Black Belts For Children?

It has long been the philosophy of the Western Karate Academy that we will not promote a student to Black Belt until they have reached the age of sixteen. With so many schools awarding this rank to children, we would like to explain our position for this requirement.

1. Younger students lack the physical power to defend themselves from an adult attacker.
2. Young students lack emotional maturity and stability.
3. Young students need time to gain a basic wisdom and insight regarding themselves and others.
4. Young students, regardless of their natural abilities, need time to learn to handle the responsibilities that this rank carries.
5. Young students, regardless of how much they have been taught, will need to learn new ways of reacting and adapting to complex situations, especially as they face their own unique physical and emotional changes.

To compare this concept to school, there is no doubt that a straight"A" student would be capable of learning at a much accelerated rate over the "C-" student. However, going to school has as much to do with social developement as it does with academic learning. Adults understand that most children would not be prepared to graduate from high school and begin a career while still a young teenager,and so in most cases we insist that they complete all twelve years of school in order to allow the maturing process to be completed. Many children who grow up on farms may begin driving a vehicle when they are eight years old, but not many of us would agree to grant them a license based on their experience alone.


Wayne Gretsky and Tiger Woods are the best players that their sports have ever seen. Even at a young age they out preformed their peers and showed that they were gifted athletes. However, neither of these children could have competed against even average professional athletes. The concept is the same, natural abilities and information does not make an expert.

The element of life experience must be factored in.

Every parent would love to boast that their son or daughter had earned a Black belt , but it wouldn't offer much security in a life or death defense situation. A Black belt should be able to offer a reasonable defense against an attacker.

I know that schools who offer Black belts to their young students will always be popular. They knowit too. A Black belt from our academy may come with a high price, but it will also have a high value. Our rank of Senior Brown belt, allows the young student the time to prepare themselves for their Black blet while recognizing their unique status in the dojo. When their life is in danger, a Black belt won't protect them, but years of training will!