Rank is most important to a new student. It gives focus to the workout's while the studnet discovers "The Way".

At some point in a student's training, it should become apparent that rank has NOTHING to do with training. If gaining rank stays a focus point of training after blackbelt than the student has failed to find "The Way".

I have trained for the past 27 years and outside of having to take a rank test when OSensei or Grand Master Quynh asked me to,I never think about my rank, I train almost daily at what I love. I never train for my next rank.

Rank is a enternal measurement and the true understanding of the martial artist can only be measured internally.

I know of a person who has practiced for the past 60 plus years. His teacher passed away 40 years ago and he has no one to test him anymore. He has become a great master but due to his no longer having access to his instructor, he is still a Sandan. Since his instructors passed on he no longer test,his rank has never changed, yet he is a Master by anyone standards, a truely great Master at that. Yet his rank is ofically Sandan.