Is video testing for your belt normal or abnormal?

[rivergirl]

I have alot of questions about testing...our sensei does not test us, we have to fly someone else in from quite a distance away so we are only able to test 2x per year. I have heard of testing by video, is it good/bad? What level of black belt does someone have to be in order to be able to test people themselves? It is a little frustrating to not be able to move up more quickly from a white belt, but in other ways it's best not to rush it either as the katas get more and more complex as you go on...just wondering how things are done in other dojos.

[DaChroniclez]

dont sweat the belt. Be happy with you progress, a belt is just a belt, the real progress is in your ability. I know blue belts who are much more skilled than many brown belts i know. Learn to be satisfied by learning and gaining knowledge.

[Monkeymagic]

Most dojos don't video. What belt is your instructor? If he's a black belt, he should be able to grade you himself.

[hajimekyu]

In the style I practice,the black belt senseis can take care of belt testings up to purple.But only the higher ranking masters can do browns.Blacks are done at a special black belt class and then the new black belts are presented to their regular class.We are fortunate that our dojos are not owned by any of us.Rather,we use schools and community centers.We are non competitive and so the senseis and masters all work in cooperation with one another.So far,we have not done video testing that I am aware of at this time.But this is probably because there has not been a need for it.As was said,don't worry too much about the belt itself.It is a recognition of accomplishment but there are many more subtle recognitions that will come regardless of the belt.

[ninjanurse]

When I studied Moo Duk Kwan higher belt testing was done by video as the instructor we had was only a 2nd dan. The video went off and in a few weeks results were announced.

[Jussi Häkkinen]

Very abnormal. For me, video testing would be a certain sign of McDojo.

Two times a year is a good pace. You'll probably achieve your black belt in a time frame of 5-10 years, which is an acceptable time and not too accelerated.

[Grenadier]

Video-based testing would be unusual, indeed. Normally, I would rather not have a test sent via video tape, though.

If a sufficiently good video conferencing setup can be done, I see no reason why it wouldn't work. However, if you wanted one that could handle a belt test in real time, it would be rather expensive, indeed.

For the most part, though, it's not normal.

In all of schools at which I trained, the chief instructor (the one that was running the school) was the one who would attend your test, and give out your promotion. In the cases of my last three teachers, in the rare cases that anyone were coming close to them in rank, then there would be times where the teacher would defer the test to the menkyo-kaiden instead (the o-shihan / o-sensei). Let's face it; if someone were that dedicated that they would reach rokyudan or higher, then they wouldn't have a problem travelling to o-sensei's / o-shihan's dojo for the test.

[Sauzin]

In our style you can teach with very loose supervision at 3rd dan. "Very loose supervision" means a 4th dan or higher has OK'd you to teach and every once in a while checks up on your school to make sure things are going well. Generally speaking a 3rd dan can award, sign certificates for, and offer testing for color belt ranks. A 4th dan, being a certified instructor, is able to offer testing for all ranks up to and including 3rd dan.

If you are testing via video conferencing then chances are the guy who runs your dojo either isn't there or isn't ranked high enough to officially teach and provide rank by himself. That doesn't automatically mean that he isn't qualified, but if he is, his rank should be adjusted to reflect it. Just my opinion.

[G95champ]

sadly you will see more of it but Im not a fan by any means.

[Meguro]

Depends on if you want fries wid dat.

Seriously, if your sensei can't grade the higher ranking students, sounds like he/she is a lower ranking black belt. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Small clubs, and satellites of larger dojo often have lower ranking black belts as instructors. This is not a bad thing if you're a beginner, but once you advance several grades you will notice the disadvantages of not having higher dan at your school.

At least your instructor is honest. Some unscrupulous instructors give themselves 10th dan and take your money. You'll be lucky to get fries with these guys.