Have you ever heard about a student failing a belt test?

[Bleeding Lion]

In my (rather limited) experience in MAs I have never saw or heard about someone failing a test, not even a black belt test which is supposedly very difficult.

If it is true that the passing rate is very high (90% +), what is the reason? Senseis lowering standards and failing to make challenging tests or their ability to judge which students are ready for a higher belt test?

[Jussi Häkkinen]

I have seen many failing their belt tests. It's not all that uncommon.

General reasons: Problems with stamina, not enough good technique etc. basic reasons. Occasionally those are caused by being overly nervous or not being able to get the "spirit" on, which results to a lazy technique.

I think that passing rate is high (~90%) in lower grades, in upper grades the rate might be around ~70-75%.

Reasons for relatively high passing rate can't be simply found from "lowered standards". I believe that a good teacher shouldn't even let the student test unless he/she is ready and probable to pass the test. I think that this control is the reason for low failing rate, as you suggested.

fixed: Typo

Edited March 28, 2005 by Jussi Häkkinen

[Thaegen]

A good teacher let you test when he knows you can do it.

[Ben Martin]

ive seen quite a few people get a tempory belt but never fail. but like the above guys said you should only be tested once you are ready. my sensei says that its not really a test because you can do it, all you are doing is going in and showing what you can do.

[JimmyNewton]

It not uncommon for people to fail tests. I think it can be used as a learning tool as well because in life or businees, there are failueres and one must learn how to deal with them, learn from them, and made stronger by them.

i failed my green belt test because my gi wasn't pressed properly. lesson learned..if i were to go to a business meeting would my suit be dishevled. i was disappointed at the time, but retested 2 weeks later. that was many years ago and i still never forgot the lesson.

[June1]

No. At my dojo, they only let students grade if they are ready.

I think the only way you could fail is if you happen to do everything wrong at the grading.

[karatekid1975]

Yes, I see it all the time. The ones that fail, they get the next belt, but they get a yellow stripe on their belt, meaning they have to re-test before learning any new requirements. Most people who get the yellow stripe are embarrassed to have it, so it is a learning experience for them.

But for black belt tests, if you fail, you simply don't get anything. You stay where you are. I have seen plenty of people fail BB tests, and I'm not even that far yet.

[vertigo]

I have only been through one grading... and everyone passed, but it definitely wasn't for lack of ability. So, I'd be a poor judge of whether or not people are handed "free-passes" in my club/dojo. I wouldn't doubt for a second though that our sensei would fail people if they were not up to par.

[karatekid101]

I never really seen anybody fail a belt test, but I have heard about it. It's terrible! If you don't pass you have to wait a long long long! time before you could test again! I know it's terrible!!

[papaschtroumpf]

Passing a belt test is both a recognition of higher skill level and an encouragement to keep going, the second one being maybe more important for children.

In the ideal situation, the fee for testing should go to someone else than the school/dojo. This way the instructor has not incentive to make you test if you're not ready, and pass you even though you're not ready.

Ideally also, your instructor should be able to advise you that maybe you're not ready to test.