Becoming a Yudansha

Friday Knight News

“To know ten thousand things, know one well” Miyamoto Musashi 

I often have been asked over my forty plus years in the martial arts how do you become a yudansha, (aka; be a person having dan rank or a black belt)? I also often ask other martial artist, what is your approach to rank requirements for belt promotions? I have always believed that life learning experiences should count in the students favor. So in my view, both martial art schools and colleges should take into consideration the student's skills in any given subject. If you can, for example, speak a language that you are studying in a language course you should be given credit for it; likewise if you have learned how to punch, kick, or throw from another similar style then you should also be given credit for it. That is why I allow my students to take full or partial credit for life learning skills from other systems.

Our school is noncompetitive in our kempo, and jujutsu (both of these being a sub branch of our aikijujutsu). If a black belt came to me with substandard skills and/or knowledge, I gave them three options. The first was a reduced rank to what matched their skills in our system. The second was to start over from the beginning if they failed to match ethical (lied about their experience), physical and technique standards. The third was to let them train with the class for a mat fee and when their skills reached our standard I would acknowledge them in our style. This last was the most popular, but the least effective as I have never had one person that chose this option achieved a promotion. The reduced rank seemed to work great though. I have had numerous students go on to other prestigious schools that followed sporting program and do well. Often I have received reports and read articles, where my old green belts had beaten black belts from some very good schools. This included school where they were AAU gold medalist black belts up to the ranks of sandan. I have always felt that it was my emphasis on the makiwara that helped my students. My students have also often told me that their breaking skills at our first rank (with a breaking requirement 9th to 8th), was beyond what other schools they visited required at shodan.  

I recall having to start over and over again every time I switched dojo/s when I or my sensei moved away. I also remember having students at the new school ask or recognize in me traits of my background when I entered the mat area. Often within minutes of warm up before class, or at least after the first class. This starting over again often lead to embarrassing situations where the new white belt knocked out an overzealous black belt. It also pointed out to me that standards in various schools were much different from what I had been accustom too. This factor also was a reason I often switched dojo/s when I moved to new areas. I liked schools that had standards, and schools that recognized previous learning, especially for similar learning experiences.  

In our jujutsu the main criteria for promotion is the amount of technical and conceptual knowledge a practitioner can demonstrate plus their performance in randori. The student's time in grade is secondary as what I look for is proven by their work effort. The technical and conceptual knowledge is judged by the number of techniques a student can perform, and how many repetitions they have taken and given are calculated into the mix. If the level of skill with which they have performed in randori, is not up to their conceptual knowledge, the smaller, weaker, injured or older practitioners can still be recognized for their knowledge with an honorary promotion. We also differentiate between earned ranks and a teaching license, they are not mutually inclusive. Some students have or learn skills for teaching others do not have the patients or the ego for it. The biggest factor to being a good teacher is not asking your students to do something that you cannot. That is why we do not issue a teaching license to honorary degrees.

On the other hand just because you can fight doesn't make you a good teacher, nor does it make you worthy of rank promotion. I have witnessed that anyone can be beaten as people can be fooled, or caught off guard. There are no rules in a fight for survival and there is no such thing as a fair fight. Still we do not live in a cookie cutter world and these are the criteria I follow. 1st a yudansha should have technical and conceptual knowledge of the art. 2nd a yudansha should have physical fitness that is at least equal with and/or superior too age and sex appropriate levels. 3rd the yudansha should consistently display the appropriate mental determination and perseverance (tenacity), befitting the martial arts. Everyone has areas that need work and everyone has areas that come more naturally. The black belt candidate should be able to use either their strength, endurance, flexibility, speed, and or their martial knowledge in their favor. The job of the teacher is to restore the confidence in the individual that the world daily tries to steal from them, and your sincere effort is the means that is used to prove this to yourself.

“All man are the same except for their belief in their own selves, regardless of what others may think of them.” Miyamoto Musashi 

My stories are about martial arts adventures that are intertwined with paranormal or supernatural events. The following links are to the Kindle version books from the "Dream Walker” series. Our adventurers find themselves on a quest where they are confronted with both conspiracy and mystery. Their challenge is to unite their mind and body skills together utilizing what they have learned in the martial arts with the transcendental power of dream mediation. They attempt to do this while they are trying to make a life for themselves and elude those that seek to use and control them.

Conversations with a Sage (Book 1 of the Dream-Walker)

Conversations with a Sage: This explores Xander Davidson's early encounters with the mysterious fog like Dream Walking martial art sages. He ponders if they are real or if they are only remnants of his dreams. He mainly keeps this secret world to himself as he tries to copes with abuse, growing up without support or guidance and the mystery of his family's past. 

Xander and the Assassins Gift (Book 2 of the Dream-Walker)

The Assassins Gift: Xander Davidson struggles with the conspiracy of his family and the group that is actively trying to manipulate him to join them or die. The young Dream Walkers learns an early lesson to be careful about whom they let into their circle.


Warriors of Perception (Book 3 of the Dream-Walker)

Warriors of Perception: Xander Davidson and his band of friends embark on a mission to free themselves from their oppressors. They bravely face the challenge all the while vying for the right moment to turn the tables.

Jace Lee The Shift (Book 4 of the Dream-Walker)

Jace Lee The Shift: We find a new apprentice, Adam, that is fighting for his life. He is struggling to understand the amazing skills of his mentor, Jace Lee; a younger man that has trained under Xander Davidson. All the while his mentor attempts to reconcile the fact that his skills do not match up with the other Dream Walkers.


Jace Lee No Agenda (Dream Walker Book 5)

Jace Lee No Agenda: Jace Lee attempts to find himself on a self-imposed vision quest of sorts. Instead he finds himself being stalked by the same group that had previously sought after his teacher, (Xander Davidson). Instead of mastering his odd Dream Walking skills he finds love and the potential loss of his powers.

Jace Lee and the Tutelage of Ming Wu: Dream Walker 6 

Jace Lee The Tutelage of Ming Wu: Jace Lee rejoins his teacher Xander Davidson as they cope with a possible combined threat (the mysterious), Ming Wu and the Council that has continuously monitored the Dream Walkers.