can personal miconduct lead to loss of black belt in karate?

Question

More specifically; can a person who has black belt status loss that status by conducting their personal life in an unethical manner, such as having an affair with a married person?

Answer 1

A school can do whatever it wants. It can hand you a black belt when you walk in the door on the first day, and it can kick you out and take the belt back after thirty years of training.

What it can't do is take away the training you got, and that's what the belt's really about anyway.

Answer 2

Not for having an affair. However, ranks can be stripped for use of technique and information against another person in an unproper manner. Furthermore, if you take a break from your art and come back year or two later, some places retest you to see if your skills are still proficient enough to hold a black belt in that art. Finally, in some places, if you bring public shame or create a bad reputation for your martial art dojo or association some places may ban you from training there, and take away your rank and membership with the association.

Answer 3

If you have earned a black belt, think of it as like having earned a high school diploma. Once you graduate, it's yours for life. No one can ever take it away from you. No mistake in your personal life can ever degrade your achievement.

If your instructor or association wants to "take away your black belt" you need to ask yourself why they want to do that. Isn't that like a parent of a (adult) child who has done something disreputable (ie. gone bankrupt, had a drug addiction, gone through a messy divorce, stole a car, etc.) saying to that adult child, "you messed up so badly that you are no longer my child"??

We all screw up in our life at some point. Sometimes we hurt people along the way. Sometimes we hurt the feelings of the ones we love and respect the most. But, you also have to understand that if you are a grown man or woman, you have to make the decisions and take the actions that you feel are best to help you make it through the day. Others don't have to like your decisions, or your actions, but they do have to respect them and accept them.

They can choose to respect and accept them while hanging with you, or they can choose to leave you, maybe even for good. But those are their decisions that you will have to respect in your own turn. That's the part that is sometimes real hard - accepting the consequences of your own actions, good and bad.

Instructors in the martial arts have to understand that the personal life of a student promoted to black belt level has no reflection on them as teachers or their reputation as martial artists. It's hard, especially because the subject matter is not only a curriculum for most of us, it's a way of life. But my life isn't necessarily your life. What you do doesn't reflect on me. We all have different paths to walk. Sometimes we walk it together, sometimes we have to go out on our own.

The point is, once a black belt, always a black belt. Being a black belt is about skill, not about reputation. And again, who's reputation are we talking about? If you, a grown-up adult, have a disagreement over something with your instructor, another grown-up adult, it doesn't mean that you are a bad person, or that you have brought shame upon the dojang, or that you have "betrayed" your teaching. It just means that you have had a disagreement.

Why is it that in the professional world we can still get along with co-workers that we have had disagreements with, yet in the martial arts world things are so much more black and white. Is it really on the say-so of the instructor and/or association? Should it be? or should instructors set their students free of obligations on that extreme level? After all, they already paid for their lessons, hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars!

How much payment or repayment is enough? This whole issue, I think, requires so more in-depth discussion.

Peace,
VT

Answer 4

No I dont believe so. I've never heard of someone losing
rank for making a mistake in their life such as that.
However, I believe one has an obligation to the
status of their rank to lead their life accordingly....

I've never heard of anyone losing their belt, as it
would not only reflect poorly on the student, but also
on the Sensei (Teacher) as well for making a poor judgement
in the awarding of the rank.. So unless its a pretty shoddy dojo, thats not going to happen.
Yes, I literally grew up and then taught in a dojo and can speak from my experience and think that perhaps counseling is in order, but a snap decision to take away the belt for marital infidelity might not be the best form of help or guidance..

***Most importantly,
I think the main concern of the dojo would be if you were
to abuse another human being with what you learned in
the dojo.*** For instance, if you used harsh or perhaps even
deadly force without regard for another life, that would be
more of a reason to oust your rank and perhaps even follow
up with harsher measures, (especially in the old school way) but we wont get into that here....

Hope this helps,

-R-

Answer 5

It depends on the organization, and sometimes it depends on the dojo. My dojo expelled a person for conduct outside the dojo that held the dojo in an extremely bad light.

If your dojo members go out and do a charity project, and a person of any rank conducts himself or herself in a manner that makes people "out there" think badly about the dojo or the karate organization, then loss of rank is appropriate. In really bad situations, expulsion is appropriate.

If, however, your bad conduct is habitual repetitive spitting on the sidewalk, and there is a local ordinance against spitting on the sidewalk, I don't think that this is an offense that qualifies for any association or dojo penalty.

This "affair" is somewhere betwen spitting on the sidewalk, and holding the karate organization in a bad light. Depends on how close to the "bad" end of the scale you are.

Answer 6

merely to operate to what Pugspaw and Shihan ok reported. No student should be provided a black belt till they have reached the age of 16. Even then it should be uncommon that they earn it beforehand the age of 18. not in ordinary words do they don't seem actual or mentally advanced adequate to be a black belt in addition they lack the high quality motor skills of a black belt. i do not comprehend the position you've experienced, yet you should discover yet another position to coach. it isn't your fault. there is not any way that you may do not ignore that that faculty is deceptive human beings. once you boost up in a equipment like that you imagine that that is a classic practice. the picture of the only poster reported that 3 years is okay to earn a black belt. In her college that should be the norm. yet which could not favourite for reliable martial arts faculties. It maximum reliable faculties maximum persons not in any respect earn a black belt. there is not any minimum time body in which someone can earn a black belt or any rank. i have seen adult men that too 4 or extra years in my dojo to in ordinary words get an orange belt. a competent college does not merely hand out rank. you should earn the rank and be deserving of the rank. i will not signal a certificate of a student which will nor represent me or our dojo properly. some human beings responding to this post ought to attempt to insult you, yet I even haven't any intentions on insulting you. that is my choose and the will of different martial artist to assist others that fairly choose help. i do not comprehend you area, yet i'm particular multiple the different real contributor ought to comprehend some reliable college on your section or they comprehend someone that ought to refer you to a competent college.

Answer 7

I am sorry to say NO. Now there are Probably Some Christain Karate Organizations that would Probably kick Him/her out of the organization but Once they have recieved the certificate, I know on no black belt that has ever given it back. There may be one somewhere that I don't know about, but I have never heard of one.
Hope this helps
Chardonn

Answer 8

The meaning of the black belt is you have learned the techniques and skills you need to go through the ranks. I don't think you can lose your black belt by acting bad in you personnel life. You do have to act right when lower belts and even higher belts are watching and imitating your actions.

Answer 9

I think so, in a old fashioned way any martial art only be used as self defence, not a way to get back through a personal problem in life. I would think the loss is a unwritten role.

Answer 10

well a belt is just a belt it doesn't prove that they're strong
it just means the completed their training
heck i noe ppl who paid their way through martial arts school