The Ross Karate System

White Belt
Ross employees receive their Ross white belt on their first day on the job. It recognizes that they have been taught:

1. The highlights of Ross Video history since 1974
2. Our product lines (including products no longer in production)
3. The markets and customers that we serve
4. Who our major competitors are
5. Where our many offices are around the world
6. Our Code of Ethics – how we treat our customers
7. Team Ross – how we treat each other

Receipt of the white belt symbolizes that they have entered into a career of continual training.

We consider this introduction important as we grow to ensure that we don’t forget about the values that have made us successful.

Yellow Belt – Switchers
The following employees are encouraged to receive their switcher yellow belts within their first year of joining us:

• Sales
• Marketing
• Research and Development
• Technical Services
• Switcher Test
• Anyone else who shows an interest – even finance!

The yellow belt teaches the following:

1. What every button on the surface of a switcher does
2. Our advantages over our switcher competitors
3. A good understanding of the equipment in a control room
4. What all of our switcher options are for
5. How to do a 15 minute switcher demonstration

The course is three very full days and graduation includes a framed certificate, a yellow belt, and a $500 bonus!

Green Belt – Switchers
Anyone with a yellow belt is entitled to take the switcher green belt course. This course builds upon knowledge gained in the yellow belt and includes:

1. Detailed training in “Squeeze and Tease” DVE operation
2. Completion of a detailed 1 hour hands-on switcher demonstration
3. Introduction to switcher hardware components

After four days of training, those who pass receive a framed certificate, a green belt, and a $1000 bonus!

Brown Belt – Switchers
Upon completion of a green belt, the switcher brown belt course is next.

Brown belts learn:

1. In depth configuration and operation of our external device control
2. Advanced switcher demonstration training
3. How to switch a show in a live environment
4. Detailed analysis of switchers made by our competitors

Graduating brown belts receive a certificate, a brown belt, and $1500 for their efforts.

Black Belt – Switchers
The black belt is different than the preceding belts. The emphasis shifts from learning to mentoring. Black belts must do the following:

1. Teach a yellow, green, and brown belt course
2. Train a customer
3. Switch a live show for a customer

Black belts receive a framed certificate, a black belt, and $2000 recognizing their contributions.

Yellow Belt – OverDrive
There is also a yellow belt for OverDrive. A switcher yellow belt is a pre-requisite for this course. This course is three days in duration.

OverDrive yellow belts learn the following:

1. Production control philosophy
2. Newsroom workflow
3. MOS control technology Audio control technology
4. Production control system design
5. Differences between OverDrive and the competition
6. How to give hands-on OverDrive demonstrations

Graduates of the OverDrive yellow belt receive a special OverDrive stripe for their switcher yellow belt, a framed certificate, a $250 bonus, and the right to call themselves an OverDrive Samurai.