White Belts are the future of the art.

[cj01]

Cj01 here.
I am not exactly a beginner in kenpo but, I do think that there is a lot to say for the white belts.
My instructor says constantly that the white belts are the most important of the belts. They are not only the future of the particular dojo but are also the future of the whole art.
White belt is a time to learn the basics and to build your foundation. If you do not have a strong understanding of the basics than you will find the higher belts very hard to complete and will be more prone to injury.
If there are any white belts reading this post, I urge you to put 110% into your learning at this time even if it takes you several years to master the basics you are only that much better off for the time spent.
Respectfully yours, Cj01

[amylong]

White belts who learn to care about the art, practice hard and stick with it are the future of the art.

There are a ton of white belts that come and go all the time.

I'm most interested in the ones who hang out and let their belts darken.

--Amy

[ronin6]

White belts who learn to care about the art, practice hard and stick with it are the future of the art.

There are a ton of white belts that come and go all the time.

I'm most interested in the ones who hang out and let their belts darken.

--Amy

Well put...

[John M. La Tourrette]

I am not exactly a beginner in kenpo but, I do think that there is a lot to say for the white belts.
My instructor says constantly that the white belts are the most important of the belts.

Well,

If I were a purple belt and he said that about white belts I'd be very concerned about my own future there.

Dr. John M. La Tourrette

[John M. La Tourrette]

White belts who learn to care about the art, practice hard and stick with it are the future of the art.

There are a ton of white belts that come and go all the time.

I'm most interested in the ones who hang out and let their belts darken.

--Amy

Yep.

To me a white belt has NOT proven anything, least of all if he can learn, and wants to learn.

So until he proves that, he is a zero.

Dr. John M. La Tourrette

[Dianhsuhe]

In our system there are certain points where it "seems" like most people quit. The rank before Purple belt (advanced yellow) is the first one the next is green. I told our 2 newest white belts that if they stay until green belt I will pay for their testing fees. LOL

I am unsure why these 2 ranks are so noticeable (there are several ranks in between the two) but most of our instructors agree.... These are black-holes as far as we can tell-

[John M. La Tourrette]

In our system there are certain points where it "seems" like most people quit. The rank before Purple belt (advanced yellow) is the first one the next is green. I told our 2 newest white belts that if they stay until green belt I will pay for their testing fees. LOL

Well,

Presupposing that you do a good job teaching, and a good job on motivation, people normally quit because of...

1. their unpaid bill gets bigger and bigger. To stop this, you keep on them about their "promise" and you make sure their bill NEVER gets past due.

2. They tend to get side-tracked by something more important, i.e., going to see Free Willie III, or munching on popcorn and beer infront of the porn tube.

So you call those people 5 minutes after their due time and get them in right away for a make up.

Show them that you CARE.

They and their appearance at your school is YOUR responsibility, especially since you know most people have the persistence of an pig.

Dr. John M. La Tourrette

[MooseKenpo]

I hadn't been training for quite some time due to numerous b.s. issues that are important but I know inside shouldn't sideline my training (family, moving due to military transfers, out of shape, etc...). Well, a couple of months ago a friend of mine died. He was in fairly decent shape but it kind of knocked me for a loop. I ended up driving up to deliver his shadowbox (contains the burial flag, military awards, etc..) to his parents and talked to them and told the sea stories about the fun times and practical jokes we pulled onboard the ship. On the way home, I realized that here was a guy that was in fairly decent shape that just dropped dead. How close am I since I'm medically listed as obese. I want to live to have grandchildren and maybe even great grandchildren! I also knew that I had to start getting in to shape in a way that would keep me going. I enjoyed USSD but as I posted elsewhere, the price is too steep. I found the place I'm at now and I can guarantee that I get a workout every time I go, as well as learn quite a bit. So, there are many reasons that someone will quit, but there are also quite a few that will prompt someone to start again. White belts are our past, present, and future. We can't forget to cultivate them, but lets not forget to work on the people that stick with the art. They are just as important.

[Black St1300]

I look at it this way:
I've just started in Kenpo, and I'm fascinated by the system...
My goal is to stick with the system, and to try to understand WHY this stuff works...The HOW is interesting(from a tech. standpoint), but I want to know WHY...

[madeku]

white belts are great.. for techniques they give you unbiast attacks. they might step at a different angle.. punch differently then you're used to, etc. it keeps you on your toes.

however usually as bodies they suck, and just stand there like a statue. sometimes you gotta remind them to double over a lil when you get hit in the solar plex, or groin.

