How do you conduct your belt tests for black belts?

[1kickKO]

Just thought I'd start an interesting topic here...basically what are your requirements for people training under you to get their black belts? In my dojo, you must know all weapons katas, all open-hand katas, you must fight all the black belts/brown belts in the room at once (normally 15 of them) and then you have to fight each one individually, and you must know all terminology, how to count from 1-101, know our karate creed, and be able to explain the weight distribution and the technical stuff of each of our 8 basic movements and perform them.

 

 

 

I read a good article once where a sensei makes his upcoming black belt sudents write a 1000 word essay on why they think they should become a black belt. I think this is a good idea because it gives you a chance to see their maturity and readiness for a black belt, and to see their reasoning as whether or not they should get one.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

First a disclaimer...I test all of my belts this way for a reason, and I am not saying your way of testing is a bad thing...it's just not my way.

 

As an active instructor who participates in every class in my dojo, this is how I test.

 

First of all, when my students first begin training with me, they know from that first day that they are being tested during each, and every class. They are tested on attendence, participation, effort, skills, precision, speed, power, balance..and anything else you can think of.

 

My lowest student currently is a white belt, my highest just got his Sandan (3rd degree black belt) last month. With each promotion I expect better all around performance, power and accuracy in their technique, and I watch them with a critical eye during each class. Each student is made aware during each class of mistakes they are making, what they need to work on to improve, what I am expecting out of them, and how I feel they are progressing.

 

For example: Rod C. has been with me for over 7 years now and is a Sankyu (1st level brown belt). Rod is the same age as I am and I couldn't ask for a more dedicated, hard working student. However, Rod has problems remembering kata's and makes the same mistakes over and over again. He will correct them...go home and practice them, and make different mistakes at the next class. He is aware of this and has no problem with not getting his promotions in a timely fashion. We joke around that he's on "the 20 year black belt plan" a lot.

 

With all of this in mind, my testing procedure is really very simple. I see improvement in a student...I watch them closely and make corrections. If I see these corrections being made by them so that I know that they have it down pat, they will get promoted...period. I usually will have a certificate made out before class, and at the end of class I will present it to them. They are responsible for purchasing their own belts, which most get from a large commercial TKD school here in town, or some will order them.

 

What my testing method tells my students is.."When you're there, you'll get it." simple, and I think effective. They know they have to work for it, and when I see it..they get it. I don't like this 2-3 day testing process I see in some schools like boot camp. What is the point? Don't you know where your student is at at any given moment during their training with you?

 

Whether it is a black belt, or a yellow belt promotion, if they are ready for it and have the necessary skills and knowledge, why do I need to put them through a big, stressful test?

 

That's my outlook on it anyway. I like things simple and uncomplicated ... just like me!

[1kickKO]

That's a pretty neat way of testing..I always like to hear different ways people like to do things and their philosophies on this..oh I forgot to mention attendance...thanks for bringing that up..in order to go to a belt test your receive "points" for each class you attend, so as you know your stuff..and I think you and my sensei are qutie actually alike, because he also has "similar" way of doing things, if he sees mistakes being made he will always take them off to the side and tell them, and he asks who is ready for the belt test during classes before so, and he watches them. If he thinks they're ready, he tells them, if not, then he'll tell them so but he'll still give them the optino of testing;) Thanks for the read.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Well, there are differences between your sensei and I. First of all, if I see a student making a mistake...kata, self-defense technique, whatever, I tell them when I see it and don't pull them aside. They know I'm trying to help them and I've never had a complaint that I've embarassed them with my comments.

 

Another thing I never do is ask the class "Who's ready to test?". That, to me, is a bad mistake on your sensei's part. What if you said "ME ME ME!!!!", and the sensei didn't think so. Wouldn't you feel very disappointed, especially if for the last few weeks or month you've thought you were ready, and found out you're not..but Joe Blow next to you, who you think sucks..is told he will test?

