Thought it might be fun to hear stories of what people/dojos do to celebrate/break-in a new yudansha (black-belt).

Mine is boring (which is why I'd like to hear yours!)...I went out to dinner with everyone after the test. - I couldn't even drink since I was only 16.

let's hear 'em.

Hello Mr. Morris:

You want the ~colorful version~ or the real one?

we went out to dinner, which was nice, until someone pulled two habaneros out of a bag. They told me "you're not a black belt until you eat these!" and I assumed they all had taken their own turns before me so I chomped them. or I'm a gullible individual and they got some laughs at my expense.

just some good natured hazing, nothing dangerous.

Ronin: actual. I admire truth at personal expense. btw: please drop the 'Mr' business and call me 'Ed'....unless you are between grades K-12, THEN 'Mr Morris' is fine.

Borrek: ah yes...hazing. I've heard some walk threw rows of shinai whacks to the butt. ...or was that movie 'Animal House' with paddles? 'thank you sir may I have another!'

For birthdays we walk the line and get swats with the belts.
As for blackbelt break in,hmmmmmm. We shake their hand,the journey there was hard enough.

Mine was pretty boring, too, Mr. Morris.

As I was a full time instructor at the time, after my test (And the PAIN OF BIRTH*, LOL) I got to go home and sleep. Then I had to come in and teach the next day. I did get a few pats on the back and some "About time!" remarks from some of the folks there.

* -

http://www.fightingarts.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/15819867/an/0/page/0#15819867

After my BB test we all went to the local steakhouse and had a meal and a few drinks. After the meal, the chief instructor went and phoned every place that we used as dojos and cancelled them. He then raided all the clubs bank accounts and disappeared with the money. This included all moneys paid by students for gis and other equipment.
Hilarious, huh?

My celebration was the test! After the test we all just bowed and talked for a while, then i slept for the next two days ! Boring huh?

Hello "Ed":

Sigh... it took three days time for the testing to be complete. The second day I brought someone to drive me back home (sic. just in case, I was ~unable~). By the third day the head instructor offered me a place to stay, something delicous to eat the next morning and much, much arnica<sp.?> as I recall. A huge bottle of asperin, much ice throughout the night, and slept for I don't know twelve, fourteen hours maybe?

Then I was taken to my first class and I taught in the same location simply with a new ranking, which IMHO yet again I needed to live upto. It took nearly two weeks (maybe longer) for the bruising and swelling to ~diminish~ such that walking without too big a limp, smiling, breathing was not too, too bad (Kinda fond of breathing personally....)

My "break in" was fairly uneventful. But, the party held several days later... lasted from very early afternoon until very late the next morning. Couldn't tell you how many people, friends, their families, but we went though a huge quantity of food... yum! Anybody who had either gotten a piece of me, or simply wanted to witness or share their happiness... anybody was invited. Had I known you then, you too would have been...

The "breaking-in" lasted ten years... but I think you meant what they did ONCE I was yudansha didn't you <g> ?That's a different story... more soon as time allows,

J

ok...now lets hear the real version.

New BB belt were tied around our waist by our Sah bum nim vs. handing you your certicicate and belt and returning back to line.

All new BB had to line up, the higher dans were positioned in front of them face to face. Higher dans would then assume fighting stance and give you a good reverse punch in the stomach. Sounds over the top but most of the puches were pulled not to cause anyone to drop to their knees and puke. Long as you were tightned up and gave a good loud Kiap you were fine. It was more of an mental anticipation thing if any, no one ever got hurt. After the test like most dojo's we all go out to eat and drink. On my first dan test we over did it a little and after dinner and way to much celebrating a group of us went to a place called "Lou Turks" which was a strip club. We got to the club late and there was a lot of loud people at the entrance including our group which wanted to see the "girly show". If I remember right the bouncer at the door was a nine foot tall guy that was all business and at the drop of a hat was ready to fight. Well, people behind me started pushing and one thing led to another and out of know where he cracked me in the mouth with his shoe box size fist and down I went. I got sick, had the spins and a torn lip after what was suppose to be a great night. I was living with my girlfriend at the time and when they dropped me off she took me to the hospital where they had to stitch the inside of my lip and mouth. I got the worst of it but my instructor wasn't very compassionate to the higher dans for getting the newbies in trouble. Lesson learned:
1. never get loaded and mouth off to a nine foot bouncer drinking coffee.
2. Girly shows are over rated
3. Don't chug tequila, the worm isn't that good.
4. If someone says you should just go home after dinner listen to them.
5. Don't ever think you can out party a group of Veitnam Vets on a roll.
6. Hang your head out the window if you have the spins.
7. Drinkling and MA do not mix well.