[sifuroy]

I have said many times on here that the White,Yellow,Orange are important levels. That is where you learn your Basics. You should never rush through those levels. As to white belts being the future of the art,Lets look at them in a couple of years and see if they are still at it. If they are ,then they may well be the future as they are proving themselves Saying all White belts are the future is not true. Look at the drop out rate.

I am most respectfully,
sifuroy

[RDCParker]

As a two-time former white belt (first time July-Sept '91, last time July-Nov last year), I agree with the generalized version of this statement. Just as a child holds the potential to make a difference in the world (*queue Whitney Houston song*), a beginning student has the potential to blossom into a great representative of kenpo. What others have said here about needing some time to pass before judging potential is also a true statement; however by the time one realizes that potential, that student has most likely moved up in rank and is not a white belt anymore.

But let's be real... most people who sign up for classes at their local karate school are not thinking about becoming professors and GMs. They are thinking "I want to learn how to fight and defend myself" or "I want to do this because it's cool" or "I just wanna get back in shape". In other words, most come in at first just wanting all the benefits... what they can get out of a class. They aren't coming in thinking about what they can contribute to kenpo. And that's understandable, because most people don't have a clue about that in the beginning anyway.

This is where a good teacher comes in, to help that student see the potential inside and tap it. This is when you start to see who the future of kenpo is, and who just needs some self defense lessons. But it's the instructor's job to show a student what can be acheived, and how to get there. Those who still have Whitney Houston in their heads, check the second line: "TEACH THEM WELL, and let them lead the way."

This is when inspiration comes, and it comes in different forms for different people. Some may not be inspired, and they drop out... some will become inspired to achieve 1st black... and some become inspired to study more and share what they've learned with others, and implement other ways of giving back to the art. But it's all a growing process that takes time, and it all starts with white belt.

[Celtic_Crippler]

...DUH!.....

LOL, just kidding. It is true though. I learn daily from lower ranks. They each have a unique perspective and to think that their questions are silly or trite is arrogant and will lessen ones own learning about the arts.

If it weren't for them and other lower ranks I wouldn't know half as much as I do. Thank you all for your your thirst for knowledge and courage to ask questions.

I encourage all of you on this forum to ask questions, no matter how silly you think yours might be. No one will look down on you for asking. As a mod I assure you! Not only question, but please give us your opinions on things. If you think a technique is flawed in some way...SAY SO! And tell us why!

Nobody can learn anything without questioning. Intelligent discussion and debate is necessary to improve and advance. That's my 0.02, what's yours?

[Richard Finn]

White belts are great but they need good teachers - people who model the art and teach it with passion.

[jdinca]

White belts make you think. If you don't know what it is you're teaching, it will definitely show, even if they don't notice it.

[Black St1300]

White belts are great but they need good teachers - people who model the art and teach it with passion.

That's why I love training with Mr. Ronemus, it's blatantly obvious that he loves what he's doing...

[John M. La Tourrette]

white belts are great.. for techniques they give you unbiast attacks. they might step at a different angle.. punch differently then you're used to, etc. it keeps you on your toes.

I must agree with that.

If you want to learn how-to-defense against and counter-attack against a very uncoordinated person, use a white belt.

These guys will look right at what they want to hit, swing at it hard, and then miss it by a mile.

So you need to be able to recognize their chosen target AND the target they "accidentally" hit.

I owe this tremendous learning experience to Carl Zena, the MOST uncoordinated strong man I've known, back in 1970.

Dr. John M. La Tourrette

[MARSHALLS KENPO]

Look at yourself, and those with whom you started training with, how many are still doing it ? There is no doubt that if the evoluntionary process of our teaching gets better, than the white belts of today should be better than we were. Its true that we may go through a 1000 white belts before we find one who will stay with it and become a keeper of the flame.

In my opinion White belts are the future, for with out them who would we pass the flame to, and when?

Respectfully

[execkenpo]

I must agree with that.

If you want to learn how-to-defense against and counter-attack against a very uncoordinated person, use a white belt.

These guys will look right at what they want to hit, swing at it hard, and then miss it by a mile.

So you need to be able to recognize their chosen target AND the target they "accidentally" hit.

Dr. John M. La Tourrette

I have found this same thing when sparring against white belts. As an instructor I always make adjustments according to the skill level of whomever I'm sparring and try to teach them as we go, but white belts are so unpredictable I've been popped by more than a few while trying to 'go easy'.

[John M. La Tourrette]

I have found this same thing when sparring against white belts. As an instructor I always make adjustments according to the skill level of whomever I'm sparring and try to teach them as we go, but white belts are so unpredictable I've been popped by more than a few while trying to 'go easy'.

Use kicks against them.

They can't see them, and it's keeps you out of their "firing distance".

Doc John