How Does The Grading System Work?
- Andrew Kent
- Jun 26
- 3 min read
Shimbukai has a grading system designed to allow students to proceed through levels, or grades demonstrating their personal growth and development in their chosen Martial Art.
Our Karate Grading System
What Does A Grading Mean? In our School we use a triple A method.
The first “A” signifying that you have met the attendance criteria, you have to attend a certain number of classes.
The second “A” demonstrates that you have the ability to complete the grading from our syllabus understanding that some may be more able than others due to a number of factors.
The third “A” signifies that you have displayed the correct attitude at home, in the Dojo and at school.
Coloured belts are like stepping-stones on the path to your goal of Black belt. A belt awarded represents that a student has reached a competent level with their current techniques and are ready to move on to learn and develop more advanced techniques and skill-sets.
GRADING INFORMATION
Factors That Determine How Fast A Student May Grade are:
The student’s frequency of training: Training more frequently means a student is getting to more classes in the time frame, but less time between training means muscle memory (technical habits and mastery) is developed far sooner and is why we recommend training at least 2 classes per week.
Frequency of training: This also includes practicing at home and additional advanced classes such as our Sempai Leadership classes.
Training Intensity: Getting to classes is just one part of the equation. Once there, the student also needs to push themselves physically and constantly pushing their comfort zone producing faster, stronger and snappier technique as they progress through the grades.
Focus: Karate is a mind and body pursuit. Focusing on technique develops correct technical habits, it also prevents bad habits from slipping in. Students who develop good focus generally carry this on in everyday life and school.
Commitment: The karate journey is a personal one. Each of us develops in our ability and/or understanding at a different rate. When it comes to gradings, while there is a syllabus students must learn and develop in, ultimately each person is graded, or held back from grading, based on their own progress according to their own ability
Personal development: It does not matter what others are doing, what matters is that the student is making progress. Your instructor is looking for you to be your best!
Goal Setting: Working with your Instructor and communicating difficulties or what it is that you are currently aiming for will allow their instructor knows what to know what to expect of them and how much they can push them. SBK supports goal setting and part of goal setting is receiving feedback to help you towards your goals.
Grading Misconceptions: Throughout your karate journey you will see some students grade ahead of you, and while this is sometimes obvious and justified, there may also be times where many student or parents feel and display frustration or anger over this - largely because they do not believe another student should be grading ahead of them.
Perhaps you make more technical errors.
Perhaps your attitude is holding you back.
Perhaps your training ethic is poor.
If you are training in karate to become the best you can be, then be happy training regardless of what belt you are.
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