Share Your Martial Arts Ranks

I see some other people do arts and rank up in them, so why not share where we are in our martial art training?
If you do an art that doesn't rank, like boxing or wrestling, you can still say how long you've been doing it.
I am an Orange belt in Goju Ryu Karate, but on Tuesday the 14th I will be testing for green.
I have previously done wrestling and am in jiu jitsu but am not ranking up in it at the moment as I cannot spare the funds to continue the lessons. Eventually I will be able to.

We might need some context, Arrow Where does orange fall in the progression of the style you practice?

I took Tae Kwon Do for two years which got me started in martial arts. I was a brown belt (Progression: white, yellow, green, blue, brown, red, black). I was about 14. I never really stopped practicing, but I became turned off by the teacher of the school (greed/money, in other words) and I quit. When I was about 17, I discovered Jeet Kune Do, and that essentially changed my life, martially, mentally, and spiritually. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for JKD.

I'm 32 now, so I've been practicing on and off for the last 15 years.

Sage wrote:

When I was about 17, I discovered Jeet Kune Do, and that essentially changed my life, martially, mentally, and spiritually. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for JKD.

I'm 32 now, so I've been practicing on and off for the last 15 years.

It's really great that Bruce was able to bring JKD to the world in the way that he did. It would be hard to ask for a better legacy, I think.

Jeet Kun Do has helped me as well, though I had never gotten into practicing it fully, I should probably consider it now.

Sage wrote:

We might need some context, Arrow Where does orange fall in the progression of the style you practice?

I took Tae Kwon Do for two years which got me started in martial arts. I was a brown belt (Progression: white, yellow, green, blue, brown, red, black). I was about 14. I never really stopped practicing, but I became turned off by the teacher of the school (greed/money, in other words) and I quit. When I was about 17, I discovered Jeet Kune Do, and that essentially changed my life, martially, mentally, and spiritually. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for JKD.

I'm 32 now, so I've been practicing on and off for the last 15 years.

much respect on practicing martial arts for 15 years! I've only been practing for about 1 and a quarter years... although I have practiced other things such as wrestling in the past.

I passed my green belt test so I am a green belt now, I am just waiting to be presented with my belt (my Sensei was away on vacation all week).

In Goju the belt progression is: White -> Yellow -> Orange -> Green -> Blue -> Brown -> Black -> All the other degrees of black

I started studying martial arts when I was 11. I've studied a variety of styles because I moved around quite a bit. I often joke that I have a "yellow belt in everything," but my highest rank is 2nd degree black in one of those "synthetic" self defense styles that was once taught to law enforcement officers who wished to get a better pay rate.

I was also a western saber fencer.

-Rook

Advanced? I have been training on and off for 10 years but I left the sports martial arts scene to re-learn and practice the combative roots for 6. But, in the last art I practiced under a sports setting when I was 13 was a brown belt. I had only been there a year and a half and I was already ahead of classmates who had been there for years. After awhile I felt they had no more to teach me so i reclined from the dojo.

Eh... well. I did "Modern Army Combatives Level I."

I did  Army Combatives Level I and II, and back in the day when I first joined the Army in 1999, ofcourse we did Hand to hand Combat.  In Korea we did some Tae Kwon Do for PT (Physical Training), but that never really got my attention, so never really tried in that.

I'm a green belt (lvl 3 of 5) in MCMAP- marine corps martial arts program. It's comprised of numerous martial arts but because of this it's sparked a main interest in Muay Thai

Kung Fu, Red Black Belt.

Q

Basic level of skill in seven-star praying mantis ("basic" meaning a manual; also learned rudimentary Shaolin kung fu and judo from manuals, as well as "Green Beret Combatives" in a manual by Col. Aaron Banks). Some people might notice a mention of a Vietnam veteran. That man is my father, who taught me self-defense for several years. More research has uncovered videos and other instructional materials about Fairbairn-style combatives, in the form of declassified videos and material from Carl Cestari. Can't really afford to take martial arts classes, which means no ranking system by which to judge skill or proficiency.

q-gadget wrote:

Kung Fu, Red Black Belt.

Q

Kung Fu is a vague term.

I never quite understand what people mean when they say they practice jeet kun do.

Shaolin Kung Fu, Better?

That is a style, JKD is not.

Q might know... just checking:

George Parulski... do you know if his information on Shaolin style is good or not?

I got the highes (and sole) rank it's possible to get in Iron Paw. But I haven't figured a name for it yet. I also got some leathal cooking skills.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I want to learn Iron Paw too!

I have studied 5 styles since 1981 and so,
 do not know my rank

Anyman wrote:

Q might know... just checking:

George Parulski... do you know if his information on Shaolin style is good or not?

I can honestly say, I have no idea I was trained in the UK. This isn't the first time I have heard his name but I did practical Kung Fu
No theory for me.

Only thing I can suggest is read his book and see if it makes sense to you, but personally I would just find out if he or someone of master status is doing some kind of seminar and go to that. Books are all well and good but doing is the real lesson.

Q

At the age of about 6 or 7, I started training in Tae-Kwon-Do, and rode the ladder from white to black. I'm currently a 2nd Dan, though I should be at least a 3rd since I ended up missing the last two belt tests do to other obligations. It's really good for a workout, stamina, speed, leg strength, etc. I could also train in weapons, but I'm fairly certain Canada frowns upon the use of swords and bows against other people. :\

Weapon training is good for focus, balance andd coordination. I've trained a lot with weapons with the sole purpose to improve my unarmed capabilities. It also help you when dealing with armed opposision, since you experience the merits and flaws of different weapon groups.

I was in Kung Fu (Hung Ga mostly) classes throughout middle and high school, got injured and missed my graduation to Brown sash (sash below black) and focused on recovery for a while. After that I retrained with basic Karate, wing chun and combatives to keep myself sharp and have been doing that for the last 2 or 3 years. 
I also enjoy practicing Savate and Systema drills I find just to keep myself loose and free flowing while studying the mechanics and techniques of Jujitsu (I use my wing chun to bridge the connection and fill the gap before I throw/grapple)

Correction* 2 sashes below black, Red was between brown and Black

I'm a Yellow Belt in Taekwondo, and a White Belt in Shaolin Kempo Karate.

I have waaay more martial arts experience from teaching myself all on my own though, (can't judge a superhero by the colors of their belts haha). My knowledge ranges from Taekwondo, Shaolin Kempo Karate, Hapkido, (personal paid instructor; no belts, friend of my dad's), Krav Maga, and Wrestling (I was on the team in middle school.)

I'm a brown sash in Jiu Jitsu, have a blue belt in Akido. Started martial arts when I was 14 and had times in my life I didn't do martial arts. Now I am 43 years old but still do boxing (for 5 years now).