YMAA Curriculum VS Dr. Yang's Full

[BeastNovot]

I have to agree... at my current school for Eishen-ryu, I see many green belts (middle level between white and black belt, takes around 2-3 years usually to obtain) who have forgotten how to perform the first level form/kata. I find this a strange phenomenon, as I would not feel worthy of an 'upper level' rank if I hadn't achieved at least some level of competence at the lower levels. I try to avoid this by practicing all my katas at the same time... start with the lower level ones, and work my way up the ladder. The same with the Tae Kwon Do forms I've learned over the years, and now with the Tai Chi I've begun to learn as well. It helps me settle myself and remember the basics if I do the early forms first.

However, concerning sparring... some people just don't have the ability to spar. Ten years ago I was involved in a shotokan dojo, where there was an absolutely dedicated black belt. If the dojo was open, he was there. He was a super nice guy, too, by the way. He was completely uncoordinated, and a terrible sparrer. But his dedication was something to behold, and I always felt he was worthy of his black belt, for that reason alone...