07/22/2026
Topic update:
Every so often I contemplate and potentially readjust my thoughts about the often misunderstood, sometimes abused, obsessively coveted, mostly meaningless, but likely quite necessary thing called rank.
My situation is unique. It’s true that many practitioners of martial arts study multiple arts, but to undertake the study of jiu-jitsu more than two decades after beginning my Aikido journey has given me a slightly unique perspective.
Aikido is a traditional martial art with a testing system for rank, but after one reaches a certain level, it becomes less about any dynamic expression of your ability, and more about how long you can simply hang around. Ultimately, after some arbitrary amount of time has passed, a panel of people who have really no idea what you are doing from day to day, or who you are as an artist, will convene to decide if you are now worthy of the next cookie. If so, p**f, more rank arrives in the mail (after a sizeable fee, of course). The truth is, I now have all the rank in Aikido that I can possibly stand, and have no further use for any additional promotion, status, or title. I am sitting near the top of this particular mountain looking down at the climb of others and trying to direct them as best I can, though I am not always certain to where, or for what purpose.
Then there is jiu-jitsu. In this art there is typically no testing, although I am aware that it does exist. To be promoted, your teacher will eventually call your name and put a new stripe on your belt or tie a new belt around your waist. This of course can be flawed as well, and may be abused in all the usual ways, but has been mostly a proven system for consistently evaluating and marking the current ability of a student. I am currently following an interesting debate within the art regarding how much rank a non-competitive practitioner (hobbyist), or even an older player (such as myself) should be able to achieve. We are there, we practice every week, our knowledge grows and we become more technical and efficient, but we will frankly never dominate the way most expect from a jiu-jitsu black belt. I can understand both sides of the debate, but for myself I will say this: I have no expectation of ever becoming a black belt in jiu-jitsu. It’s really that simple. No, not because I intend to stop training, but because I believe at this point, the standard may just be beyond me, beyond what I can realistically EARN.
That’s what it comes down to for me; what can be sincerely EARNED vs. what is somehow gifted. I am really only interested in the former, but my body and age are starting to have something to say about it. Thankfully, my mind is still good enough, and the spirit I have forged over decades of training is invaluable.
In conclusion: My dear friends, your rank is whatever you need it to be and will only define as much of your journey as you will allow.
Much more importantly, steady on…
-JP
