The first question we hear from parents, and often from adults too: when is the first belt?
The answer is that we do not have belts. This piece explains why, and what we have instead.
Why not
Because they move the measure outward. Once a belt exists, training quietly reorients towards preparing for the grading. What is on the syllabus becomes important; what is not, does not.
Because they are often sold. In many schools a grading is tied to a fee and an attendance count. That is a business model, not a teaching tool.
Because they create a hierarchy that gets in the way. Once everyone in the hall knows who is “senior”, partner work changes. One person yields because it seems appropriate; another presses because they can afford to.
Because they are a poor measure. A colour tells you how many gradings someone has passed and nothing about how they move under pressure.
Because they are not native to the Chinese tradition. The belt system comes from early twentieth-century Japanese judo. It appeared in Chinese schools later, largely because of export to the West.
So how do you know you are progressing
Four measures we use, all of which you can check yourself.
1. Range of movement. How much deeper you go into the same stance without something else going wrong. The most measurable and most honest of the four.
2. Breath. Whether it holds through a sequence that left you gasping three months ago. Breath is the best indicator because it cannot be faked.
3. Quality under interference. Whether the movement holds when we add speed, fatigue or a partner. A technique that works only when you are rested and alone is not yours.
4. Transfer. Whether the change shows outside the hall - in posture, sleep, climbing stairs. The only measure that really counts.
Gong Fu 功夫 means skill acquired through dedication and steady practice.
What we have instead of gradings
Content that accumulates. Once the basics settle you get a longer form. Once that settles you get partner work. None of it is tied to a date or a payment - it is tied to what the teacher sees.
Moving between groups. You move from the beginners’ group to the regular one by agreement with the teacher, not by grading. Usually after a year, sooner for some, later for others.
Occasional review. Every few months we revisit the same sequence and the same stance as six months ago. The difference is frequently more obvious than you would expect.
What this means for children
With children this question is most sensitive, because parents want a visible confirmation of progress.
We understand, and we offer something else: we tell you what your child can do, what they cannot do yet, and what we are working on. That is more useful information than a colour that can be bought.
In practice, children forget about belts faster than parents do. What keeps them is being able to do something they could not do before.
If you want a belt
Entirely legitimate. There are good schools with grading systems, and some run them honestly.
For some people a clear ladder is a strong motivator, and that is not a weakness. If you know you are one of them, you will do better there than here - and we will tell you so.
Practicalities
There are no gradings here, no fees and no deadline by which you should have achieved something. You train for as long as it suits you and stop when it does not.
Ziherlova 44, Ljubljana. You can join at any point in the year.
