Martial arts rank certificates.
What is the importance and meaning of rank certificates in
the martial arts?
In a previous post in helping to understand the transmission
of the martial arts we explored the role of rank in the learning process.
Rank as a way to understand a system in a step-by-step
process, rank as a way to judge progress in the arts, and rank as a way to know
what you are responsible for knowing in the dojo and the tradition.
So why the need for certificates?
Rank certificates offer a portability of meaning of rank.
It is always the hope of the teacher that a student will
train with them for a long time, but as life happens, life situations change.
A student might need to relocate to a new dojo, or come back
to training after being absent for some time.
Rank certificates allow for that introduction to a new dojo
or continued training along with membership cards and other letters.