Testing, a good thing or a bad thing?

[italian_guy]

In my schools I have 2 different test approach. I both school test is held twice a year.

 

In my Tai chi chuan school the test is purely formal the head instructor decides who should be admitted at the test but if you don't mess up everithing you are going to pass, however being admitted is not straightforward. In my karate school there is not admission but the chances you are not going to pass are higher.

 

The exams, in both school are just physically demanding as an ordinary lesson even less...

 

In tai chi chuan we execute all basics and this 108 movement forms divided in 4 quarter for each exam you add one more quarter, and for higher grade there is also pushing hands and form applications.

 

In karate the test is divided into 4 parts 1) kihon (very long) 2) kata (2 or 3 different katas not only new katas but also previous exam katas) 3) bunkai

 

4) a 3 minutes round of kumite. It lasts about 1-1.5 hoursin total.

[CheekyMusician]

I totally agree with Shorinryu Sensei's way of doing thing.

 

My club does tests, and I personally HATE them. I'm one of these people that wouldn't even get mildly worked up when faced with a written exam, but when faced with any sort of practical exam, I panic. I've only done one test and that was because I didn't go to the grading because I was too nervous, so my sensei took me aside the next week and got me to do the grading in class, which wasn't half as bad because it was just me, the sensei and the other assistant instructor while the rest of the class were at another part of the hall sparring and weren't watching me.

 

Since then I've missed two gradings, not because I don't know the stuff, but because I'm too terrified to go to the grading. Not only that, but we do gradings on the weekends and I work on a Saturday (and I need the money to get myself through Uni, so can't afford to miss a shift every 6 months for a karate exam) and go to church and teach a Bible class on a Sunday. I could technically miss church to go to a grading, but I feel this is a bad way to act considering I'm always preaching to my Bible Class about committment and how they shouldn't just come to church whenever they feel like it, but make a committment to come weekly.

 

I feel that class based gradings are better because:

 

A. The students wont get as nervous facing a 'formal' grading.

 

B. The students will be more inclined to come to class each week and 'give it their all' knowing that they will be getting watched with a view to obtaining their next grade at every class.

 

C. The instructor will be more likely to pay attention to each pupil individually, assessing their progress each week than he probably would be if he knew he could just 'catch up' on their progress at each belt test.

[Ben Martin]

^ really? our sensei isn't alowed to grade us we have to have an other instructor from another school come down and do it.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

^ really? our sensei isn't alowed to grade us we have to have an other instructor from another school come down and do it.

 

Personally, as a sensei, I would be offended at this method of testing. It would send a clear message to me that they (the higher authority in your system) had no confidence in my ability to test and promote somone. If that is the case, then I would not want to belong to that system or organization.

 

My personal opinion anyway.

[CheekyMusician]

^ really? our sensei isn't alowed to grade us we have to have an other instructor from another school come down and do it.

 

Personally, as a sensei, I would be offended at this method of testing. It would send a clear message to me that they (the higher authority in your system) had no confidence in my ability to test and promote somone. If that is the case, then I would not want to belong to that system or organization.

 

My personal opinion anyway.

 

I agree. If the Sensei is good enough to teach the students, he should be good enough to grade them.

 

I suppose I can understand that some teachers might find it hard to distance themselves and correctly grade a student who they've taught, but if they are a man of good character, they'll grade that student properly and not give away a belt just because they taught them.

[gojoinstructor]

We approach testing in two ways and we do hand out belts.

 

The belts are basically a measure for the younger children to gain a sense of accomplishment.. They get very excited when they get a new belt or a tip. For the adults they are less important. I have students who have been green belts for 5 years. To them it just isn't important. I have given them permission to test forms, but they never show up. We do throw a little party at the school for students who get there Yudansha or Shodan. Nothing fancy, just some punch & cake.

 

Let me explain our testing.. For the kids (12 and under) asking them to take a 2 day test that lasts for 5 - 6 hours each day wouldn't be fair. Ever try and get a 6 year old to focus for 5 hours straight?! We follow Shorinryu's philosophy of making them work hard each class and doing the test "when they are not looking" so to speak. This will typically occur over a 3 day period. If they pass we have certificates and belts ready at the end of class.

 

Our adults are a different story. Due to the nature of being an adult, commitments with the family or at work sometimes interfere with their training. Although we train them hard also, we have found it to be more accomadating if we have testing on Friday nights and saturday mornings. Fridays we usually start with kihon and then go into some bag work and the right to katas (minus the required katas for whatever level they are testing). Saturays usually start with a run, then back to the school for more kihon, kata (requirements for level), self defense, strength training, terminology and then sparring and ground fighting.

 

While this doesn't always allow for 100% of the students that we ask to test to actually test (due to vacations, etc..) This has worked out very well for us so far.

[taiji fajin]

Teaching in a situation like you describe where you have semesters and are expecteed to "grade" your students like they do in regular academic classes is a different situation than in a regular dojo. I can see where each student needs to take more of a formal test in that situation.

 

I'm sorry I gave off this impression. Its a club at my University, but its not a class where they earn credits toward graduating or anything. Technically, I coule have them spend all four (or more) years they're at this university as a white belt, or get to brown without ever testing, but I'm sure that would put me at odds with my old instructor. In a martial art as regulated as Kuk Sool, its a very bad idea to be at odds with your old instructor. The politics of this is something I could go on and on about, but that's not the point of this thread.

