The standard of karate exams

[Thief]

It's my first time here and I don't know if this or similar subjects were already addressed on this forum. It has to do with, in my opinion, the declining "standard" of performance in karate, and with - again, IMO - the transformation of karate, TKD, kick-boxing, from martial arts into a leisure activity for the masses and the kids. The word "McDojo" is something we all probably heard already. Most of this is for commercial reasons, karate clubs taking up everybody, and doing everything to keep everybody they can cash on.

anyway, can you guys answer the following, honestly and to the best of your knowledge:

1. throughout your karate "career", did you ever fail a Dan exam?

2. did you ever fail a kyu exam?

3. do you know somebody who did?

And for instructors:

4. what is your pass/fail rate when you are giving exams? For colored belts and black belts?

I've been around karate clubs in many countries (I keep relocating with my job every 3-4 years) and looking at both the colored belts as well as black belts, whenever there's an exam everybody passes! I've been doing karate since the early 90s, and maybe the old(er)timers could share some of their experience from the 80s or 70s, but for the past 20 years all i've seen is everybody passing everytime.

[Wastelander]

I don't think there is anything wrong with martial arts being practiced as a leisure activity, so long as it doesn't get lose its effectiveness as an art so that the people who want to practice seriously are able to do so and all can benefit from it. As to your questions, I haven't had a dan ranking yet, so I'm afraid I can't address that one. I have failed a kyu ranking before, though--I failed my sankyu test the first time around. I also have known several other people who haven't passed kyu ranking exams and I know at least one, but maybe two people (I can't remember for sure on the second one) that failed their shodan exams. I think part of the reason that there is a high rate of passing is certainly because of lowered standards in some schools, but I think in other schools there is a high passing rate because instructors are only testing their students after they KNOW that the student can pass, and that assures a much higher likelihood that the student actually will pass.

[Shizentai]

anyway, can you guys answer the following, honestly and to the best of your knowledge:

1. throughout your karate "career", did you ever fail a Dan exam?

2. did you ever fail a kyu exam?

3. do you know somebody who did?

1. No, but my sensei told me that I only barely passed my shodan exam.

2. Yes, a few times actually. It was 4th and 3rd kyu I struggled with the most. I just couldn't get the hang of Tekki shodan. To solve the problem, I went on a training voyage in Japan between my junior and senior year in high school. When I returned I tested again, having been six months since my last attempt, and I finally reached 2nd kyu.

3. I actually only know one person my dojo that has never failed a test, and she is a beginner lol!

And for instructors:

4. what is your pass/fail rate when you are giving exams? For colored belts and black belts?

I am not an examiner, which sounds like what you meant, but I do instruct the kids' class sometimes. In the last dan exam that was administered in my region about 25 people tested and 3 passed shodan (one of which was our kid! Hooray!) and all failed nidan and above.

[Montana]

1. throughout your karate "career", did you ever fail a Dan exam? NO

2. did you ever fail a kyu exam? NO

3. do you know somebody who did? YES

And for instructors:

4. what is your pass/fail rate when you are giving exams? For colored belts and black belts?

[/b]My pass/fail rate is real close to 100% passing. I don't test until I know they are ready, and generally I don't tell the student they are being tested, other than they know they are being tested in each and every class.

[DWx]

1. throughout your karate "career", did you ever fail a Dan exam?

2. did you ever fail a kyu exam?

3. do you know somebody who did?

And for instructors:

4. what is your pass/fail rate when you are giving exams? For colored belts and black belts?

I've never failed an exam myself but have seen people in my school fail colour belts and dan rankings. I'm not an instructor but do on occasion sit on the examining panel for my school, not sure on the exact figures but usually no more than 1 or 2 people fail at a grading (we probably test around 50 students each time). Most of the time its people who have been advised that they won't pass because they're not up to standard but insist on taking the exam anyway.

There's nothing wrong with schools where the pass rate is 100%. But only if they're only testing students who are ready and will definitely pass.

[Sainthood]

1. throughout your karate "career", did you ever fail a Dan exam?

2. did you ever fail a kyu exam?

3. do you know somebody who did?

1. I have yet to take my Dan exam.

2 . I have never failed an exam, but I have always felt well prepared and in my humble opinion I think I deserved to pass all my karate exams.

3. Actually yes! I have seen two guys fail their green belt exam (2nd kyu) because they couldn't preform the proper kata.

That being said I see a lot of people slide by who may not be at the level they should be for their exam and still pass.

[evergrey]

1. Haven't tested for it yet.

2. No, but I am always convinced that I have!

3. Not sure, I never asked. My instructors only test students when they believe that they are absolutely ready. They are tested and watched in each and every class. It is still possible to fail- there is always a panel of judges, and they deduct or add points for certain things. I am not privy to the entire decision making process of ranking- I think that there is a fair amount of discussion that goes on behind closed doors, both before and after.

[ShoriKid]

anyway, can you guys answer the following, honestly and to the best of your knowledge:

1. throughout your karate "career", did you ever fail a Dan exam?

No. I was asked not to take one until my instructor thought I was overly prepared.

2. did you ever fail a kyu exam?

I was told not to take one my kyu testings because I wasn't ready. So, I didn't. Failing a test though, never one I was told to be ready for.

3. do you know somebody who did?

Yes, my best friend and training partner, a Nidan in another style, failed his nikyu test that I took part in. He was well trained, and very skilled, but had a really, really bad night during the testing.

And for instructors:

4. what is your pass/fail rate when you are giving exams? For colored belts and black belts?

.

I haven't had anyone test for black under me yet. As for kyu tests, we only do 2 that are formal tests and the student knows they are taking part in. Green and Brown belt candidates know they are testing. All other kyu ranks are awarded when the student meets the requirements, not before.

[evergrey]

I should add that students may NEVER ask to test, at least not for a Kyu rank. They only test when the instructor says so. I have seen some unmotivated students who don't show up regularly or who don't try to improve stay at the same rank for well over a year, easily.

[Shizentai]

I think it's really interesting that the majority of karateka on this forums test differently than we do in my dojo. I can definitely see the benefit of waiting to test a student until that pupil is 100% ready. At the same time, I think that learning to recognize for myself how well I am training for the next rank is also useful information. In addition, I think that failing a test can instill humility in a pupil. At least it did for me.