2nd Degree Test..Need Music Help

[Montana]

2 day tests?

7-9 hours of testing?

Music???

I'm sorry, but what does any of that have to do with the martial arts and what you know?

I like the way the head of our system tested, and the way I have been testing my students since the early 80's. When you know what I want you to know and do it with the skill level I want you to do it at, I give you a certificate and you're promoted.

Takes all of 2 minutes.

Then we get back to work and train some more.

[Wolfman08]

I'm sure alot of it has to do with stress. It's one thing to be able to do a perfect ikyo into a iriminage, and finishing with a kotegaeishi in class, it's another thing entirely to do it with a bunch of people staring at you and only you, after running laps for 6 hours yesterday.

[MasterPain]

Or maybe you've been Mr. Myagi-ed into painting a fence or unloading a trailer of gravel.

[Montana]

Or maybe you've been Mr. Myagi-ed into painting a fence or unloading a trailer of gravel.

\

What is a belt test exactly?

Think about it. Isn't it a procedure to see what you know, and how well you know it?

Does making a person write papers or test for hours at a time in front of intimidating higher rankis make you any better than minutes before the test?? Does doing a kata to music make you a better martial artist?

This gives me an idea for a new thread in General Martial Arts...stay posted! lol

[MasterPain]

Or maybe you've been Mr. Myagi-ed into painting a fence or unloading a trailer of gravel.

\

What is a belt test exactly?

Think about it. Isn't it a procedure to see what you know, and how well you know it?

Does making a person write papers or test for hours at a time in front of intimidating higher rankis make you any better than minutes before the test?? Does doing a kata to music make you a better martial artist?

This gives me an idea for a new thread in General Martial Arts...stay posted! lol

To me the test is a formality, none of us test unless we can pass. It's more of a get together, as our group doesn't all live here anymore.

The trailer unloading is a good side-effect of having several strong young men gathered.

[Wolfman08]

Does making a person write papers or test for hours at a time in front of intimidating higher rankis make you any better than minutes before the test??

As I said, a test is a test because it's a test. It doesn't make you better, it looks to see how good you really are. You might be great in class when only you, your partner and your sensei/sempai are looking, but when everyone in the room is watching the heat is on. It's closer to a real situation. That's why it's done.

[Montana]

Does making a person write papers or test for hours at a time in front of intimidating higher rankis make you any better than minutes before the test??

As I said, a test is a test because it's a test. It doesn't make you better, it looks to see how good you really are. You might be great in class when only you, your partner and your sensei/sempai are looking, but when everyone in the room is watching the heat is on. It's closer to a real situation. That's why it's done.

I disagree. Having your peers or higher ranks watching you is nothing like what you'll experience in a real fight. Sure, both are stressful, but totally different kinds of stress. In a test you're concentrating on your form, technique and trying to not forget your kata! Whereas in a fight you're concentrating on your opponent and surroundings (or should be anyway).

[Wolfman08]

You should noticed that I said "closer". And since I've been in a few real fights, I do now that the two are not the same, but you know what's further from being like a real fight then being watched by a bunch of people? Doing the same thing while not being watched by a bunch of people. And this is real science, a proven fact. When people are watched, they do worse then if they weren't. That is the value of a test.

[Rateh]

As far as what we DO in our tests, its not running laps or anything like that. It is doing our material...it really takes THAT LONG to complete all of the material, have everyone spar, do their board and brick breaks, be asked their oral questions, and present their originals. Even then, we don't do ALL of our color belt material at the test, we do "spot checks", which means that while all forms are presented, only about half of the sport combinations and basic combinations are presented. Also none of the low rank self defense is presented. (All of these things were shown earlier in the year).

Tests are held once a year and testers for the next year are presented as candidates at the beginning of the second day of the test. They spend the next year meeting with the masters and head instructors that reside in Utah (once per month). These meetings consist of classes and pre-tests to make sure the candidates are ready for the final testing.

The test itself includes all of the masters of the system, as well as the head of the system, on the testing board.

If just my instructor presented my rank, it wouldn't be nearly the same as being judged all year by all the high ranks in Utah, then in front of a testing board of all of the high ranks of the system (yes the system is small, so that's not many, but still).

The only part of the test that I don't agree with, is the musical, which to me is silly (as I stated in the OP). The rest of it however is all color belt and black belt curriculum. Basics, forms, sport combinations, self defense, sparring, board and brick breaking, originals, etc.

Now if it was just ONE STUDENT testing, it would probably take only a two or three hours to complete the entire test, but as I stated, there are 24 of us this year.

Does anyone else have any ideas for music? I'd really like to get some variety to get started in choosing a good song.