Black belt pretesting

[sensei8]

Congrats and good luck!

I've never truly understood the purpose of pre-testing; sounds weird to me, but, what do I know....after all...I'm in Karate.

Still....CONGRATS!!!!!

[Rateh]

Thanks

This is how pretesting works, and what is accomplished through it.

First, black belt testings are a two day affair held in September or October, 3 hours are on Friday, 6 hours on Saturdays, followed by the belt ceremony. The testing is attended by all three Utah schools, and run by master Davis, the head of the organization. (He is located in Colorado)

At every black belt testing, candidates for the next testing are presented to the board and all the schools, first thing Saturday morning.

From this point until the next test the candidates are officially referred to as "candidates" and their every action is scrutinized. I can't tell you everything that they are looking for, but I do know it has to do with attitude. I also know that at my last "personal meeting" with the masters, I was told that they know I regularly attend my classes, and that I am a great help to my instructors in a teaching capacity. So I assume that is some of what they are looking for.

The pretesting board consists of master Davis who is the person in charge of the Utah portion of the organization (no relation to the head of the org), the other masters who live and teach in Utah, and the head instructors of the Utah schools.

Pre-testings and pre-testing classes are held one Saturday a month for approximately 3 hours (some end a little early some end a little late). If you miss a pre-testing or a pre-testing class, you are immediately kicked from candidacy.

Come November, we all (candidates and the board) got together and the candidates got tested on our basics (not combinations, just basic strikes, kicks, blocks, punches) Anyone who did not have good basics got kicked from this years group of candidates. This was not officially considered a "pre-test" but it was.... One student quit after this, and decided they needed another year to be ready.

In January we had our first official pre-test, this time over the low color belt material. Again anyone who did not pass got kicked out of the testing group.

February and March each had a "pre-testing class" where we reviewed all upper color belt material. In april we had our "pre-test" over this material. Same rules as the other pre-tests. At this point one student was kicked out by the board.

May and June will be reviews of all black belt material up until the rank you are going for. July will be the pre-test over that material.

In August we will review all parts of the material that the board was not entirely pleased with.

In September we will participate in our official rank testing. This testing will include some things not done at pre-testings.

What is accomplished.

1. We get a taste of what it will be like to test for nine hours, by regularly training and testing in three hour blocks, with 5-10 minutes of rest.

2. We and our instructors know that we throughly know the material and are able to pass the test.

3. The tests run very smoothly because everyone knows what to expect (otherwise the test might be a couple hours longer because people don't know what they are meant to be doing)

4. All of the Utah portion of the organization is on the "same page". Because all of the masters and head instructors participate, as well as every student who is going for a black belt rank, we know all of the schools are teaching the same thing the same way.

5. It increases the brotherhood of the black belts in the three Utah schools.

The Colorado and Utah portion of the organization only meet together once a year, for a summer tournament. At this meeting it is very obvious that this is the only time they get together. The Utah and Colorado instructors are not on the same page, there are noticeable differences in the way the Utah students and instructors do techniques compared to the Colorado ones. And the Utah side is MUCH more of a GROUP while the Colorado side (who doesn't do pre-testing like we do) is more of a loose collection of individuals who happen to train under the same organization.

Personally, I'm enjoying the pre-test process. I am learning a lot. I've gotten to meet a lot of other black belts and get to know them. And it's enjoyable to be working with a like group of people (about 12 of us) who are all working hard toward the same goals.

[sensei8]

Rateh,

Very interesting process that you've layed out there; very succinctly. Still, I don't understand, nor will I ever, the true purpose of pre-testing. Either the student is ready or the student isn't...it's that plain and simple. If the student is ready, then the student will be invited to test. Yet, on the other hand, if the student isn't ready to be tested, then the student will not receive an invitation to test. The Sensei of that student will know without a shadow of a doubt if their students are ready or not. In life, our attacker doesn't give us a warning before attacking; he/she...just attacks.

If this is what works for your organization; I don't fault it nor do I fault the instructors and/or the students because this is how your organization does their testing; I just don't understand or believe in pre-testing at any level.

Still, congrats and good luck!

[bushido_man96]

I can see where a pre-test could have merit. It just depends on what you like to do as a teacher and instructor. A pre-test could be looked at as just a segment of the test that is to come, and if you don't do well during the pre-test, then you can work harder, and show up for the next one. Either way, I think its good, either way you do it.