The Peaceful Fight Club Structure
The Peaceful Fight Club Structure
As with all martial arts schools, Peaceful Fight has a ranking system which indicates the progression of students within the style. However, one of the tenets of the Peaceful Fight system is that people are judged by their actions not by predetermined stereotypes or by the clothes they wear (or by body shape or age or race for that matter). In order to emphasise this, the ranking system in Peaceful Fight is quite subtle. The grading system also serves to emphasise equality between all student grades ie the rules of the club apply equally to senior as to junior students. The only differences which are easily observed are those differences between probationer students and full students and between full students and instructors.
Probationer students initially wear everyday clothes to train in. This minimises probationers having to buy uniform etc before they know if they like or dislike the system. If they wish to continue training after 3 - 4 weeks training, they are supplied with a white probationer T shirt which should then be used as part of their training uniform.
Once the probation period is over, the probationer is interviewed to see whether he / she wishes to continue within the school. The student's behaviour during the probation period is assessed to see if the school wishes to continue with the student and if both school and student are in agreement, the probationer becomes a formal student. The white T-shirt is swapped for a black T-shirt and a first grade sash is presented. The student is then required to purchase black trousers, shoes and protective equipment to complete the training uniform.
The first grade sash is a white sash with 10 small black marks sewn onto one side. The sash is worn so that the marks are on the inside of the sash (ie against the leg) and so are not easily observed. At each successful grade, the student is allowed to remove one of the marks from the sash. Because of this method of indication of grade, a casual glance at the sash of a student at grade 1 or grade 9 would appear identical. This encourages students to judge each other on their merit and also to encourage students to show their ability by passing their knowledge onto other students. It also highlights that a junior student could conceivably be more proficient in some area of the art compared to a more senior student (eg the junior student might have natural aptitude). In that area of the art the grades could possibly be reversed between the two students but overall the senior has a wider / deeper understanding of the system. As a consequence, the grades given are applicable (but emphasises that the senior should never underestimate the junior !). You'll notice that there are 10 marks on the sash but only 9 will ever be removed. This serves to show that even once achieving instructor status, there should still be the desire to learn more and pursue the "student" ethic ie instructorship is not an end to being a student.
Finally, instructor grades achieve a black sash. This ties in with the common obsession of students in achieving a black belt / sash within whichever style they perform so in some ways panders to that stereotype. Hopefully by the time this is achieved students will see the "wider picture" and judge the sash on its merits rather than by its colour. Thus Peaceful Fight comes full circle and the knowledge behind the sash becomes the important factor not its colour.