The seven year old black belts

 

Reality it has been happening for 30 years.  After all there are no real standards to stop anyone from doing this. It was not new back in the 1980s.

 

When people make money charging for instruction, it is a natural development to go for the money. And parents bye it hook line and sinker.

 

Back in the 1980s then I had a friend in a small Pa town, with a Korean school also there who did just that, in fact everyone got their black belt in a year, and he criticized anyone who could not do that as a poor instructor...well he skipped town leaving a lot of kids with a school.

 

The parents approached my friend wanting them to teach their kids. He said sure, they would all begin white belts.. He never planed to have any other standard for his students but what he actually taught.

 

The parents were mad "why, why my kid is a black belt, I know because I paid for it."  End result none of them joined his program and he was happier for it.

 

For myself teaching youth since 1980 I only had one standard.

 

I had youth train for 7 to 9 years before qualifying to make Shodan, That worked for me. Of course by then they were really young adults.

 

The value of the program was what we actually gave every student, the knowledge they could learn anything through their own effort.

 

 Much more important than rank for youth to learn.

 

 I am not criticizing other programs, As I said there are no real standards for schools to follow.

 

I am just presenting some of what I have seen and as I am not in any association just presenting what I have done.

 

Others can criticize, I have more important things to do, such as train.