My son is due to take his first grade in 2 weeks. He's only 7 but very hyper, messes around alot, gets quite a few press-ups! He wasn't ready for the last grading but the sensei is considering him for this one. As far as I know, the only problem is his partner work. Thing is, the child he has to partner with does not like him and the feeling is mutual, they just do not get on at all. The other child is 6 and constantly tells tales on him, she's quite bossy and tries to give him press-ups etc and it just turns him against her even more. Now when they're practicing their partner work she insists that he does everything twice and she doesn't have to attack etc and when he refuses she runs off to sempei and says that my son is messing around...therefore Sempei gets the impression that neither of them are ready to grade. When they're asked to demonstrate their work my son does it very half heartedly because he cannot stand working with her, she doesn't seem to know the work at all and it just ends up looking like neither of them know it. The frustrating thing is though, my son does know it, he does it flawlessly with me and last week he did it flawlessly with a brown belt 10 year old. Therefore, would I be out of line to ask Sensei if my son can do his partnerwork with another partner? Or should my son accept that she is his partner whether he likes it or not? Also, if its just the other child that doesn't know it, will the sensei pick up on that and realise that its only one of them or will they both fail it?
