BLACK BELTS… The percentage of people that begin their Japanese Martial Arts practice and reach their 1st Degree Black Belt is about 2%. In other words, about two of every 100 students who begin their journey will make Black Belt. No one in any legitimate karate school will likely achieve Black Belt in less than eight years. It is much like getting a master’s degree in college.
My dojo has been open since 2016. I have had two students reach the level of brown belt. No one has yet made Black Belt at my dojo. It isn’t easy, and it takes hard work and dedication. Most dojos set their own standards for the requirements for each belt at their school.
But in most cases, when you see students from a school who have earned a black belt in less than eight years, they have likely gone to a school that charges money for every belt test. For schools such as that, it is not about standards but about money. To give an example… I began my training with Master Kenjiro Kawanabe and his instructors in 1983, and it was 1995, 12 years later, before earning my black belt… I received my 3rd degree Black Belt and Instructors License in 2016. It is a lifetime journey.