Rank, Responsibility & Accountability

Articles about Rank, Responsibility and Accountability in the Martial Arts on USAdojo.com.

Donald Miskel

Fade to White: Rank and Position in Martial Arts

You might recognize the title of this article as a play on an old theatrical phrase. After the end of a scene or at...
Donald Miskel

Who is a Black Belt – Living the Rank

I've been following a thread on one of the martial arts sites on Facebook. The question was asked, ‘Should a child be promoted to...
Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and Jigoro Kano Sensei

Origins of the Colored Belt System, My Thoughts

The most popular theory of the origins of the coloured belt system is that it was originated by the father of Judo himself `...
Donald Miskel

Martial Arts Honesty and Integrity

With all of that being said I will admonish the up and coming masters and those claiming such rank to exercise honesty and integrity. On...
Martial Arts Titles and Rank

Dangers of Self Proclaimed Masters

Besides the potential harm expected from training with self proclaimed masters is that these individuals may be dangerous if their reality is challenged... "Learn secret...
Martial Arts Frauds Exposed

Martial Arts Frauds Exposed

Fraudulent activity in the martial arts industry has previously been countered by unprofessional mud slinging and frustration from those trying to stop them. Unfortunately,...
Martial Arts Belts

Proper Martial Arts Ranks and Titles

Originally in Okinawa there were 15 ranks for Black Belt and these ranks ended with the Gold Belt. Yes, 15! In Japan, as martial...
Masters

No Martial Arts Masters Here, Just Ordinary Men

A Buddhist friend showed me a video featuring some Tibetan yogis. These were people whom she greatly admired (some were her teachers). She saw...
To Wash Or Not To Wash Your Belt

To Wash Or Not To Wash Your Belt

True or false? The darker the belt, the more training and experience you had. If you washed your belt, your knowledge and spirit would be...
Martial Arts Titles and Rank

Master of the Universe: Ranks in Martial Arts

By Trevor Streets ~ It is an unfortunate aspect in the modern approach to martial systems that we seem to be obsessed with titles and...
Martial Arts Belts

Karate Ranking and Training

Karate Ranking System: The karate ranking system uses a similar belt ranking system as seen in other Japanese martial arts. Karate ranking has its basis in technical...
Christine Baeza

Women in the Martial Arts

No matter what belt women have around their waist, or what title they hold, they will always be women. This is a powerful statement that might...
GM Williams, Master Gabriel and GM Mantack Promotion to 7th Dan Kenpo

Always Martial Arts Students

GM Williams, Master Gabriel and GM Mantack Promotion to 7th Dan Kenpo Dear Fellow Martial Arts Students, I am very grateful to All About Martial Arts...
Donald Miskel

Weeding Out the Weeds: Fake Martial Artists

Oh really? One man’s weed is another man’s cuisine. Take the lowly dandelion. Weed? Flower? Pest or foodstuff? Dandelions are used for food in...
Bow Before Sparring

The Traditionism of Budo: Character in the Martial Arts

The Traditionism of Budo - Have we lost it to contemporary fast-food values? Not long after retiring from the Air Force I was helping officiate at a...
Donald Miskel

The Grandmaster Phenomenon

In this article I want to examine the grandmaster phenomenon that has become an epidemic in the western world of martial arts. As always when...