Questions about belt levels

Posted by: Tower_Bloodthorn

Questions about belt levels - 01/22/06 03:35 PM

I bought David Kahn's book on Krav Maga a few months ago, but just started to really read it in depth recently. He said he trained in the U.S. for 3 years, then went to Israel for further training. How long exactly does it take to achieve each belt (on avereage or a general estimate)? By the way he makes it sound, he wasn't in Israel for a very long period of time. It says he's regarded as an excellent teacher. I'm wondering if it took him longer than I think it did, if he's exceptional in the style so it took him less time or if the art is just that easy to learn.

I think that KM is one of the few arts where belt color actually matters, as it shows what level you're at. I don't know how it is anywhere else (I'd assume it's the same or similar), but the KM place near my house doesn't start with the heavier training until you've progressed a bit. You start off in level 1 with the bare basics, such as stances, some ground work, basic hand to hand, etc. The level 2 and 3 classes seem to be when they really teach you how to fight, disarm your opponent and so on.

Thanks!
Posted by: Lori

Re: Questions about belt levels - 01/23/06 06:16 PM

Quote:

I don't know how it is anywhere else (I'd assume it's the same or similar), but the KM place near my house doesn't start with the heavier training until you've progressed a bit. You start off in level 1 with the bare basics, such as stances, some ground work, basic hand to hand, etc. The level 2 and 3 classes seem to be when they really teach you how to fight, disarm your opponent and so on.




That sounds a lot like my school so far. I've only been at this for 2.5 months.
Posted by: ShikataGaNai

Re: Questions about belt levels - 01/23/06 06:35 PM

Another thing to keep in mind about instructors in general is that anyone can be one if they want. There is no federal, national or intl. standard testing for MA instructors. You achieve your certifications entirely on your own and theoretically if you have none, you'll have about as many students. Kahn, I believe, studied other arts before KM, as do most people who teach it. I know to get certified by the IKMF you need at least 4 years in some sort of MA, not necessarily KM, and a lot of certs are similar. You see a lot of individuals, many ex-IDF that spawn their own versions of KM these days. The big reason may be the liscensing but I've been told that many of them just don't have extensive certs since everything they learned was taken from their military experience.
But yes, Krav is a quick study compared to most MA's and that's how it should be. It's more of a defense tool than a life-long discipline, but it can be expanded on till the day you die.
Posted by: RangerG

Re: Questions about belt levels - 01/23/06 07:35 PM

To be a Certified Krav instructor, you must pass a rather tough training program and exam. I attended the last one as a sparing partner for a friend. There is a instructor certificate program for each level of Krav. For example..a level 1 instructor can teach yellow belt. A level 2 instructor can teach yellow and orange...and so on.

Krav has fewer levels/belts than other MA's..so each belt is a bit more of a jump than what you would see in traditional MA's. We were discussing the point that many folks consider a Krav Blue Belt to be equal to a Black Belt in most other traditional MA's.

The Yellow belt test at the location that tests in our area is generaly a brutal 4 hour ordeal. Orange is around 5-6 hours, Green is a solid 8 hours+ and Blue (I think) is a 3 days. I suspect locations and schools vary. The school I attend does not formaly test...Krav is taught as a SD only.. The program taught at our location is an 8 month linear travel from Yellow to somewhere in the Green/Blue level. After a couple of trips thru this...you have an idea (or one of the two instructors will tell you) where you (in theory) fall with regard to Level/Belt. All our levels train together as a group. I like this as everone feels involved, and the advanced students help the noobs.

Wade (Dedicated1) has spend a ton of time with me..tweeking the little stuff and moving me forward. I owe him a lot for his dedication, time and effort....now if I could just get over that tensing...before he gets so freakin frustrated he chokes the living doo doo outa me...
Posted by: Plantman

Re: Questions about belt levels - 01/23/06 08:34 PM

I train with Davids instructor and he trained David in private classes several times a week for 3 years including some group classes befiore going overseas.

When he went to Israel where he underwent more rigorous training with the head of the IKMA Haim Gidon and his top instructors.

He's been at it for over 10 years, so it's not like he started when he wrote his book.

I'd say it probably took him around 5 plus years, which is attainable if you have the right instructors and you dedicate yourself to your craft by putting in the extra hours.

.02
Posted by: Tower_Bloodthorn

Re: Questions about belt levels - 01/23/06 11:41 PM

Thanks guys! I'm hoping to cross train in Muay Thai when I start KM. I have a thing for agressive fighting styles. I'm probably going to have to choose one or the other due to time and cost, but it would be nice if I could successfully train in both arts. Right now I'm saving every penny I can to buy a new car, otherwise I'd already be training.
Posted by: retzef

Re: Questions about belt levels - 01/24/06 04:47 PM

I know David well... He did not previously train in other Martial Arts but was an athlete at Princeton. He is an outstanding KM student and KM teacher because he takes meticulous notes on every move when he learns a new technique. I can't tell you how many times I saw David grab a pen and paper and take notes while everyone else was running to get water or trying to catch their breath. He also is the beneficiary of being in the right place at the right time when it comes to his instructors. His introduction to krav was through Rick Blitstein, one of the first people to teach krav in the US. David spends months at a time in Israel training, not weeks. In Israel, in the late 1990's, he was introduced to Grandmaster Haim Gidon in Netanya, who is the best of the best when it comes to teaching Krav.

Belt levels-varies from school to school and organization to organization.