RISING THROUGH THE RANKS
Martial Arts ranks, represented by belt color, are an essential part of our martial arts training. Instructors use them to craft a curriculum in which students are continually building new skills on the foundation of old ones. And these ranks give students goals to set and achieve.
Our promotions are celebrations of our students’ achievements as they move on to a new rank and begin learning a new skill set.
To promote to the next rank, a student has to meet several criteria:
TIME INTERVAL
To promote, a student has to have been training at their rank for a certain amount of time. These are as follows:
White to Yellow: at least one month
Yellow to Orange: at least two months
Orange to Purple: at least two months
Purple to Blue: at least three months
Blue to High Blue: at least three months
High Blue to Green: at least three months
Green to High Green: at least three months
High Green to Brown: at least three months
3rd Degree Brown Belt* to 2nd Degree: at least three months
2nd Degree Brown Belt to 1st Degree: at least three months
*For Juniors, Teens and Adults, Brown Belt is divided into three degrees. A student must spend at least three months training at each degree of Brown Belt.
For our younger students – Dragons – a student must spend at least four months at Brown Belt before earning a Dragon Black Belt.
CLASSES ATTENDED
Students must have earned a prescribed number of “tips” on their belts, representing classes attended, as follows:
White to Yellow: at least 8 classes
Yellow to Orange: at least 12 classes
Orange to Purple: at least 12 classes
Purple to Blue: at least 24 classes
Blue to High Blue: at least 24 classes
High Blue to Green: at least 24 classes
Green to High Green: at least 24 classes
High Green to Brown: at least 24 classes
Brown Belt: students must attend a minimum of 24 classes at each level of Brown Belt.
SKILL PROFICIENCY
For our youngest students – our Panthers and Dragons – progressing through the ranks is all about their effort and citizenship both inside and outside The Dojo. Students who show focus and respect, diligence and discipline will continue
For older students -- Juniors, Teens and Adults -- promotions are also tied to particular skill sets. A student coming up on a Promotion will spend time with instructors who check these skills and given them valuable feedback and practice tips. These Skill Checks are either done in class, or during dedicated “Open Practice” times on the schedule.
INTENT TO PROMOTE FORMS
The first step in the promotion process is submission of an “Intent to Promote” form. These are found at the front desk and are due no later than two weeks before that month’s promotion. Once the Intent form is permitted, our instructors can begin to make sure that each student is ready for promotion. If it is decided that the student needs more time before they can promote, a new Intent form is NOT required. Forms are due two weeks prior to promotions.
PROMOTIONS
Junior Promotion Ceremony