Changing schools within same style?

Question

hey guys! i posted this on other sites, so yea, was wondering if you could help me out with something here.

after my exams are over, i was planning on taking up goju ryu (i just like the style, really nice), but have noticed that not all states in australia has every single goju-ryu school (e.g. iogkf, meibukan, jundokan, etc.).

so here's my question:

if for example, i were to go to an iogkf school of goju-ryu, get my black belt after 6-8 years of solid training, and then let's say, move to another state (maybe for work) and go to a meibukan school of goju ryu (due to the lack of iogkf schools in that state), will i have to start over from white belt? or can i continue with my black belt? would this apply to all schools and in reverse (e.g. meibukan to iogkf, iogkf to jundokan, jundokan to meibukan, etc.)?

from my view, i shouldn't have to, right? this isn't different styles of martial arts, not even different styles of karate.

Please reply as soon as possible, thanks! :)

Answer 1

Quite honestly it would probably be mor eup to the individual school. When we have somebody from the same style come in, as long as they have proof that they have earned what they are wearing, my instructor allows them to keep that rank.

There are quite a few variations of our style(Isshin-Ryu) based on the time period that the marine who brought it home studied with the founder, as he was always improving and growing it.

The person is allowed to wear the belt they earned, but they will not test at our school until they have learned the way we do things. None of it is wrong, it is all good, this is mainly just for conformity to our school and organization.

It probably will depend on the individual school, or the organization they belong to.

Answer 2

Most often, no, so long as you can prove your rank via certification.  Most instructors are happy to help students crossover.  However, there is nothing worse than a student who obviously knows the material but can't prove they've ever even been inside a Dojo.  That puts the new instructor in a tough spot.

Keep record of everything you ever do and good luck!

Answer 3

You may not like my answer but I thought I would toss in my two cents...

In an ideal world, no you wouldn't have to do anything as the belts would be even across associations. Unfortunately, not all belts are created equal. Even within a single organization there can be considerable differences between clubs.

Now if you are coming from a really good school with high standards and then going to a club that has lower standards the belt will be the same. But that won't always be the case.

The reality is, especially for those of us who have been in it for a while and who don't really care about the silly piece of cloth wrapped around our waists, the training is what matters.

And if the teacher knows you are a black belt  (or even "just" a brown belt), you will probably be given lots of chances to do all the training you are capable of - even if the rules in that group say you must throw on a white belt if you come from a different association. So, again, regardless of the belt, you will get the training you need.

P.s. Having said all that, most clubs will honour a rank from another association - BUT , IMHO, we should never EXPECT it!

Answer 4

The other poster's answers are all great and you have to take heed of all their comments.

One thing I will add is the fact that not all organizations are recognized as legitimate to offer rank.

You should read the last interview of Master Eiichi Miyazato, founder of Jundokan - it is his testimony to the truth. He has nothing to lie about and he trained and assisted GM Miyagi and was with him at the time of his death. Miyagi Sensei gave Miyazato the Hojo Undo equiptment.

I think you will be wasting time and money doing this, and here is my reason...

I studied all the Goju Ryu lineages except for Meibukan.

(I would not go near iogkf if I was paid to do so. It would be great to train with Morio Higaonna because he is an outstanding practitioner, but I would not learn his "version" of the kata.)

If I knew the "whats" and "whys" of each lineage, I would find one of the original three and adhere myself to its study and practice.

I would develop relationships with practitioners of the other lineages and train with them, learning what they do and why... also teaching whatever I can teach them.

I know the differences in all the lineages. I love them all. They each have something special to offer. These differences came about due to several factors, mainly the different stages of Goju Ryu development and difference in body-types.

So just stick to one and develop friends in the other lineages.