Okay this is a big topic for me and people around me. Opinions on women and children black belts. First off I have nothing against women black belts, but I will be covering my thoughts, but children black belts is where my opinion differs slightly.
To start, I have worked for a Martial Arts school and learn some of the tricks of the trade for enrollment. While some schools may not be "McDojos" they may operate under some of the same guidelines. I am 100% against giving black belts to children. That being said I believe there are ways around conferring a BB by giving them a comparable rank. I have familiarized myself with all the schools in my area and have seen what some of them have done. Some Karate schools give a BB with a white stripe through the center and some TKD schools have all white belts with different colored stripes in the center. I support this idea. Having studied martial arts at different ages, I can tell you I was not ready to be a black belt at ten or eleven years old. You might think a child is old enough, but if they can't tie their own shoes they haven't mastered the basics of the martial arts. If your child is a black belt, you should consider searching for a different school.
Women black belts are just the same as men who are black belts, but I believe in most schools aren't given an opportunity to truly test their technique. Most schools have women spar women and men spar men. This is the completely wrong thing to do. I feel the same way about tournament divisions. I believe women and men should compete in the same division. As a real martial artist, must be able to defend themselves in any situation.
That is just a few thoughts on women and children black belts!
JoKyoNim Tim
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