"A" Student

In high school, an A was 93% or better.
A friend went to another high school where an A was 94%. 

In college, it was 90% or more.
Some colleges were higher. Few were lower.


By definition, an A is an indicator of excellent work, not "just" above average. 


Funny thing, in almost all grading systems, a 96% score is an A. There is another significance with the number 96%, too. Most people are familiar with the Pareto principle (often known colloquially as the 80/20 rule). If one were to take the top 20% of the top 20%, one would have the top 4%. This is also known as the 96th percentile.


96%.


So when I decided to do martial arts for self defense a primary focus, there were many other areas I felt needed to be sharpened. Sharpened to be the top 20% of the top 20%. The idea would be to forge one's skills and one's physical abilities to the top all-around percentile... a goal that most people should be able to attain with dedication.


Purpose
The primary purpose is to always have a strategic advantage of some sort.
The secondary purpose is to be in better shape than the average guy off the couch by a fair margin.
The tertiary purpose is to be able to exploit a potential opponent's weakness.


Standards:

Physical 
Push ups - 100. This is more than the average person off the couch can do.
Sit-ups - 45. This number is taken from the USMC Physical Fitness Test.
3-mile run: 29:00 minutes. Again, borrowed form the USMC.
Pull-ups - 3. Again, borrowed from the USMC.

Marksmanship
Expert on the Army or USMC course of fire. Army standard is 36/40 for Expert.
Comparable M9 qualification course of fire.

Martial Arts
Grapple better than a striker or Judo player.
Throw better than a Jiu-Jitsu exponent or striker.
Strike better than a Judo player or Jiu-Jitsu exponent.
Black Belt level at each.


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