Khan-Grade/-Seminar - Are Khan-Grades a Real Thing?

[Cald]

Hey everyone,

 

I started Muay-Thai about a month ago and my gym did a "Khan-Seminar". It went about 4 hours and the topic was the clinch. The seminar itself was great; i learned a lot of new things. In the end we got a certificate indicating our "Khan-Grade". For me it felt kind of useless, because the things i learned were rewarding enough. Personally i dont need something that shows my "rank". To my question: Are "Khan-Grades" a real thing, is it something for the western people/gyms or just a scam to make money?

 

-Cald

[bbf3]

Most muay thai gyms I know of don't do grading and the gyms that do grading are generally ridiculed or looked down upon, especially by the more "traditional" muay thai gyms. That said, there is a prominent gym in my city which has produced many fighters and I know they have some kind of grading system. Although I'm not sure how strict they are with it, or if it only applies to beginners.

Before I started muay thai I did fitness kickboxing at a karate-focused gym and they made us do gradings (which we had to pay for) even though we never learnt how to fight...go figure. 

[Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu]

Hey everyone,

 

I started Muay-Thai about a month ago and my gym did a "Khan-Seminar". It went about 4 hours and the topic was the clinch. The seminar itself was great; i learned a lot of new things. In the end we got a certificate indicating our "Khan-Grade". For me it felt kind of useless, because the things i learned were rewarding enough. Personally i dont need something that shows my "rank". To my question: Are "Khan-Grades" a real thing, is it something for the western people/gyms or just a scam to make money?

 

-Cald

Grading is not something that's used in Thailand gyms, although it's been considered by at least one faction of the Thai government as a way to codify the way Muaythai is taught around the world. That's what happened with Taekwondo and Korea made and continues to make a huge amount of money as a result because you have to get certified by the sanctioning authority. Muay Thai does not yet have that, but they are supposedly looking at it because that could be a LOT of money.

That said, quite a few gyms in the west use grading as a way to let their students feel like they're progressing. Because it's designed individually by each school, there's no "I'm a green prajeat" that means anything to anyone else, as oppose to established grading systems like in Taekwondo, Karate and Jiujitsu.

So, ultimately the answer is that grading in Muay Thai is a western thing, not a Thai thing. And it's not codified so there's no relationship between the grade you get and the grade someone in the next gym over gets. However, that said, if it means something to you, that's worth something in itself. If it doesn't, then don't sweat it.

[Cald]

Thanks for your answers! I will take the seminars for the stuff i learn there and not for the "grade". Like I already mentioned, learning does mean a lot to me, the "grade" actually does not mean anything to me. Thanks! :)

[Ling Bah Nick DC]

Hi there,

here in Belgium it's totally up to yourself to use or not use the khan grades in your gym. Somedo but it's a small group. the first 4 grades should be organised by the gym headcoach, 5th brown and 6th black are done only by the BKBMO(Belgian Kickboxing and Muaythai ,MMA Organisation) if you want to do this, you have to pay a small fee and will have to show your knowledge ,condition and technique. Test consists out questions about : history of muay thai,rules in fights, khan grades , allowed and forbidden techniques, clothing(shorts,mongkol,prajaed). After theorie is practical test , this consist out : warming up,technique,combinations,sparring,wai kru and cooling down.All of this takes between 2 or 3 hours dippending on how many are joining the test.When you complete all succesfully you will recieve certificate for brown khan and when finish black khan you recieve certificate and your black mongkol.

To be able to join the test for black khan you need to have your brown for at least 1 year.

The choice to do it is personal, but if you ever plan to open your own gym this isnt possible without you having black khan, its kinda proof and confirmation you know what you are doing and willbe teaching others .I think thats logically. I did my brown last year and in may this year I joined the test for black and succeeded.