Rank Testing

[SevenStar]

When I was there, the first weapon was the staff...

[PangQuan]

are you required to use the foam? or can you use wood if you like??

[Oso]

monkey jacks = frog jumps

iron buffalo plows the field = tiger pushups

shaolin sit ups = our 'monk sit up' had someone lean against a wall and step on your feet while you were in a sit up position. then you had to situp to full standing then sit back down.


funny how names are so different.

nunchucks, numchucks, nunchakus, numchakus, nunchakakhan, numchakalackadingdong

LOL means 'joking' btw.

nice looking bike. is it back together now?

don't you know the dangers of posting pics of yourself anywhere these cretins can get a look at them?

[NeuroGrrrl]

We start the staff and the chucks at the same time, roughly when you reach yellow sash. I am about halfway through the staff form at this point. I believe that Sifu only recently started teaching nunchucks, because the senior students were just learning the form when I was.

We can use the wooden ones, we can also peel the foam off and they are wooden underneath. I just like the dragons. Sifu actually did mention that I'll need a heavier pair soon.

I realize the nunchucks comment was a joke, but I had too much fun thinking of plays on that word. Nunchuckwagon. Nupchuck. Or, for the very sophisticated, Nuncharles.

That's not me, that's my best friend Amy. I'm Taylor. There's only one picture of me on a site page, I'm hooked to a homemade eeg (NEUROgrrrl and all...) and about 40lbs heavier than I am now (thank you, kung fu). Amy is a brown belt in wado karate and has rooms full of tournament trophies. I really covet her bike, it is back together now.

[NeuroGrrrl]

how much nun could a nunchuck chuck if a nunchuck could chuck nun?

[SimonM]

My sifu didn't really take the belts/sashes too seriously. They were there because westerners expect belts.

Sometimes there were tests. The tests usually included forms and sparring (people at our school were expected to learn how to actually fight) sometimes there were no tests. Sometimes you didn't know that you were being tested.

Once I was tested by being told to teach the first half of a class. A week later sifu handed me a new belt after class. I asked if I was going to have to do a belt test and he said I already had.

[Oso]

ok, cool all the way around...still a sweet bike.

how do you make a homeage eeg? that would be super cool to test my Ichi powers.


I heard chuck norris taught bruce lee everything he knew about nunchucks...


ok, the punch line to that was even a bit beyond my usual tastelessness so i'll stop there...you can guess the rest.

I still say Chuck has hired a really good PR manager in the last 6 months.

[Oso]

well, I think you can argue the rank thing for days...but we had a pretty profound night last night in just class testing some kids for a 'star' on just there white sash kicks. We do 7 stars between each sash level and the curriculum is divided into 7 sections at each level and they test in class for those. Last night was the 'test' for kicks at that level and a couple of 'ok' kids got all serious and blasted out some relatively awesome kicks.

[NeuroGrrrl]

I suppose Westerners really do expect belts. In school I strived for grades and diplomas. I always studied hard with the immediate goal of doing well on the next test. The end result, luckily, was rounded education. Likewise, in the martial arts, I find myself motivated by the rank system. I would not have practiced my forms all weekend if I hadn't had a test on Monday. I have been trained since birth to strive for large goals based on the systematic attainment (and implied recognition and reward) of smaller ones

Has anyone seen the episode of the Simpsons where the childrens' school burns down? Bart absolutely thrives being out of school for so long, whereas Lisa starts to develop a severe anxiety disorder. She finally cracks and screams to her mother "test me, grade me, rank me!!" Marge writes an "A" on a napkin and hands it to Lisa to calm her. I am so Lisa.

What I wonder is...is this necessarily a bad thing? From a Buddhist/Taoist perspective, yes, I think this is in direct opposition to these teachings. But from a practical perspective? I wonder if I would have worked as hard learning medicine if I didn't know that at the end of the torture I would have earned the degree and title. On the other hand, it could be argued that no matter how badly one wants to attain a title or rank, no one will achieve advanced levels without discovering an innate love of the subject matter.

Perhaps, thus, one begins with the goal of achieving a rank and either 1) finds the work to be tedious and quits or 2) develops a love of the subject which transcends his or her original, perhaps petty, goals. Then, over time, one actually gains the rank DESPITE oneself.

Which reminds me of why I haven't reached enlightenment yet. Because I WANT to. I have to rid my heart of all desire and then, so my readings tell me, the light will click on.

