What Rank Should Mean

Reflections on Integrity in Martial Arts

In the traditional martial arts world, rank was never supposed to be about status, convenience, or politics.

It was meant to symbolize something deeper — a hard-earned reflection of experience, knowledge, humility, and contribution.

I try to not get drawn into this old tired argument however a recent one I saw hit home in my orbit and it has me reflecting on what rank has become in many circles… and what it should still stand for…or what I will stand for.

Some of us waited years.

We waited the required time between promotions.

We trained when no one was watching.

We taught, we tested, we passed on what was given to us — because that’s the way it was supposed to be done.

We traveled to spread our art, far and wide, often to our financial detriment, sacrificing time with our families for weeks on end, month after month. One trip I was gone for 3 weeks!

For many of us, each belt wasn’t a reward — it was a responsibility.

A promise to uphold something bigger than ourselves.

So what happens when that system gets bypassed?

What happens when someone skips the time, the effort, and the contribution… but still receives the highest ranks?

What happens when someone who never demonstrated the art — who never put in the visible work — gets elevated simply because they’re in the right circle, host the right people, or sign the right check? Takes the selfies and boasts?

It doesn’t just feel unfair.

It diminishes the meaning of rank for everyone else who walked the long road with integrity.

This isn’t about bitterness or ego.

It’s about respect for the system we devoted our lives to.

Rank should represent:

• Years of study and refinement

• Real impact on students and the art

• A body that has moved, failed, adapted, and endured

• A mind that stayed humble and curious

• A spirit that gave back, not just took

It should never be a shortcut.

It should never be handed out like a trophy at a birthday party.

And it definitely should never be used to inflate egos or social standing.

The higher Dan rankings should be about the art, the students, the evolution of martial arts as a whole. As a fantastic saying goes “the first 5 Dan should be what you get from the arts, the last five is what you give back!”

This doesn’t mean hosting a seminar a few times a year for example…in my opinion you are teaching, producing students of caliber, going to any and every event to share and learn no matter if you are getting paid, an award or a promotion. You are coming up with ways to improve the art or the teaching of it. You are researching, testing and teaching new methods or ideas. You are creating a body of work.

For me, rank is a quiet reminder…

It reminds me of the time I’ve put in.

The injuries I’ve worked through.

The students I’ve taught.

The seminars I’ve led all over the world.

The nights I stayed up reading, researching, and revising my understanding of this beautiful, complex art we practice.

That’s what I see when I look at my rank — not a title… a journey.

I still don’t think my rank fits me!!! I KNOW there is still a vast long road to travel. I am growing into my rank and blessed that my teacher granted it to me as one of the original ones and that my peers support me.

And I will never take that for granted.

A title doesn’t make the martial artist — the training does.

If you’re walking the long road with integrity, know this: you’re not alone.

And your work still matters.

Let’s continue to honor the path — and the art — by living what we teach.

—

Matt Brown

Ryukyu Kempo Blend

#EarnedNotGiven #TrainWithHonor #FiercePanda #RealMartialArts #RyukyuKempoBlend