Hand luggage yo.

I'll most likely buy it next week. I also fancy trying to get some of my idiot friends to play it so it'll be good to have a copy.

I reckon he's pulling the wool; no way is there only a once-every-700-day chance to upgrade!

Elmlea wrote:

I reckon he's pulling the wool; no way is there only a once-every-700-day chance to upgrade!

I wish he was but with my club a black belt grade is a very tough thing to achieve, took me 10 years to earn my first and our gradings come along every 2-3 years at this level. It's a way to see who's really in it for the right reasons and not just for the belts. Plus it means our black belts are much better than any other black belts From rival clubs.

Wookienopants wrote:

It's a way to see who's really in it for the right reasons and not just for the belts. Plus it means our black belts are much better than any other black belts From rival clubs.

That doesn't make a lot of sense to me.  I thought there was like a UK tournament federation for most forms of martial arts who administer this sort of stuff, so they set the bar at each level as to what a 6th dan or whatever has to be able to do.

Deliberately holding your own people back so your 3rd dans are better than a rival club's is stupid.  If they're as good as another club's 4th dans, and everyone's ratified by the same organisation anyway, then they should be assessed and badged as that.

It's a bit like saying you're the best football club in the 2nd division when you should really accept promotion to the 1st, isn't it?

I thought that anyone can issue belts. It is highly unregulated.

Elmlea wrote:

Wookienopants wrote:

It's a way to see who's really in it for the right reasons and not just for the belts. Plus it means our black belts are much better than any other black belts From rival clubs.

That doesn't make a lot of sense to me.  I thought there was like a UK tournament federation for most forms of martial arts who administer this sort of stuff, so they set the bar at each level as to what a 6th dan or whatever has to be able to do. Deliberately holding your own people back so your 3rd dans are better than a rival club's is stupid.  If they're as good as another club's 4th dans, and everyone's ratified by the same organisation anyway, then they should be assessed and badged as that. It's a bit like saying you're the best football club in the 2nd division when you should really accept promotion to the 1st, isn't it?

Thing is as Griff said, anyone can call themselves an instructor if they have the right insurance and start issuing belts left right and centre. Its not as regulated as you think, there are regulation tournament clubs in which it's all carefully monitored and works to strict guidelines, we call these "mcDojos", most of them put their guys through a grading once every so many months to keep a steady rate of progression and high level of interest so the students keep paying their monthly fees.
Quite often it's a case of "do you know your moves? Then you're ready!" which is really the wrong attitude. Our club is a bit more independant so our instructor wants to see so much more than just technical knowledge. 
Ive fought guys who know what the techniques are to get their black belts, they claimed to have got them in 5 years and almost laugh when I say it took me twice as long. But I've trounced them every time because they may have the moves but they don't know HOW or WHEN to correctly apply them under pressure, that's something that can only come through endless repetition, drills and practise and the experience you gain through taking your time. 

I've just realised this might sound a little rantish... Apologies if it comes across that way. Just a subject I feel passionately about,

Elmlea wrote:

... ok, I understand the concept.  But if it's the case that anyone can call themselves an instructor, hold gradings, and hand out belts left right and centre, what's to stop your instructor deciding to do one for you in September or something?  Why does he have to say "14 July or you'll be waiting another 2-3 years?"

Good point.

In order to hold a black belt grading it's required by our association (and strongly recommended by most to be honest) that a panel of karate instructors from a similar style are present. The minimum we use are 3 but recently it's been 5. The reasons for this are to help keep it fair and unbiased plus every instructor is likely to pick up and criticise different things that MY instructor might be tempted to "overlook". 
They will not all get together and take a day off for this without enough students to grade all at once.

Hey everyone who doesn't understand how a proper grading system wprks, behold this page here what is to do with the gradings of Judo dan grades.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_judoka

Note the dates of birth, then the dates at which 10th dan (the highest grading possible) was awarded. Then note how fucking few of them there actually are. Most of the kiddy Karate stuff you did as a nipper meant precisely jack and shit in the actual scheme of things and is entirely in line with the McDojo aspect Wookiee (max respect to your club mate) laments.

I have seen 12 year olds from some clubs with a blackbelt. OKAY THEN PLEASE TO BE KICKING THE SHIT OUT OF ONE OF OUR 18 YEAR OLD RED BELTS etc.

Which works because Reg wasn't allowed one last time but doesn't work because he won't be there this time.

Hallo, so what's the latest on who's coming and wotnot?

As a founder of the stock, I have realised that it has become less about the stock so have splintered off to found my back to basics stock on the 8th.

He said "a" founder, acknowledging that there was more than one.  Also, technically, the first Regstock was just me and Reg, and I organised it because I was going to burger for a meeting anyway, so I am better than everyone, including Reg, and also I had a basil leaf at that event, and I recommend eating more than that on the 14th.  HOORAY!

And yeah, I missed the "a."  I'm still coming.

Pffft, the first 'stock was in London. Think Tony Mott was there?

Ruh roh.

The original stock mutated into regstock. The younger, retarded brother of the original Edge meet up.

That is true, you scots are a different phylum.