Testing eligibility

[JR 137]

I've seen a bunch of posts where people say they test whenever the tests are offered. Not sure how to paraphrase that though. I'm pretty confused by this...

In your dojo, is it like a sign up to test policy for anyone/everyone?

In my current system of study and former, tests were held at regular intervals, but there wasn't a sign-up sheet or show up if you wanted to give it a try policy. It was your instructor asked you if you'd like to test in the weeks/months (depending on the rank) leading up to it. More like he told us we were ready for the test, but that's another conversation.

Is where I am/have been the norm or the exception? Maybe I'm misinterpreting what I've read here. Not that the way I've been asked/invited/told to test is inherently better, just different.

[Nidan Melbourne]

At my dojo we have gradings held at semi-regular times. Which is usually held every 2-3 months. And only those who are eligible (those who have attained 5 tags and have the minimum number of lessons).

So sensei will normally just tell everyone when the grading is on (normally 2 weeks in advance) and all those eligible are welcome to attend. Otherwise anyone that isn't eligible don't normally attend.

Our only exception are for the adults because we have our gradings during class time so those that aren't eligible to grade can still train.

[sensei8]

Within the SKKA, testing cycles at individual dojo's are held every 3 months, aka, the last week of the last month in any given quarter, including the Hombu. The Hombu conducts an annual testing cycle as well the last week of June and the first week of July; however, this testing cycle is OPEN for all Shindokan practitioners who want to test at the Hombu.

All testing cycles MUST be approved by the Hombu for all ranks; no exceptions. Petitions To Test must be sent to the Hombu, no later than May in any given year.

All students within the SKKA can send a Petition To Test during any quarter. Who can? Students can! Sensei's can...for their students, as well as themselves! ALL STUDENTS!!

Once the Hombu receives a Petition To Test, that Petition visits several departments. Each department signs off on the Petition...APPROVED/DENIED. The last stop for any Petition is at the Administrative Department. That Petition will be literally stamped APPROVED/DENIED across its face.

Either way, the Records Department records any and all pertinent information on each candidates Hard Card. This Hard Card is reviewed as well by the Administrative Department to validate any, and all, tenure parameters and the like.

The individual dojo's CAN'T conduct their own testing cycles without it being approved by the Hombu. If they do! Severe sanctions against said dojo will occur!!

This is a general snapshot of how testing cycles are administrated within the SKKA.

[Spartacus Maximus]

My present instructor is probably one exception, but his way used to be the norm in Okinawa. When he says someone has reached a certain level of improvment, that student is told(not asked or invited) to attend a formal complaint evaluation no more than three days ahead. Students are expected to learn, train practise and improve until the day sensei says something to the effect of : you will be considered X kyu or Y Dan.

Every other dojo I visited or trained in had exam terms such as bi-yearly or yearly or a system requiring a certain time-in-grade before testing. I rather like how it is done in my dojo because it individualizes evaluation. Each person's level depends only on how often they practise and how much they improve. It is very personal.

As an example, depending on how the student applies himself it can take between 6months to 8months of practising to reach 3kyu (the lowest level after white belt).

[Bulltahr]

In our dojo officially, every 3-4 months for the lower Kyu belts, every 6 for the higher Kyu students, depending on attendance, attitude and being "ready". Dan gradings you are told well in advance.

[Lupin1]

We don't have official tests except for Shodan. Or, as my instructor would say, every class is a test.

For adults it's almost always a surprise. You show up one day and at some point during the class you'll just be told "you're going to green belt", you get a minute of hand shaking and congratulations, and we go on training like nothing happened and you're responsible for ordering your own new belt when you go home.

For the kids it's a little more of a production as the kids' instructor likes to tell them a few weeks ahead of time that he's think of promoting them soon-- usually in the hopes that it'll get them coming to class regularly and putting in more effort while they're there. Then one night after they've shown a good amount of effort for a few weeks, he'll have them do all their kata-- usually in front of the whole class (we take turns in groups so everyone does their kata with a few other kids)-- and then during the closing formation they get called up to shake hands, be congratulated, and receive their belt.

[ninjanurse]

I have strict eligibility requirements plus a pre-test before students are invited to attend a promotional exam. If they fail the final I condsider it a shortcoming on my end as obviously they were not ready to move up-either physically or mentally.

[IcemanSK]

In my org. and in my dojang we have strict minimum requirements for each gup rank. I hold belt testings 4 times a year, but if someone isn't ready, they don't test. If a student asks to test, they are run through a short "pre-test" to see how they look. A student can do well in their pre-test, and still fail the regular test if they don't perform well.

It's not often done that someone asks their master to test at the Dan level. But it can be done if the student knows they have minimum time in grade & other requirements. What happens more often with our org. is our GM tells masters who haven't tested in awhile that they will test at the next opportunity whether or not they are ready. One master (who hadn't tested in 20 years) was told on a conference call of other school owners that he would test at an event in 3 months...and he had no choice. Humility of rank got pushed aside for "you need to have the rank befitting your time in grade and dedication to your grandmaster." It's a delicate balancing act between humility and having a rank worthy of one's experience.

[sensei8]

Yeah, I believe that this is true of us all instructors...if our students aren't ready, they don't test!!

[Spartacus Maximus]

I rather like the idea of not knowing when the test or formal grading is because it takes away some pressure and allows more attention to focus on training for improving skills without being distracted. Anticipation of a test or grading can give much unnecessary stress and be very distracting. Evaluation should be considered an ongoing continuous process, not just a set period where one has to prepare and then test.