A most important question would be, if a Grand Master gave rank, should that rank be honored, even if one didn’t agree with the rank/promotions? For those who knew GGM Al Tracy well, knew that when he gave rank, it was his own idea and for his own reasons. That was his prerogative, being the master of his own system. Would it be disrespectful to deny his choices?
What other issues have risen up within the world of martial arts? How can someone or a group, poach black belts and studios, just by offering more rank or awards? How many times has this happened throughout the years? This is something that GGM Tracy did not want to happen within his own system. Among several issues dealt with after Gathering of Eagles in 1999, was giving rank to someone who has not been your student. Among the things discussed after the 1999 GOE, that the group of masters agreed upon, was that if a student was not your own, you shouldn’t give rank to that student.
GGM Tracy explained and gave an example along with the others, if a person attended a university but did not attend your university, you will not know what they really know, so you could not give them a diploma from your university. This is to keep students from jumping from one instructor/studio to another, shopping for rank. On the other hand, the student that takes rank from someone else just for rank, after an instructor has spent tens of years teaching private lessons to the student, is viewed as having no loyalty.
GGM Tracy said there were individual provisions in place for an “orphan”, if the instructor is no longer alive, or is not willing to come to the student to at least give them private lessons, or if the instructor is only willing to promote if paid an exorbitant fee.
Mainly speaking of black belts, the egos are fed with high rank, but if one were involved in the learning process with an instructor who was involved in all of the tests and training, why would one take the other route. Where is the martial arts etiquette and personal morals? If an instructor at another studio, is on the receiving end, should that instructor check with the previous instructor of the student’s previous studio to make sure they know the student has expressed the desire to switch to the other studio? Would that be showing respect to the other studio?
On another issue, how well are high degree black belts, as high as 9th and 10th degree black belts, vetted to make sure they have not misrepresented themselves? GGM Tracy would not have stood for this when he was alive. Why could this be happening when he is not alive?
Another issue that was discussed and agreed upon after the GOE 1999, was that of belt youth rank. The masters that attended the 1999 GOE, will remember that the majority agreed upon giving no dan rank to youth. Everyone at the table, and notably the late Sig Kufferath spoke out, and agreed upon, sixteen or eighteen years old should be the correct year standing for dan rank.
At the time, GGM Tracy chose eighteen years as the standard for his Tracy System of Kenpo Karate to follow by all of his associated studios. It was agreed that each organization would set their own age limit of whether sixteen or eighteen years of age.
Another issue that seems to plague many martial arts studios throughout the years, is taking credit for someone else’s hard work and time with their students, and then promoting them and putting them on their own family tree. Is this disrespectful?
These are questions/issues worth thinking about, to work towards getting respect and integrity front and center and take this on as a responsibility to ourselves and our collective arts.
Greg Mattson
