Ranks, Gradings and Progression
The Rank
Traditionally, Kung Fu only has one rank, white sash. The term “black” came from the students’ original white sash turned black through years of work, blood, sweat and dust, slowly darkening the sash with practice and experience. Thus, the darker the sash, the more experience or “higher” the rank.
Our school uses the common and much more modern system for ranking, following the same concept where the darker the colour, the higher the rank. Thus, our ranking system is as follows;
White
Yellow
Orange
Green
Blue
Brown (III, II and I)
Black
You will have noticed red and purple on the preschoolers and some of the kids in the level 1 Young Dragons. These are ranks awarded in our preschool programs, giving the youngest of our students motivation as they develop the focus and discipline needed to earn the rank of yellow when they reach the Young Dragon level.
The Stripes
At each rank, students are taught the same core concepts as represented by the seven coloured stripes they earn. A student must show proficient skill and knowledge in each of these seven areas in order to grade for the next level. The seven colours and what they represent are the basis of our curriculum, or the core concepts we strive to instil in each student.
White- Six Harmonies; as found in our forms practice
Yellow- Vocabulary of Motion; how a student moves
Orange- Dynamic Control; execution with control is amplified in our weapons training
Red- Keystone Principles; all of our fundamental skills
Green- Wude (Martial Morality); personal and mindful development
Blue- Traditional Tenets; Lion and Dragon dance reinforce the cultural appreciation and ideals of Kung Fu
Black- Wuxin (No Mind); turning theoretical knowledge into applicable skill
Although the concepts do not change from rank to rank, the expectations and tools presented evolve. A student grading for the rank of yellow will be required to demonstrate a front thrust kick at a yellow level. A student grading for the rank of black will be required to demonstrate the same front thrust kick, but at the black level.
The Grading Process
The expectations for children and adult gradings are nearly identical, however the grading process itself is different. For any Young Dragon ready to grade, several things need to occur before they are fully eligible.
1. All seven stripes must be earned.
2. Intent to Promote forms must be completed.
3. A grading date must be confirmed.
Once a child has earned or is near earning all seven stripes, their instructor will approach the parent/guardian to discuss possible grading dates and ensure the parents are aware of the Intent to Promote requirement. All resources are available on the website, including the set grading dates (under the Our Events section) and the Intent to Promote forms (under Parents Resources).
Grading days occur once a month on a Monday at 5:30pm. All Young Dragons who are ready to grade will be present and graded at the same time. Frequently, students will also be changing classes with a promotion. If this is the case, the instructor will discuss this with you prior to the grading.
Nafudakake
You will soon see an awesome change on our walls; the addition of a traditional structure called a nafudakake, a rack that will hold nafuda, or wooden name plaques for each of our members. This is a way to show the clan hierarchy.
Each student’s nafuda would display their name, rank, and stripes earned. If you want to know if you’ve earned a stripe recently, check the nafuda. If you want to better understand the hierarchy of our school, check out the nafudakake. Every active member of the school will be there.
