A Different Kind of Grading Story: Celebrating an (Un)Successful Grading

Last week, more than twenty of our BrisKarate students completed their gradings—something I’m incredibly proud of. But what many of you didn’t know is that there was ANOTHER BrisKarate student who had a grading last week... me.

I’m very happy to share that I successfully graded to Nidan (second-degree black belt) in Chito-Ryu Kobujutsu, which is a significant personal milestone. I’m grateful for the opportunity and the guidance that helped me reach this point. It was an honour to have the opportunity to attempt this grading in front of a panel consisting of:

• Sandaime Soke (The Third Generation Soke of Chito-Ryu Karate);

• Higuchi Kyoshi (master of Kobujutsu and traditional weapons); and

• Martin Phillips Renshi (Australia’s highest-ranked Chito-Ryu Kobujutsu practitioner).

I was also invited to attempt my Sandan (third-degree black belt) grading in Chito-Ryu Karate - an attempt in which I was unsuccessful. And I want to talk about that—because it carries an important message about what gradings truly mean in Chito-Ryu.

We don’t grade for belts. We grade for skill.

If your goal is simply to collect belts or titles, there are plenty of martial arts out there that will help you earn a shiny black belt much faster than Chito-Ryu.
But that’s not who we are.

In our style, a grading is not about the belt itself—it’s about the skill, knowledge, and understanding that the belt represents. The belt is just a symbol of the growth that has already taken place.

This is exactly why a grading result of “not yet” is not a failure.

When you don’t pass a grading, it doesn’t mean you’re not good enough or that you won’t ever get there. It means:

• the foundation needs strengthening;

• there are skills that need more time to develop; and

• your teachers are giving you a clear roadmap toward the next level.

That’s not failure—that’s guidance.

In Chito-Ryu, you don’t fail a grading. You are simply told “not yet”.

This is a philosophy I truly believe in.
“Not yet” means you are still growing.
It helps move you along the right path.
It means there is more to learn here before building the next layer.

And if the purpose of Karate is to improve ourselves—physically, mentally, and technically—then every grading is successful:

• You either demonstrate how much you’ve progressed since your last grading.

  OR

• You learn exactly what you need to focus on so you can continue improving

Either way, you grow.

You only fail if you quit.

Not passing a grading is nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact, I want to make it very clear:
The very first BrisKarate student to NOT pass a grading was me.

And I’m not ashamed of that—because it gives me direction, motivation, and clarity. It reminds me why I train. It reminds me that every student has had, or will have, their own “not yet” moments.

This is the journey.

As we recite in the Showa every day:

“With peace, perseverance and hard work,
we are sure to reach our goals.”

Peace means understanding that the path is long, and growth is the goal - not a belt.
Perseverance means showing up, even after a “not yet”.
Hard work means using your feedback to keep improving.

So yes, I’m proud of earning my Kobujutsu Nidan—but I’m also happy with my “not yet” for my Sandan grading. It has helped show me where I need to keep growing, and I hope it gives every student the confidence to face their own gradings with the right mindset.

Let’s keep training, keep learning, and keep moving forward—together.