I suppose this is why so many Westerners have turned to the Martial Arts and Eastern Philosophies--to escape the rank/title/award mindset which renders life a rat race. Ironic, then, the sashes and belts and testing, yes? Perhaps when the time comes for me to test for green sash I should decline the offer. Stay orange for years. Better yet, ask sifu to demote me to no rank again. Do the five forms I know and learn no others, simply perfect and polish and live these five.

I'm going to go meditate on this.

p.s. do it yourself eeg:
http://openeeg.sourceforge.net/doc/

[Oso]

Chris,

No doubt. I've never liked anything he did.

'Lipton' the host you love to hate. I love that show...the one w/ Billy Joel is perhaps second only to the one w/ Robin Williams. If you havn't caught the Robin Williams episode...holy crap! It's two hours long because Robin steals the first half hour with a level of insanity only he can kick out.

[Oso]

I suppose Westerners really do expect belts. In school I strived for grades and diplomas. I always studied hard with the immediate goal of doing well on the next test. The end result, luckily, was rounded education. Likewise, in the martial arts, I find myself motivated by the rank system. I would not have practiced my forms all weekend if I hadn't had a test on Monday. I have been trained since birth to strive for large goals based on the systematic attainment (and implied recognition and reward) of smaller ones

Has anyone seen the episode of the Simpsons where the childrens' school burns down? Bart absolutely thrives being out of school for so long, whereas Lisa starts to develop a severe anxiety disorder. She finally cracks and screams to her mother "test me, grade me, rank me!!" Marge writes an "A" on a napkin and hands it to Lisa to calm her. I am so Lisa.

What I wonder is...is this necessarily a bad thing? From a Buddhist/Taoist perspective, yes, I think this is in direct opposition to these teachings. But from a practical perspective? I wonder if I would have worked as hard learning medicine if I didn't know that at the end of the torture I would have earned the degree and title. On the other hand, it could be argued that no matter how badly one wants to attain a title or rank, no one will achieve advanced levels without discovering an innate love of the subject matter.

Perhaps, thus, one begins with the goal of achieving a rank and either 1) finds the work to be tedious and quits or 2) develops a love of the subject which transcends his or her original, perhaps petty, goals. Then, over time, one actually gains the rank DESPITE oneself.

Which reminds me of why I haven't reached enlightenment yet. Because I WANT to. I have to rid my heart of all desire and then, so my readings tell me, the light will click on.

I suppose this is why so many Westerners have turned to the Martial Arts and Eastern Philosophies--to escape the rank/title/award mindset which renders life a rat race. Ironic, then, the sashes and belts and testing, yes? Perhaps when the time comes for me to test for green sash I should decline the offer. Stay orange for years. Better yet, ask sifu to demote me to no rank again. Do the five forms I know and learn no others, simply perfect and polish and live these five.

I'm going to go meditate on this.

p.s. do it yourself eeg:
http://openeeg.sourceforge.net/doc/

dammmmmm....

Best Post by Member with less than 100 posts, 2006.

Welcome.

[CoRWiN]

I believe it was in the morals and philosophies thread i asked the question how do buddhists/taoists justify things such as goals or is there no justification. Check out that thread to see their responces.

[Ou Ji]

I've seen a range of rank testing from being observed in class over a weeklong period to formal testing that included demonstrating techniques on partners and sparring multiple opponents.

I really not a big fan of formal testing but I can how it would be important and fulfilling to some.

What I like is the grappling way of rank advancement by consistantly beating guys at the next higher rank.

[NeuroGrrrl]

just don't let the belt become a noose...

what a great metaphor.


I am reminded of Chuang Tzu (Thomas Merton translation)

When an archer is shooting for nothing
He has all his skill.
If he shoots for a brass buckle
He is already nervous.
If he shoots for a prize of gold
He goes blind
Or sees two targets--
He is out of his mind!

His skill has not changed.
But the prize divides him.
He cares.
He thinks more of winning
Than of shooting--
And the need to win
Drains him of power.


In fact, even the Olympic Creed echos this:

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

Then, of course, they go and give out medals.

[Ou Ji]

Interesting story. Slightly similar to my past. I started in Karate and dropped before getting a black belt. I did bother me so I eventually landed in a kung fu school and I was adamant about staying 'to the end'. The 'end' being black belt, or equivalent.

So I stayed there for 15 years earning an instructor certificate. That alone satisfied my need for 'rank' but did not satisfy my need for skill and knowledge.

So, I'm off on another adventure. One that doesn't require ranks, title or certificates.