical proficiency and should reflect a deeper understanding of the Artform as a whole that can only come with experience.
We also don't allow black belts under the age of 18. Typically most train for 10-15 years to achieve first degree, so most are adult by then anyway!
To be fair most young practitioners in our system drop out in their teens, maybe because the route to black belt is too long?

[chriscrudelli]

Good question, what is a black belt, what is his skill level?

[Jackie]

The syllabus must have been modified for the six year old?

[Mark Drake]

Usually under 16 or 18 they would be classed as junior black belts, and then do another test for their black belt when they are old enough. That is how the ITF Taekwon-Do groups always did it when I was training with them

[Pitts]

[Jackie]

[MarJay]