 

The point is that many (not all) people want the test, and from black belt on they will have to be tested, so I "need to prepare them for that." So, if I can find out what are good about tests, and what are bad about them, I could possibly design them so they wouldn't be as bad to give.

 

I also completely agree about having another instructor testing my students being offensive. Unfortunately, Kuk Sool does this from black belt on, but I believe they split the difference. It is not really a test as much as it is just a glance over. If you call the head office and tell them someone is ready to promote to black belt (or above), they take your word for it. When the grandmaster comes for the ceremony, there is a "belt test," but its more for show and they already know if the person is or isn't going to pass. Only very, VERY rarely is someone "suppose" to pass and does not.

 

I'm really liking this thread, its giving me some good ideas. That being said, when people post *what* their tests consist of, could they please say why they think the parts that they describe are good (or bad)?

[parkerlineage]

For my black belt test, we ran for katas an hour, thesis techniques for another half hour, techniques for an hour, and then the Ring of Fire (spontaneous response drill where you stand in the middle of a circle and people are chosen by the Master to randomly attack you) for another half hour.

 

It was the hardest, most exhausting thing I have ever done.

 

And I feel great about it. It gives me a sense of accomplishment I wouldn't have if I had simply been handed it.

 

My personal opinion, however; others may feel differently, and they are no more wrong than I am.

 

Peace;

 

Parkerlineage

[markusan]

We do belt tests from white belt on. My club is part of an organisation of 11 clubs and we have two gradings a year where three or four of the clubs grade together and one at the end of the year where all the clubs grade together. It's not as bad as it sounds becaus we have 11 instructors and about the same number of junior instructors running the grading/

The lower grades are shorter tests and mainly for skille development, and more of an endurance test at the higher grades.

Students going for blackbelt have attended a number of special training days and other activities, including breaking tests before the main grading day, and if their skills and technique are not up to scratch they do not test/

In the case of the pre black belt and black belts the test is almost entirely an endurance, spirit and recovery test.

We monitor each student carefully throughout their test hopefully pushing them to their limit repeatedly over about four or five hours. The emphasis is on sparring and powerful kata. Our philosophy is that a blackbelt may not win every contest, but they recover and come back for more. We try and make the test one that the student remembers for the rest of their lives in a positive way/.

I think the system works well because it motivates me to teach each of my students as well as I can so that when they perform with other clubs they can hold their heads high. We do intensive preparation for tests and I see them as a valuable goal for training. The competition element is also useful. I tell my students that I want everyone at the grading to know who my students are by their technique and spirit because they are the best. It's a great motivator. They are grading for themselves but also for the club/

[PrideampPoise]

I'm one of these people that wouldn't even get mildly worked up when faced with a written exam, but when faced with any sort of practical exam, I panic.

I do think that is a valid point.

We have a few students at our school like this. One in particular is one of the better students in class (currently a blue belt), but this person clearly doesn't like being put "on the spot" in front of a big crowd.

We do test every three months, and I think that testing has more benefits than drawbacks. But at the same time, I don't think the promotion should be based solely on how that student performed in the test.

For example, if a student works very hard in class, and clearly has learned the material, but then doesn't do all that well on the test because the "freeze up", I believe they should still be promoted, especially at the lower ranks. We have been told that how we conduct ourselves in class will have an impact on whether we are promoted.

On the other hand, I don't think students should be excused from the test simply because they don't like it. The only way to get better at something is to do it, and it seems most grow more comfortable with performing in front of others if they continue to try. Definitely helps with self-confidence and can be applied to other areas of life.

Here's what our tests include (sorry if this is too much detail):

They are every three months on a Saturday. The dates are set at the beginning of the year. We have separate sessions for children and adults.

We always do:

"Air" Kicking/Striking. Usually 10 of each with each leg/hand, done in rapid succession.

Breathing/Ki exercises.

Forms. From 1st form through the last form we know. Sometimes we do it once in front of everybody. If the class is small enough, we do each form 4 times at the same time. Once you finish your last form for the 4th time, you continue to perform that one until the last person is finished. Technically, however, you are not being graded after that 4th performance of your last form.

Techniques. Start with the first set and continue through the last we know. Our instructor will call out the number of the technique we are to perform, and we are expected to execute it instantly. We usually do 3-5 techniques per set. Sometimes, we are asked to go through the entire set rapidly, without the falling portion, before he calls out the numbers. When the numbers are called, we are usually required to execute the entire technique, which usually includes a lock, takedown and finishing strike. If its too crowded, however, we sometimes are not all required to do the falling portion in each set.

Once we get to our last techniques, we either continue to perform those, or are asked to remain at attention while the higher ranks complete their techniques.

Board breaking. We execute the breaks as required by the KSW association. Men use pine boards from Home Depot, and the women and children use boards made of some kind of less dense wood, and that is also thinner.

Brown and Black-Brown belts do their staff spinning.

Things we sometimes do, but not in each test:

"Air" sparring. Sparring without gear or contact. Rotate through 6-8 partners.

Execute a kick or kicks one at a time. Once we were asked to name the kick in Korean first.

Falling... front falls, back falls, cart wheels, etc.

That's what I can remember right now.

Promotions are done at a later date, ususally two weeks later. For that we do some demonstrations and have a pot luck.