Testing Reflections, 4/10/2025

[bushido_man96]

At this testing we had a white belt, a high orange belt, a low blue belt, and a recommended black belt testing.  Overall, I saw good things from all the students.  I saw good technique from top to bottom (rank appropriate, of course), and improvements are coming along as I would expect.

White belts:  all kids, and they were pretty nervous.  I’d seen them all do their form in class well, but here at testing the nerves showed up.  Their first run-through of Chon Ji hyung was all over the place.  We reset them, talked with them, and I had them all take a deep breath and let it out, and had them go a second time.  In their first run, they all botched up the second half of the form.  On the second go, they all did much better.  And they all handled the one-steps pretty well.  Their memory is good, they just need to be more confident in themselves.

High Orange belt:  I saw a need to get more fully into stance, especially after turning into a front stance.  Just stepping a little too shallow.  There was also some confusion on crossing arms inside or outside based off whether the technique was a block or a strike.  Otherwise, good technical execution.  I’d like to see more power.

On a side note this was one of the twins that tested.  I was surprised they both didn’t test, as I figured they’d hang together in rank.  But this may be good for both of them.

Low Blue belt:  Good technique.  It will get better as the student learns to relax the shoulders and hips more to generate power in the strikes.  I saw knife hand blocks that looked more like strikes (extended too far).  In both the forms and one-steps, I saw points where foot position was not quite right for side kicks and follow-up kicks in combination.  Pre-pivots can help here, along with focusing on where a kick lands and how the foot lands to be in better position for the next kick.

In sparring, she was getting more kicking worked in, better combinations.  Great to see!

Recommended Black belt:  lots of good stuff here.  To start the testing off, the student had to read aloud the essay required for the rank, answering three questions.  I was encouraged, as the student stated he did not plan on quitting after getting his black belt, as he had previously told me his plan was.  I’m encouraged, but we’ll see what happens.  The low rank forms looked good, done the way a black belt should do them.  I saw some shuffle stepping, or “sugar-footing” on stance transitions, but this can be worked on.  He got all the forms done, and all the one-steps.  For board breaking, a lack of body alignment showed up, and this has been addressed in class, so it’s up to him now to start fixing it.

Observations for the overall testing:  when doing the 270 and 180 degree turns, the higher ranks especially need to not stop-step when turning.  They need to focus on the whole transition happening in one step and keeping the stepping foot close to the base foot when turning in order to retain balance better and make foot placement much easier.  Sitting back in back stances more is needed.  I told the students when they are sparring, if they keep doing the same thing and getting blocked, it’s time to change it up!

For final comments, the main point I made was that I enjoy testings a lot, because they not only show us where the students are in their progression, but it also shows us as instructors what we need to focus on in class in order to correct the things we see.  It tests us as well as them.

Finally, the CI handed out new rank, and all the black belts came up and addressed the new black belt on our experience in hitting that rank, and how it was kind of a new beginning, and what was in store going forward.  Me and the CI kind of both had the same thoughts; I told him he now had to make the decision to either be someone who got a black belt once, or he could say that he is a black belt by continuing his training.  I also mentioned that he was at a point where he could say he’s someone who does TKD, or he could become a Martial Artist, and told him to think about that.

Overall, another enjoyable test.  Unfortunately, my work schedule shifts to afternoons with weekends off, so I won’t be getting to TKD class for a couple of months, unless something weird happens with the schedule.  So I’ll be the absentee instructor for a while.