BlackBelt Syllabus

[coltmakai]

I'm trying to create a good blackbelt test for my students. I want it fair but ruff n tuff. I want them to work the hardest that THEY THEMSELVES CAN.

 

Everyone post what your Blackbelt test was like and what you were required to do.

 

Thanx

[LeaF]

you want them to work do what my dojo does.....it is a 4 months of h.e.l.l.....

 

They must attend class at least 5 days a week....

 

they get added resonsiblitlies such as cleaning the washrooms

 

they do little things likie an extra 40 push ups after class

 

they get to be in the spotlight for the last ten minutes of each class where they do activities like....

 

-lieing on their backs while the rest of the class runs in a circle steping on their stomach as they go.

 

-walking accross the room while dragging the biggest guy in the class (who is holding on the their ankles)

 

-trying to raise their arms while 2 people hold down each of their arms.

 

and the list goes on...for 4 months....then they have their grading which takes at least 3 hours and is generally the hardest thing they have ever done...then if successful they must participate is another grading in front of the highest ranking members of the assoiation.

 

Not to mention the mental portion of the grading...they must write an essay in the 4 month period, answer questions on at least 4 chosen books, and have a verbal test in front of everyone during their first grading......

 

or you could just do to them what was done to yourself....

 

hope this helps.....

[ZeRo]

wow thats really hard work. for 4 months!! well at least that way you will respect the BB so much more.

[LeaF]

oh yea for sure it becomes a real acomplishment when you have to work that hard for it

[koreantiger81]

well, i've heard about some really tough black belt tests...In one style, students are required to attend "Discipline Camp", which is constant training for 24 hours. Then their black belt test is held at 12am the next day..Another school required their students to run a 10 kilometer run in less than one hour....Some schools make them do 100 pushups....All these methods are to test the "mental" ability of a student...It really makes you feel proud of your accomplishment, once you get your black-belt..HOwever, i'm not a huge fan of these one time "Mental" exercises...The test of a martial art's mental ability should be done throughout their progress from white belt to black-belt. Some schools emphasise testing the mental ablity of a student, while forgetting to test the technical aspect of a martial arts student. I believe a test should have a balance of physical, mental, intellectual...perhaps make them create their own techniques/forms and make them right essays, etc...

[The_Yak]

wow leaf thats a hard belt test!

[karatekid1975]

In my old dojang, they had the newly promoted BB's do crazy stuff in the class after their tests. For instance, my instructor asked the lower ranks what they would like to see the BB's do, and he wanted it crazy and off the wall. So we made them stay in horse stance with a bo staff across their legs (if it rolled off, you had to stay in horse stance longer). Stuff like that. We made one group of BB's stay in horse stance, arms straight out holding weights for 10 or 20 minutes ..... ouch. That wasn't my idea, honest. My idea was holding a kick for ten minutes. If anyone ever had to hold a kick out, you know what I'm talking about. It hurts. But it was tradition to do this (letting the lower ranks torcher new BB's LOL).

 

Anyways, both in this school and my last one had tuff BB tests. My old school's BB enderance test was the worst. Sit ups, push ups, running, marathon kicking (doing several of each kind of kicks), ect. It was ugly. Then they had to do tech stuff the next day. Forms, self defense, one-step sparring, sparring, breaking, ect. That means doing EVERYTHING you learned to that point.

 

This school is tuff, but not as much stuff. You have to do 4 forms (but you don't know which ones they pick for you so you have to know all of them), several different breaks, step sparring (all of them, I think), sparring 2 to 3 on one, self defense, ect. You have to be almost perfect or you fail. Plus you have to run a mile or so three days a week for a few months (I think), community sevice, and you have to teach so many classes BEFORE you can test.

[G95champ]

Don't ask them to do something you have not done. I don't mean throwing a certin techinque or anything . I mean don't expect them to know more than what you had to when you tested. Adding and changing is good but use a traditional outline IMO....

[Taikudo-ka]

Yes G. I can't understand the predilection some (most certainly western) instructors have for turning martial arts into a kind of military boot camp.

 

I mean, if I'd wanted to join the army, I would have joined the army. I wanted to learn karate, so I joined a karate school. If I can perform all of the techniques correctly and know how to use them, what does it matter if I can do 100 push ups, run 10 miles, or whatever. Nothing would annoy me more than being a great karateka but failing to progress because I can only do 90 push ups, or some similar sergeant-major boot camp attitude.

 

Might I suggest tests related to actual karate ability, like performing many katas, continuous sparring of many opponents (Like Mas Oyama's 100 man kumite), and the like. Note that this will also test the students physical fitness and like, without resorting to silliness like "drop and give me 100". If they are too unfit to perform, let them do push-ups in their own time until they are fit enough.

 

Put it this way - the test should require a certain level of physical fitness to perform. However, it should not simply be a direct "fitness test". That should be a side effect of the technical demands.

[LeaF]

ok I agree with you fully taikudo-ka I agree with you in the sense that if someone can't do 100 push ups that is no reason to fail them. People are given "exercise" amounts based on what they can do there is no general number. Also at least in my dojos gradings exercise is not part of the actual grading altough they do what you said they have to do something like 16 katas so they do get tired but are doing it wiht relivent purpose. Now the exercise is done in the 4 month period I mentioned before. Doesn't it make sense that the people who want to get their blackbelts should be the ones who sweat the most after class and work the hardest in class. If no extra stuff was done to them what would separate them from the rest of the brownbelts. Not to mention the adjustment to their blackbelt class would be a hell of alot harder. I do not think it is like a "boot camp" because if they can't do something they are given a second chance they will do it if they want it bad enough. Not to mention it is good and heatly for them.