Well, if you can learn by someone elses mistakes your way a head of the game, hope you do, 1982 was a long time ago.

I was 2!

Well I was 4, so that makes me older than you two....so the older kid's saying "Get back on topic youngin's!"

Note - Didn't really need to get involved here.....just think these new smilies ROCK!

I wasn't even born yet!

But the elder Gavin is right...back on topic.

this thread got depressing...I was born when the song "Wild Thing" by the Troggs was topping the charts.

Ed,
I'm about a month or so older than you, so does that make me the Grandaddy of the thread.

Actually that is depressing.

1982, erm I was 10 started karate 2 years later,


blimey so im an old one as well for here, yet baby faced with smooth skin.................

McSensei is old then............................but still incredibly fit and handsome

Youuuu...whipper snappers

Parents heh? Just won't ever understand the young folks modern ways!

Anyhows guys I think we've successful killed this thread....unless anyone has any Yudansha stories I think we should lie this one to bed now....

Anyone ever done the baseball bat sparring drill?

Basically,the soon to be blackbelt puts his forehead on the end of the baseball bat which is stood upright on the gorund. He then runs around it as fast as possible ten times. Afterward someone is waiting to spar him,lol.

Hello Brian:

I wanted to keep this topic active. Hope nobody minds? It was not my rite of passage, but a woman I knew of who was part of a very famous NYC dojo who was supposed to face a gauntlet of men (c.15-20 men) and spar them full contact... apparently done sequentially without pause or rest.

Every single aspect of her art, her knowledge was exemplary, every portion of the test to that point she had done perfectly and beyond! She refused to take the sparring portion of the test. Her refusal was formal but polite... She was probably late 20's and between second and third trimestor pregnant (visably very pregnant). When she politely refused she was literally then taken into a back small office and yelled at for slightly less than an hour by the three senior most students (20+ year martial artists who were definately old enough to understand as they were 40-50 yo men) that SHE was the problem, and she had to spar, pregnant or not!!!

She left them immediately after many, many years of training with them... and found better training from someone with eyes and a brain which functioned.

A true story.
J

If that is true-and I see no reason why it shouldn't be-the club should be shut down and the instructors never be allowed near a dojo again.
If I heard a story like that near where I lived I'd be round there like a shot with one or two aquaintences to have a quiet word.

This sort of behaviour reflects poorly on all Martial Artists of every distinction.

(VTG rant over!)

It is a party trick,except the sparring part.
You'd be surprised at the imigination some of my instructors have had.

Hello

<<Anyone ever done the baseball bat sparring drill?

Happens at every martial arts PICNIC (where we at least) do the ~bat thing~ and instead of sparring we try and run straight line races as the bat was intended to be used!

We don't practice drunken style and have no need for dizzying tricks.

J

It takes you out of your comfort zone. I think it's good for training. Imigine being dazed at first before having to defend yourself. Mainly it teaches you how to protect yourself until you can get your wits about you.

Hahaha, same thing happened to me!

I got a handshake and a welcome to the 2% club. Seems that roughly 2 out of every one hundred people who take up MA stick it out and earn the belt. A couple of other instructors have since told me that that was a fair figure.
I was eighteen at the time. That was about 11 years before 1982. Consider the dead horse well and truly beaten.