On failing

[Fish]

Hi Fairfax - good point. Sensei thought I was ready because my other techniques are good, and I know the kata and pair techniques well. For myself, I was uncertain in the weeks before the test because I wasn't confident about my kicks . In particular, we have to perform three different kicks on one leg as part of basics and as part of a combination. In class I was just about able to put it together, but on the day the kicks just weren't up to it. I knew it as soon as I'd performed the three kicks routine for the first time that I hadn't passed. I then had to spend the next hour completing the test, including kata and sparring two on one with two black belts, to find out for sure that I hadn't passed. It was good experience. As I said in my first post - I don't look on it as failure, but an opportunity to learn and improve.

[mtheiss]

In life, as in karate, missing a belt makes no long term difference. The problem that I see in people these days is that once you are "out" of a test or other work medium they take it as failure. It is not. You should be prepared to take the test enough times for you to make it. Tiger Wood's father just died at 74 so I guess most people have plenty of time to make whatever next rank they want to, no?

[mizu]

My sensei always told me that you only fail when you stop trying. Therefore, in my opinion, you haven't failed this test...