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

[Jay]

im proud that i have never failed a grading but i know someone who graded for their shodan three times before passing.

[karatekid1975]

Hey, I failed my Shodan.

Long drive. Different dojo. Different instructor grading. Paired up with partner from hell. (you know the kind I'm talking about. )

The result is I have absolutly no desire to test again what-so-ever. I still train regularly. I have placed so much less value on the belt as I've seen the caliber of others that had passed which should not have. (you guessed it the partner from hell passed )

People have been trying to talk me into retesting, I don't think I will bother. I have been treated very differently by all after announcing I will not test. I am on the borderline of Otcast and true Heteric. Am I so unusual ? Do you guys think I should test or stick to my guns and not test? I know I can pass easily I felt I should have passed before. It it really worth the headache?

I totally agree. My instructor "knew" I failed, so did I. And there were people who did worse than me and passed. But they re-did stuff a few days later. My instructor gave me that option to re-do some stuff a few days later, or re-test. I opt'ed to re-test, because I knew I blew it. Some say, I should have went the other route, but I refused. I didn't want to test at all, but I was talked into it. I wanted to wait till Nov (that means I would have been a 2nd gup/kyu for a year LOL ... well I am anyways LOL), but I tested in July.

So, I say, don't let people talk you into it if you are not comfortable about your technique. But you said you know your stuff, so that's a little different than my situation. So it's up to you. If you feel you can pass this time around, go for it. But don't let others bother you if you don't test.

Sorry if I didn't make sense. I just got off of work and I'm rambling LOL.

[Why_Worry]

Where i go the unstructors kidna informally test you many times before your test so they can tell if your ready. Because as a whole class we go over everything for up to that belt rank even if there are lowe rbelts that night there who dont know the stuff, they are just uplled aside and work on something else. They dont have set dates for tests either, they will just pull you out of class in the middle of class and ask you to do the stuff without actually telling you you are testing although it gets kinda obvious when they have been working everything you know for the past couple of classes and now they are yelling at you telling you to go through everything you know and going really fast. Its kinda ocnfusing, but the senseis know when your ready and you roughly know when you gonna get tested. Thats one of the reasons everywhere why there arent that many failings because people arent gonna test if they are sure they dont know anything at all.

(although i dont know how the black belt test where i go works because its a three hour test while we have a 1 to 1 and a half hour class and the community center we are at closes at like 10 when we start class at 7:30ish)

[karatekid1975]

I wish our tests were like that. In TSD, I couldn't test with everyone else, because I had surgery. So my instructor decided to run through the curriculum in class. This was just to test me, but involved the whole class. And I didn't know it, till he told me to do my break. I was relaxed and I had no idea I was being tested, so I breezed through everything. He said, 10 minutes before class ended, that I was being tested, now do this (my back kick break). I was nervous then, but I did it first try

I thought that was an awsome test And I passed with flying colors

[trustkid1]

Your sensei knows how much you can give and do in class. He will let you know when is the time for you to test. Also your opinion counts too. If you don't feel ready just tell your sensei and talk about it.

I saw people not passing his test because making too much mistakes in the techniques or forms. One time in a black belt test a student repeat his form 5 times because he keeps making the same mistake. The senseis met with the student to talk to him at the end of the test. They gave another opportunity to take the test.

[y2_sub]

I never failed in a grading test , but some guys i know did , there is nothing wrong with , it was just bad luck , and as for shotochem , i think you must retest , i know that BB as not the ultimate goal , but why not wearing it while people who don't deserve it are allready BB?? plus , black belt means that you are an "advanced beginner"

[Jay]

too rite im just a beginer then sad but true

[Zaine]

No its not uncommon, i had a kid going up for his purple belt in the kids class fail, poor kid.

[b3n]

Usually you can decide for yourself if you dont think you have earned the grade and its not so dissapointing when you fail. Its when you try your best and think you have done a perfect job THEN you fail, thats crushing.

Having said that, ive never failed a belt test.

[karatekid1975]

I agree there, b3n. I shouldn't have tested myself, but I did. I knew I failed. Which didn't bother me. I knew I blew it. I was like "Ah, whatever. I can try again next time."