GrappleArts.com Tip of the Week:When people start new activities they like the reassurance of being able to know how they are progressing in that activity. In the martial arts, including most grappling arts, this is typically done by awarding stripes, belts, and other measures of rank.
There is a downside to the awarding of rank, however, as it can lead to the creation of 'belt chasers'. When a student is a belt chaser the main thing that motivates him/her to train is the lure of achieving the next belt, or getting the next stripe, or getting a gold star on his uniform. They are endlessly worrying about what they need to do to get their next rank, or obsessing about why they were passed up for promotion when everyone else got promoted.
I am fundamentally opposed to belt chasing. At worst, I think it can ruin a student's relationship with his teacher, his school, and his martial art!
Read the rest. I completely agree with this position.
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