I've been asked to be a guest judge for a TSD BB test next week. This is a different twist on being a guest judge. I'm a TKD guy, as will the other judges, for these TSD BB candidates. We're basically going to be there as members of the MA community bearing witness to these students' abilties, rather than as actual judges. The test itself is more of a showcase of their skills than a test. The master at this dojang knows that, if they are ready for the test, he will give them the belt.

I've done this before & even got paid to attend. I sparred a BB candidate during his test. His instructor wanted the student to spar with someone he'd never seen before.

Is this a familiar way to test for any of you folks? What do you think of this way of testing?

As long as you are not signing your name to his rank I see no problems with it.

As long as you are not signing your name to his rank I see no problems with it.
That's my thinking, too.

You're not there to test or assess the candidates. You're more like the guests or bride's maids & groomsmen at a wedding. They aren't the officiant and they ain't the ones getting hitched; they're just there bearing witness and joining the party.

The fact that I'm merely a witness to the test is great. The fact that the instructor gives me $$ as an honorarium is really nice.

Apart from the gift to be there, it's always a lot of fun to train with these folks & share in the joy of others receiving a well-deserved BB.

I've been to both types - as a pannel member, to actually sit in judgement (TSD, TKD, HKD, Shorinryu & Shotokan) and others to just sit and participate, more as an honored guest. Personally, I prefer to leave the judging to the local instructor who really knows the student.

It's always a special time for the student, and is so cool to have other dan members sitting in on the board watching them demo their stuff. Even though you may not be judging, you may till be asked your opintion and asked to offer feedback.

We have never done this, but I think it would be useful to test the students under an unfamiliar pair of eyes they aren't used to.

It may be a little bit more stressful or challenging for them to perform with you watching, because you are not TSD

Very cool.

As for not being a TSD yudanja, I think that shouldn't be a consideration considering that TSD and TKD come from the same roots and up to BB most of the basics will be the same right down to the way certain techniques are performed. Even some of the forms should be the same.

Very cool.

As for not being a TSD yudanja, I think that shouldn't be a consideration considering that TSD and TKD come from the same roots and up to BB most of the basics will be the same right down to the way certain techniques are performed. Even some of the forms should be the same.


Some of our forms are/were the same. We both do Basai Dai & Yun Bi. It's been fun to show his students the two side-by-side with their master to show the ways in which we do them similarly & differently. THAT was fun!