The way the ranking systems tend to work....

[Tiger1962]

I don't know the real reason why - this is just my guess of it all. I would hate to see the downfall of it, so I hope that I am wrong.

[sensei8]

I hate schools that send you to test with a board of directors, that is stupid. The teacher knows his student the best and he or she should have sole responsibility in testing them.

Testing with a board of directors isn't stupid! It's smart, if you think about it! Yes, the teacher knows his/her student the best and he/she has sole responsibility in testing them. The presence of a testing board adds validity to any test. How so? Most important documents have more than one signature, witnesses, of the affirmation of the document(s). Therefore, while the Sensei/Chief Instructor has ultimate authority, the board gives the test more solidification. One person might be disputed, yet, many can't argue with the presence of witnesses to any said test of the Martial Arts. A testing board eliminates favoritism as well as overlooking/missing mistakes. One set of eyes can see only so much, where multiple eyes can see much more.

Stupid, you say, no...smart I say!

[Traymond]

Alright, you say smart, im sure the testing board you may have is ok...but what about the more corrupt ones...like mine per say...but

How can the testing board be with the same three people over and over and over? That does not add validity. I speak from only my perspective and no one elses. I know how my testing board is run I dont know about yours.

What about the people that grade you on things that aren't even martial arts related. They deducted ten points on a test because a punch was located at a stomach shot of my level, and not of theirs. So in my own experiences I have no respect for testing boards. At a tournament a board of judges is different, at a testing I completely disagree with using them. Im in martial arts because I like it, not because I have money to throw around with people who I deem not worthy of receiving it. I understand that these people do this for a living, but its not right to charge someone that much money to just test from blue to purple belt. A hundred bux for the testing fee plus you have to pay transportation and other expenses...and it wasn't even a dan testing...

[Tiger1962]

$100 bucks for your testing, you say? Lucky you! You got off easy. Mine was around $300 or so.

I have mixed feelings on this so I guess I can't really comment "for" or "against" board of directors testing. Except to say that I have been through it a few times myself. It has its pro's and con's.

[Traymond]

$100 bucks for your testing, you say? Lucky you! You got off easy. Mine was around $300 or so.

I have mixed feelings on this so I guess I can't really comment "for" or "against" board of directors testing. Except to say that I have been through it a few times myself. It has its pro's and con's.

You got charged 300 bucks to test from Blue top purple belt?

[Tiger1962]

$100 bucks for your testing, you say? Lucky you! You got off easy. Mine was around $300 or so.

I have mixed feelings on this so I guess I can't really comment "for" or "against" board of directors testing. Except to say that I have been through it a few times myself. It has its pro's and con's.

You got charged 300 bucks to test from Blue top purple belt?

No that was the fee for my first black belt (dan) testing. But even still - $300 is a lot of money - to me anyway !

[Traymond]

$100 bucks for your testing, you say? Lucky you! You got off easy. Mine was around $300 or so.

I have mixed feelings on this so I guess I can't really comment "for" or "against" board of directors testing. Except to say that I have been through it a few times myself. It has its pro's and con's.

You got charged 300 bucks to test from Blue top purple belt?

No that was the fee for my first black belt (dan) testing. But even still - $300 is a lot of money - to me anyway !

Oh haha...that what ours is because we have to pay each person that is testing a hundred dollars...its crazy....just to get your black belt...

Did you have to go to all the organizations parties and get to gethers to become eligible for shodan?

[sensei8]

Alright, you say smart, im sure the testing board you may have is ok...but what about the more corrupt ones...like mine per say...but

Corrupt boards? That's tough especially if your rank only means something to your styles' organization! Man...that's rough!

How can the testing board be with the same three people over and over and over? That does not add validity. I speak from only my perspective and no one elses. I know how my testing board is run I dont know about yours.

The testing board should never be the same people over and over...this is wrong and takes away from the validity of the test as well as the intergrity of the test.

Our By-Laws work like this concerning the make-up of our Testing Boards...

