WHY PROMOTIONS?
First of all, it is OK if one never advances, but it is more fun and satisfying for everyone if they do.
The color of a belt (obi), which indicates your rank within this martial arts system, will give other practitioners some idea of what you know and how to treat you. For example, what kind of falls can you safely be asked to take, or where the instructor should begin introducing new information. Colored belts give the student a way to gauge what he or she has achieved when looking at an overview of the various levels and will help them to know their place in the hierarchy of the dojo.
During the opening and closing of a class the judoka line up according to rank. When opening class the instructor can quickly tell how to organize and set the tone of the class depending upon who is in attendance and what their experience levels are.
Finally, receiving promotions and displaying indicators of rank, such as a colored obi helps to give the student a sense of "movement" in their special "journey" in the system, their quest toward greater personal achievement and mastery over one's self.
Students do not automatically advance after a certain number of classes, they must demonstrate proficiency and proper spirit.
WHY TEST? gathered by Johnny Moore for SAMA
- THE PROCESS OF RETRIEVING INFORMATION SUGGESTS TO THE BRAIN THAT WE MIGHT NEED IT AGAIN.
- RECALLING INFORMATION WE'VE ALREADY STORED IS A MORE POWERFUL EVENT THAN THE INITIAL STORING OF IT.
- WHILE SIFTING THROUGH OUR MIND FOR RECOLLECTIONS WE CALL UP ASSOCIATED MEMORIES AND STRENGTHEN THEM TOO.
- RETREIVING MEMORIES IS AN ESPECIALLY POWERFUL LEARNING METHOD AS WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER METHODS.
- THE PROCESS OF RECALL FOSTERS "DEEP LEARNING" WHICH ULTIMATELY RESULTS IN "TRANSFER," THE ABILITY TO TAKE KNOWLEDGE LEARNED IN ONE CONTEXT AND APPLY IT TO ANOTHER.
- "METACOGNITION" IS THE CAPACITY TO THINK ABOUT OUR OWN LEARNING, TO BE AWARE OF WHAT WE KNOW AND DO NOT KNOW, AND TO USE THAT AWARENESS TO EFECTIVELY MANAGE THE LEARNING PROCESS.
A quote from Confucius: "Shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know a thing, to recognize that you know it, and when you do not know a thing, to recognize that you do not know it, that is knowledge."
- WE CAN USE TESTING TO QUICKLY DRILL DOWN TO WHAT YOU KNOW AND CAN TEACH, AND WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW.
- REPEATED TESTING IS A POWERFUL PRACTICE THAT DIRECTLY ENHANCES LEARNING AND THINKING SKILLS.
The testing requirements for each rank is listed under its page name. For example: "Third Blue."
Names of Kyu ranks:
WHITE BELT - Beginning rank
BLUE BELT - 3rd, 2nd, 1st degrees
GREEN BELT - Yonkyu
BROWN BELT - 3rd degree - Sankyu
BROWN BELT - 2nd degree - Nikyu
BROWN BELT - 1st degree - Ikkyu
BLACK BELT - Shodan
SUGARPINE AVIATORS MARTIAL ARTS PROMOTIONS HISTORY (updated 1-3-17)
BENOIT, TERRY 7-27-15 3RD BLUE 2-22-16 2ND BLUE 7-14-16 1ST BLUE
12-29-16 GREEN 9-14-17 3RD BROWN 10-11-18 2nd BROWN
BERTAGNOLLI, GABY 7-14-16 3RD BLUE
BERTAGNOLLI, LENNY 7-14-16 3RD BLUE
DeWOLF, ALAN 4-26-13 3RD BLUE 5-31-12 2ND BLUE 1-2-17 1ST BLUE
DINGEL, BRENT 2-28-13 3RD BLUE
DURHAM, LIZBETH 7-4-11 3RD BLUE
ELLIS, ROBERT 12-13-12 3RD BLUE
FOULK, ROBERT 7-14-11 3RD BLUE
GARCIA-COUOH, DIEGO 4-14-16 3RD BLUE
HAMILTON, AIMEE 9-24-18 3RD BLUE
HEMSLEY, KYLE 8-23-10 3RD BLUE 9-6-10 2ND BLUE 10-18-10 1ST BLUE 11-22-10 GREEN
HOLMAN, ETHAN 7-14-16 3RD BLUE
JACKS, WILLIAM 7-21-11 3RD BLUE 8-1-11 2ND BLUE 9-8-11 1ST BLUE 10-6-11 GREEN
12-15-11 3RD BROWN 7-29-12 2ND BROWN & 1ST BROWN 12-22-13 SHODAN
6-28-14 AJJF SHODAN
JAYO, SELENA 8-13-12 3RD BLUE 4-1-13 2ND BLUE 7-11-13 1ST BLUE 3-19-15 GREEN
KIMMEL, AARON 7-15-10 3RD BLUE 8-5-10 2ND BLUE 9-6-10 1ST BLUE 10-28-10 GREEN
1-27-11 3RD BROWN
LEONHARDT, DAVID 2-15-16 3RD BLUE 5-23-16 2ND BLUE
MANSELL, STEVEN 10-26-14 3RD BLUE
MILES, TOMMY 8-31-09 3RD BLUE 11-30-09 2ND BLUE 7-22-10 1ST BLUE 10-28-10 GREEN
12-23-10 3RD BROWN 2-10-11 2ND BROWN 5-5-11 FIRST BROWN
12-15-11 SHODAN
McLEOD, MIKE 6-27-11 3RD BLUE 10-20-11 2ND BLUE 2-13-12 1ST BLUE 8-13-12 GREEN
ODELL, MATTHEW 10-10-13. 3RD BLUE 12-30-13 2ND BLUE 5-15-14 1ST BLUE
OGLESBY, TOM 7-1-10 3RD BLUE 9-12-10 2ND BLUE 2-3-22 1ST BLUE
PEREZ, JIM 11-30-09`3RD BLUE 9-23-10 2ND BLUE 4-11-11 1ST BLUE 5-31-12 GREEN
RETALLACK, CHRIS 8-24-15 3RD BLUE
RETALLACK, MIKE 12-17-15 3RD BLUE 2-22-16 2ND BLUE 1ST BLUE 6-30-16 12-29-16 GREEN
8-21-17 3RD BROWN
RETALLACK, TIM 6-29-15 3RD BLUE 2-22-16 2ND BLUE 1ST BLUE 6-30-16 GREEN 9-21-17
STEWERT, DEREK 3-5-18 3RD BLUE
SUNN, EVAN 8-10-17 3RD BLUE 9-28-17 2ND BLUE 1-11-18 1ST BLUE 10-18-18 GREEN
SUNN, KATHERINE 3-12-18 3RD BLUE 9-24-18 2ND BLUE
TAYLOR, WILLIAM 4-26-10 3RD BLUE 9-23-10 2ND BLUE 1-20-11 1ST BLUE
THOMAS, BEVERLY 12-13-12 3RD BLUE
YIU, ALEX 3-25-10 3RD BLUE 7-15-10 2ND BLUE 8-23-10 1ST BLUE 10-28-10 GREEN
1-10-11 3RD BROWN 2-10-11 2ND BROWN 5-5-11 1ST BROWN
3-12-12 SHODAN