 

As I said...his way isn't wrong for him...just different. I do it my way, and I'm satisfied with the results...and so are my students.

[1kickKO]

lol, I think ya misunderstood what I meant, I didn't mean he was asking who he thought was ready, he asks who is going to be going to the belt test, as in it is up to the student sot keep track of their progress and know when it's time for them to be able to test. Whenever it's time, he has them come out, and the rest of the class do their drills..and he has the people who's turn it is to test run through katas, basics, fighting, etc...then he watches them as they do all this, and he'll always tell them how we did..he doesn't always pull us aside, normally when the whole class is busy though he will because he doesn't want to disrupt class, however when we do katas, sometime's we'll have people line up around the mat to simulate a tournament to get over a public fear, and when they finish he'll just tell them point blank what was wrong. But back to the topic, that's a pretty neat way ya test.

[SenseiJMA]

Our Blackbelt test last for two days and are conducted in the Mt Lassen area of northern Ca.Very demanding test physical,and mental.Along with the test we have other activities such as fishing...etc.Not much time for sleep or eating but I have never had a student quit.

[cartoon22]

I like to hear how others do their gradings. At the moment we test evry 3 months but I keep an eye on the students during each lesson. I generally know before the grading if they are at the right level to promote to the next level. I fhtey are not I have a word with them and see if they want to grading. If they pull something out of the bag during the grading then they pass.

[ps1]

When I earned my first black belt, in Poekoelan Chuan Fa, my Sifu did it much like Shorinryu Sensei. I was sent outside (not an uncommon thing) to help a junior student with his weapon form. When I came back in, the tea ceremony had been prepared. It was very awesome. It has been the same method for every degree through 4th, where I am now.

 

In stark contrast, when I earned my Shodan in Shotokan and Aiki Jujitsu, I was tested in front of a board with the Highest instructors in the Kwanmukan. It was several hours long. However, since there were many people testing, there were long wait periods. I wouldn't say it was very demanding physically. The same for every rank to Sandan.

 

In Brazilian Juijitsu, the ranks are based on number of classes. From white to blue takes 20 classes for each stripe. A total of 100, 2 hour classes (a little more than a year). From Blue to purple takes 100 classes for each stripe. That's 500 classes (3 to 4 years). The same for Purple to Brown and Brown to Black. A minimum of 10 years of training go into a BJJ black belt. My BJJ rank is a 4 stripe white belt. I have a long way to go:)

 

In my school, I test like my sifu did and like Shorinryu Sensei does. I know when they are ready. That is when I will promote them.

[embm]

We test in front of a testing board. Tests are held monthly. You are tested on all of your material from white to your current rank. You are tested on terms. You are tested on ilbo terrian and self-defense. You are tested on single and multiple no- holds barred sparring. For deputy black you must perform all of your katas, flawlessly, in addition to ilbo terrian, you have to take a written test and you have to spar the head instructor for as long as he wants to spar. For 2nd degree you have to know 2 weapons katas and all of your open hand traditional katas along with a tournament kata.

[Kempohands]

My school has tests whenever it seems like a good number of students seem to be ready to be tested. All students are tested on their material from white belt to their current rank. The tests vary in length, but are usually anywhere from 2 to 3 hours for ranks under black.

 

My Shodan test was about 5 hours long. It was pretty physically demanding, although I know from others' accounts that it was fairly easy compared to most Black Belt tests conducted at my dojo. We were tested on our set techniques, but even more so on our understanding of self-defense. Before we learned whether we passed or not we were all sent into the back dojo and told to come into the main dojo one at a time. As soon as we entered one of the 2nd DANs grading us would attack us and we had to fight back until one either he or the student being tested fell to the ground. The test was done in front of the two founders of my branch of Kempo as well as the head instructor of that particular school along with 2 other black belts in the system. It was a great expirence, although part of me wishes the test was a bit more difficult (I will regret that on my Nidan test....).