Black Belt America

Promotion Procedures

Belt Levels

The first belt that your child will earn will be a white belt, which will usually be awarded at the end of the first class. Graduation celebrations take place at the end of each rotation(curriculum unit lasting approximately 8 weeks).

Black stripes are given to students as indicators of progress towards graduation. When a column is fully stamped on a student’s attendance card, then the instructors will determine if the student is making appropriate progress and award a black stripe. Stripes are not given simply for attendance. During the early part of each rotation, special consideration is given to focus, energy, and attitude. As the rotation progresses, students are expected maintain positive attitudes and show respect and to develop greater proficiency in their form, combination, and self-defense performance.

Basic students can become eligible to earn black stripes once every 2 weeks; Intermediate and Advanced students can become eligible once every 4 weeks. Basic and Intermediate students need to earn 3 black stripes; Advanced students need to earn 5.

Red stripes: Students are eligible to receive their red stripe – indicating that they are ready to graduate – if they fulfill the following criteria:

1. They have attended class an average of twice a weeksince their last graduation.
2. They can perform the combinations they have been practicing in class with a proficiency appropriate to their current belt level.
3. They can perform the form (or form segment) they have been working on in class without instructor assistance with a proficiency appropriate to their current belt level.
4. They can demonstrate the self-defense techniques they have been practicing in class without instructor assistance with a proficiency appropriate to their current belt level.
5. They have demonstrated a positive and respectful attitude towards their work, the instructors, and other students.
6. And, for Intermediate and Advanced students, they have fulfilled their sparring class requirements.

We expect every student to do his or her best. We do not judge students in comparison to each other or to an absolute standard of performance. However, we do expect students to demonstrate understanding of the curriculum and progress in their martial arts development.

Belt (Rank) Advancement: Students are eligible to earn their next belt if they:

1. Have earned their red stripe.
2. Return their Intent to Promote form with their answers to the questions.
3. Return their Intent to Promote form with teacher approval and signature.
4. Return their Intent to Promote form with parent or guardian approval and signature.

Basic students are eligible for graduation at approximately 8 week intervals. The fastest an Intermediate student can graduate is 16 weeks; for an Advanced student it is 24 weeks.

We award belt ranks as follows:

Basic level Intermediate level Advance Level Black Belt

White Purple Red 1st Degree

Gold Blue Red Stripe 2nd Degree

Orange Blue Stripe Brown and beyond!

Green Brown Stripe

Red Stripe Week

We encourage our students to do their best every day, but a more formal sense of testing occurs during “red stripe week” when students are required to demonstrate that they know the form, combinations, and self-defense techniques appropriate to their level. Earning a red stripe means that the student is ready to advance to the next belt.

During Red Stripe Week instructors will indicate on the student’s attendance card which elements they have performed proficiently (a check or a star in the box next to Form, Combinations, or Self-Defense), and which elements they need to work on (a circle around the box and, often, a note on the back of the card).

Students will be given multiple opportunities to demonstrate an appropriate level of proficiency and show progress. Often the Form is the most difficult element for students. Please remember that videos of every form are on our web page to use during at-home practice. The first video includes verbal instructions and the second shows how the form should look when performed without pauses.

Intent to Promote

Students ready graduate will get an Intent to Promote form. Each student is required to answer the questions in the first section to the best of his or her ability. This form must then be signed by parents and teachers indicating that the karate student is trying hard and being respectful. It is important that home and school remain primary and that their endeavors at the Black Belt Leadership Academy support positive behavior and attitude at home and school.

The instructors at the Black Belt Leadership Academy understand the importance of support and positive reinforcement, and we do everything we can to help students advance to higher belt levels. Because each belt is a reward for self-discipline, perseverance, and integrity, advancement is not something we take lightly. Families can help by encouraging students to practice for a few minutes each day at home and reminding students to focus their energies and efforts on their karate while they are in the Academy.

We are honored to have your children as our students, and honored by the trust you have shown us by bringing them to the Black Bet Leadership Academy and allowing us to share in their growth and development. Graduations are one of the ways we celebrate that growth, and we try to be always vigilant to make certain such celebrations foster student development. Please feel free to discuss your student’s progress with any of the instructors.

Thank you for sharing such a wonderful responsibility with us.

1

Promotion Procedures