People
Right. Im posting with regards to schools that have a grading syllabus.
I started learning mantis 2 years ago. The set-up of our school is that grading comes every 3 months at first and then moves to 6+months depending on where abouts you are. Just before and after 'black sash' level its different and gradings are more spread apart.
This is fair enough, I dont mind gradings and that sort of set-up, we live in a society built upon similar ideologies. My first ever grade in mantis was fairly simple, I had to learn bung bo kuen, applications and some drills/partner work. Although underconfident in my ability, I passed and moved onto the next level.
Now I have been training for 2 years I have noticed a lot of things about gradings, the level of students and the understanding. I am becoming more and more ****ed off when I see people who are 'black sash' or 'high graders' doing forms with no understanding of stancework, breathing or theory behind it.
I feel disheartened sometimes when teachers throw around words like '5th degree blacksash' like this students super skilled, and then they perform a form with little or no understanding or what they are doing (this isnt a high handed opinion, just my observations). It seems to me that if you pay the money you pass. Yes there is a required level that you 'should be at' for each grading, but it seems to me that as long as you pay the money you will pass.
Which makes me wonder, if this is how its going to go, how watered down and rubbish will it get, its a vicious circle.
GOD ****IT
craig