What do you think of somebody who has been a karate brown belt for over 10 years, keeps training at that level?

If your buddy is for real, then he is the type of student I'd like to have. I have known several guys that were brown belts for 10-15 years. They were all excellent. They made a lot of black belts look bad. They understood that it is their ability that matters, not the color of the cloth belt they happen to wear. One of these brown belts liked staying at brown belt because he said others expected less from him. Yet he could still do what he could do no matter what others thought. We need more martial artists that think that way. Way to many of us tend to be too concerned with what color our belt is and what others may think about us. NOTE: something happened to me years ago. I might handle it better now than i did. A guy was acting like he was going to try me out. He asked what rank I held. I should not have said, but was younger and more foolish then. After I told him he asked me if I had credentials I could show him...... My reply was, "If you attack me, I'll give you all the credentials you'll ever want to see". Needless to say that was a bad way to handle the situation. But we did not end up fighting. ...

The reason to train in martial arts is not to get a belt, but to learn. This guy gets it.

The reason to train in martial arts is not to get a belt, but to learn. This guy gets it.

One of my students and very good friends was a white belt for almost 20 years. He knew all the requirements and had the skill to be a second dan in Kajukenbo, he just never tested. I would rather have him at my back than just about anyone else I have trained with.

I think you have found a brown-belt that has figured it out! The belt is nothing! The skills increase. You should speak more to this guy, he has figured something out that many, including yourself have not yet learned. I think he is wise indeed for a mere brown belt!

I think you have found a brown-belt that has figured it out! The belt is nothing! The skills increase. You should speak more to this guy, he has figured something out that many, including yourself have not yet learned. I think he is wise indeed for a mere brown belt!

One of my students and very good friends was a white belt for almost 20 years. He knew all the requirements and had the skill to be a second dan in Kajukenbo, he just never tested. I would rather have him at my back than just about anyone else I have trained with.

sounds like the way one of my sensei's runs his class, he holds test once ever few years. he has had some students since the mid 90's and his highest rank in that class is 3rd kyu brown belt. he pushes his students to the limit. it doesn't matter your rank it matters what you can do. many places now a days hand out belts like candy. people don't earn ranks they are given to them. i know people that have been training longer then me and there still a white belt, they don't care about the rank, they just want to train, and he trains harder then many black belts train.

sounds like the way one of my sensei's runs his class, he holds test once ever few years. he has had some students since the mid 90's and his highest rank in that class is 3rd kyu brown belt. he pushes his students to the limit. it doesn't matter your rank it matters what you can do. many places now a days hand out belts like candy. people don't earn ranks they are given to them. i know people that have been training longer then me and there still a white belt, they don't care about the rank, they just want to train, and he trains harder then many black belts train.