I had been training at a school for years earned my ich kyu then our instructor feel away from our organization, all of the students were disinvowed as well for staying with the instructor, then a few months later the instructor closed the school. So a few students and I, joined the school in the next town. Everything was fine for a few weeks then the leaders of the old group called our new school leaders told then who we were, then the new school demoted us to 6th kyu. When we were all ready for our shodan level test. I felt slited, so left found a high ranking master in our style, told our story, he came out and tested all of us, and granted us all shodan. Then told us to keep training together, and learn all the higher level katas we could. Good thing I am able to learn a new kata in a few hours,( I mean the patern of the kata). So I would teach it to the others and then a year later the master came to visit us again and tested us for nidan, stayed a few days and taught us the last two katas. We started our own group and meet at the local park for training every week. And even taken on a few new students, then next years some of us will be testing for our sandan. It could never have happened if the master never came out to test us and see that we were dedicated to learning the martial arts.