Message from the Founder

The Half Step - Many people have asked me what a half-step means on their promotion, so we decided to put it up on our website. This, hopefully, will give some clarity to something is hard to explain but the concept is simple. Before I begin, I will tell you that T.Mikami gave me a half step going from purple to brown and many have already half stepped in our system, so if you get a half step instead of a whole step, don’t hang your head in shame and act as if your martial arts career is over.

The steps in our system are whole steps, if you look at this on a number line it would look like this. If you are a white belt this is where you fall on the “kyu” number line.


10th kyu | ...............9th kyu ...............8th kyu ...............7th kyu

If you promote a full step, it would look like this on the “kyu” number line



10th kyu ...............9th kyu | ...............8th kyu ...............7th kyu If you half-step you would jump to the number it self (meaning you got half way. Your kyu number would change with a denotation of the half step and your belt color would change as well. Your certificate would say 9th-ho. “ho denoting the half step and your number line would look like this.

10th kyu ...............9th kyu ...............8th kyu | ...............7th kyu


If you were to test again and half step again then you would still be in the 9th kyu and you would not change belt color. So it really is much like a warning. If you never half step again you it never matters because once you are a brown belt you CANNOT half step it is not allowed.


The reasons you might half step.

Most people who are testing have come to class and have prepared for their test. Constantly doing the preliminary movements and making sure their kata is perfect. Of course, as instructors, we aid youwith this and witness your improvements and preparation.

On test day if you truly come “owning” the things you have been taught, it is obvious to myself and mostly everyone else watching you. One mistake on a kata, or one mistake on a technique that is not in your curriculum, should not cost you your belt. Keep in mind we are not in the habit giving rank away around here so the mistakes should be minor.

As said above, there are no half steps once you are a brown belt, if you half step you do not move your kyu.

Brown and Black belts should be trained enough to not let the outside world interfere with there physical or mental preparation for their test, if this does happen and the student comes only half prepared, or almost knows all the things he needs to know to gain his color, then they are not ready to move on.

Remember, “Black Belt” is not something you wear. It is something you become.