*Dai-Soke (Judan)

*Kaicho (Hachidan)

*Kancho (Hachidan)

*Board Of Regents (12 appointed Dan ranks of Godan and higher)

*Director(s) of Testing/Grading (4 Shichidan's)

*Director(s) of Technical Review (4 Hachidan's)

*Dojo Chief Instructor (Sandan and higher) (Sandan Chief Instructor must have a sponsoring Kyoshi until Sandan reaches Godan)

So you can see the many possibilites of the different testing boards that we can assembly at any given time.

Our testing fees are as follows:

Kyu = $25

Dan = $50

(FREE at my Dojo because I'm trying to help my students off-set the economic downturn anyway that I can!)

$100/$300 for testing is too high, imho. Why? Is just a test, not a down payment on a car/house. I've challenged my Hombu as to $50 being way to much for a Dan testing; all testings should be, imho, $25 period! A new belt is bought and a new cert is awarded. That's not worth $100/$300, imho! What about time for the testing board? Big deal, that's part of teaching the students. Our boards receive no monies for being on a testing board! It's a priviledge and an honor to be on a testing board, it's not a right.

[Traymond]

Alright, you say smart, im sure the testing board you may have is ok...but what about the more corrupt ones...like mine per say...but

Corrupt boards? That's tough especially if your rank only means something to your styles' organization! Man...that's rough!

How can the testing board be with the same three people over and over and over? That does not add validity. I speak from only my perspective and no one elses. I know how my testing board is run I dont know about yours.

The testing board should never be the same people over and over...this is wrong and takes away from the validity of the test as well as the intergrity of the test.

Our By-Laws work like this concerning the make-up of our Testing Boards...

*Dai-Soke (Judan)

*Kaicho (Hachidan)

*Kancho (Hachidan)

*Board Of Regents (12 appointed Dan ranks of Godan and higher)

*Director(s) of Testing/Grading (4 Shichidan's)

*Director(s) of Technical Review (4 Hachidan's)

*Dojo Chief Instructor (Sandan and higher) (Sandan Chief Instructor must have a sponsoring Kyoshi until Sandan reaches Godan)

So you can see the many possibilites of the different testing boards that we can assembly at any given time.

Our testing fees are as follows:

Kyu = $25

Dan = $50

(FREE at my Dojo because I'm trying to help my students off-set the economic downturn anyway that I can!)

$100/$300 for testing is too high, imho. Why? Is just a test, not a down payment on a car/house. I've challenged my Hombu as to $50 being way to much for a Dan testing; all testings should be, imho, $25 period! A new belt is bought and a new cert is awarded. That's not worth $100/$300, imho! What about time for the testing board? Big deal, that's part of teaching the students. Our boards receive no monies for being on a testing board! It's a priviledge and an honor to be on a testing board, it's not a right.

My organization only wants whats best for the organization they coould care less about the people in it. They just want to fill their pockets as well as they can...instead of an organization the people at my school and my teachers school call the organization a franchise instead. We do it behind my teachers back of course he would not have anything to do with talking bad about them...So we have come to some what agreement. I test them for hi and they learn from him. They are not completely recognized by the organization/franchise anymore though.

And the testing board I speak of is far from being that uniformed, the people on the board are like third dans...

[Tiger1962]

I agree $300 is way too high for a certificate and a belt regardless of what the rank is. As sensei8 said, it is NOT a down payment on a car, house or other item as such, etc.

The other thing is to my knowledge the testing panel in my organization is volunteering their time and do not get paid; however, we are told any fees go towards the support, maintenance and running the "parent organization". That being the case, in my opinion, I still feel that the testing fee is too high, especially since members pay annual dues in addition to any testing fees.

As far as the individuals on the testing panel, well they are all of senior ranking and its very likely you will run into the same people at every test although they rotate between divisions and groups. Sometimes lack of available volunteers make this happen even more so. You could very well get someone from your own school judging you, or someone you sparred with at a tournament, or someone you just plain ole don't care for and then "hope" they will judge you competently AND without bias.