More on rank

References to Bujinkan 14th Degree Black Belts are a little out of place on The Quest Listist service focusing on the SKH Quest Center program and people, but since the topic was brought up and many responded, I will suggest two views of Hatsumi Sensei's "10-plus" degree system.

On one hand, I have to agree with Mark who wrote:

let them laugh all they want...when you stop growing, you begin to die...why stop growing at tenth Dan?

I really appreciate and admire Hatsumi Sensei's sense of originality, sense of creativity, and - sure enough - sense of humor in creating a "more than 10" degree system. In many other martial systems, slavish restriction to "the way it was always done before" creates a dead system that relates only to some long-ago set of realities no longer really relevant.

Hatsumi Sensei is making an impressive statement in terms of seeing things in a different light by changing something as traditional as the 10-Dan ranking system that has been used unchanged for a hundred years by all martial arts across the boards from kendo to judo to karate to taekwondo, and even outside of the martial arts in disciplines such as go ("Japanese chess"). Anyone who has visited my Quest Center in Ohio can testify to the fact that "seeing things in a new light" and being brave enough to let go of out-moded ways and ready to adopt more effective and appropriate new ways is a highly crucial part of my commitment to serving my community and students in the best ways possible.

On the other hand, I have to acknowledge Ralph 's point, and give him a nod for having the courage to examine openly what some might refer to as "the emperor's new robes":

At the time of this message he has 15. Yes I feel other systems see this as a silly game someone is playing on us.

Behind closed doors inside the Bujinkan, it is fun to be startled by a ranking system that is so radically different from every other one in the world. However, outside the Bujinkan dojo, the "more than 10" system can be difficult to justify to potential students. Some Bujinkan people with less than 20 years of experience now "outrank" judo founder Jigoro Kano and judo legend Kyuzo Mifune, every aikido master who ever lived, and shrine priests who have devoted their entire lives to kyudo spiritual archery.

(For reference, the first Festival in late 1981 was the first exposure Americans could have had to Hatsumi Sensei's taijutsu martial art. With one exception besides Rumiko and me, it is impossible for any American to have more than 20 years in the Bujinkan)

Notice that Ralph also writes carefully, "At the time of this message..."

What is in the future? Will Hatsumi Sensei again change and announce something new like a 17th Dan? I have heard people question Hatsumi Sensei's sense of creativity and sense of humor with the criticism that the "more than 10" is a way to keep on giving new diplomas to students who have moved through all 10 Degrees way too fast.

Whether or not I believe or support that criticism is of no importance. What is important is what the rest of the world perceives, IF we are operating in the world outside the Bujinkan. Could a system that creates a 28-year-old 12th Degree possibly drive away potential good students who feel that something "less than honorable" is going on?

My attitude is well summed up by some real good advice:

...If 18 dan ranks works for them, great... But if we don't like it, we don't have to train in it, look at it, think about it, etc. There's too much other stuff in life to spend mental energy on.

Personally, I have had to choose not to participate in Hatsumi Sensei's "beyond the 10th Dan" program. Because of my work in the bigger martial arts world, I regularly appear at functions and in publications with internationally recognized names like karate legends Joe Lewis, Chuck Norris, Fumio Demura, and Jhoon Rhee, and the top "no-holds-barred" jujutsu fighters who consistently establish their ranks and reputations in the ring in front of the entire world. If I were to be announced as a "14th Dan" or some such seemingly "impossible" rank so far above those other recognized greats in the martial arts world, I would be snickered or booed off the stage. Therefore, to have my message heard and believed, it is better for me not to push the rank issue.

If a person impresses you, it's not because of the number on his/her belt.

Indeed, that is really the "last word", isn't it? In traditional Japanese martial arts, a person with a 10th Dan is often referred to as a meijin - a "Legendary name" or "Person who has made a name for himself," where mei means "name" and jin is "person." I understand that this may be different in the Bujinkan, but traditionally, a 10th Dan is so impressive in all she or he has done, that even people outside the dojo know and respect that "living legend" by name and reputation. When asked about my own rank over the years, I have often commented that despite any impressive inflated numbers or titles that Hatsumi Sensei could give me to help me establish a reputation, my real rank ultimately has to be "Stephen K. Hayes."

- Stephen K. Hayes