Black Belt? [Archive] - Elite-Fighters Discussion Forum

Maximus

11-15-2003, 12:37 AM

I know that the Elite Fighter system is evolved beyond the belt system, but I was wondering if there is an equivalency. For example, when I test for my Defender level, what would this be equivalent to in a belt system.
I was just wondering. I get asked that a lot.

D77

I have received several e-mails regarding this same question. So, I want to give you a thorough answer. Here it goes.

It is very difficult to equate the ranks of Elite Fighters to black belts. This is because:

There is no consistency in black belt skill levels from style to style. For example, in our Kenpo Karate School it was obvious that our Purple belts possessed the same fighting skill level as Black Belts in TKD. There were even individuals whose fighting skill level was equal to or even greater than black belts in other Kenpo schools. What does this say about TKD training or the training in other Kenpo schools? Our focus was on training and the development of our student’s fighting skills. We are not armchair martial artists or belt chasers.

Another important point is that the belt system does not follow the student's progress after he is awarded the belt. As a result, it does not accurately reflect a person’s current skill levels. Recently, I read on a martial arts bulletin board and it seems that there are many devoted martial artists that are concerned with this very same issue. A person may have received a black belt ten years ago, but does that mean that he possesses the same skill level he had when he earned it? The answer: NO!

So, because there is no accepted standard as to what constitutes a black belt and because a black belt only represents an accumulation of knowledge and not a current skill level, this poses a difficultly if we wish to compare the two.

The Elite Fighter System has a two-tiered ranking system. The first is to determine what level of knowledge you have attained. This will place you in a Class or Grade. Once you have been awarded this rank, you will always possess it since it is assumed that you will always retain that information. The second tier determines your skill level within that training level. A person’s skill level may vary depending upon his devotion to study as well as his successful application of it in his fighting skill. This skill level may even vary from year to year. We feel that this method of ranking a person is superior to the belt system since it addresses both the attainment of knowledge and a person’s skill level. For more information concerning the Elite Fighter Ranking System click here:

http://www.elite-fighters.com/training/ranking/gradingsystem.htm

Fortunately, one of my students has taken this as a project. His name is Keith Goetzinger. His martial art achievements stretch for 15 years and include black belts in American Kenpo, Tae Kwon Do, Gojo Ru and a lengthy competition background. Though many martial art schools award black belts for “length of time in the art”, he decided to look at only a person’s fighting skill level. He used his own personal martial art experiences to compare the Elite Fighter System. Here are his results:

I relied on my experiences in competition and training and studying several arts. I determined that according to the amount of knowledge you will obtain, the amount of skill needed to apply that knowledge, and the fighting skill that you will possess, the Elite Fighter Martial Art System ranks compare the black belt levels in the following way:

1. By the time you finish the Defender Level, you can be compared a 1st degree Brown Belt or a new 1st Degree Black Belt.

2. When you finish the Guardsman Level, your skill and knowledge is equal that of a 2nd Degree Black Belt.

3. The skill level of a person who has finished the Enforcer Level is equal to that of a well-seasoned 3rd degree Black Belt.

4. The Protector Level is easily compared to that of a 5th degree black belt.

5. The skill of Lancer Level is easily compared to a 7th degree black belt.

6. The Paladin Level was difficult to determine because there isn’t a martial art that exists today that continues to train individuals to this level. So, one could say that after completing the Paladin Level you may be equal to that of a 9th degree or better.

These are rough approximations, of course, but I am confident that if you study the Elite Fighter System as I have that you will find this comparison to be quite accurate. The martial arts have always been more than a hobby for me. It has always been a large part my life. I feel quite fortunate that I am a student of the Elite Fighter Martial Art System.

-Keith Goetzinger.

Thank you, Keith.
I am devoted to bring the martial arts community to a higher and more honorable level. It’s very common to see that most students of martial art schools are 80-90% kids. Also, belts are sold rather than earned, and students are used to fill a person’s pockets with money. I believe the martial arts community can do much better. My first and last priority is to train you to be a highly effective and proficient fighter. Designing a new system of rank was the first step.

During my four state seminar tour in October, I stopped in Louisville, KY to conduct a training class. At the end of the class Sam Conver asked, “How has the new system of rank been received by others who are accustomed to a belt system?” I explained that there will always be those who study the martial arts just to get a belt. There will always be those who view it as a hobby and never take it seriously. But for those who want a truly effective martial art and to become a complete fighter, then the Elite Fighter System of Modern Personal Combat is for you. It was not designed for anyone…just for the best. The elite.
Who do you want to be?

-Maximus