I just wanted to share...

[Llarion]

Well done, Brittany! Glad to see you persevering and chugging through! Tell us more about the test! What did you do?

 

[The Sapphire Ping Dragon]

Sorry it took so long to get back here. Thank you so much for the congrats everyone! :asian:

6 days after my belt test, I found out my results. My master's wife came into the dojang and gave me my stripe. When she called out my score, I wasn't sure what to think because I still wasn't sure how the grading system works here (in my new school). She told me my score was unusually high for testing for my rank (the higher rank you're testing for, usually the lower score you get/harder they grade you.) It's normal to get a 69 or lower to a 72 for a 3rd degree Red belt test and usually they have many comments written down but she said that I had scored an even 73 and the only comment I had written down was "Don't second guess yourself"! I was very surprised that I wondered if she was looking at someone else's paper and mistook it for mine! Ever since I started TSD at age 8, I never had high scores and had an average score at the most. Mrs. Dana showed me and the paper and it really WAS mine! HAPPY! HAPPY! JOY! JOY!!! artyon:

Llarion, at the test, I did basic kicks, jump kicks, blocks, and hand attacks. I also did One step sparring (23 all together). My first teacher told me a long time ago to start from the higher numbers first and work my way down from there. Since they are newer material and more complex, you score higher for doing it backwards (plus it shows that you really know it). Also time usually runs out before you can finish them all anyway. I also did my kata (Pyung Ahn Oh-Dan), I fought, and broke a board doing a turn-back kick (last time I had to do elbow strike). I also had to go up to the table where my master and another teacher (from another school) were grading and he (my master) called out South Korean MA terminology and I had to translate them into English. Me and the other guy testing got different words. So that's what I did for my test.

Brittany :asian:

 

[Feisty Mouse]

Brittany

Congrats to you and well done! for all your hard work. That's wonderful - you should be really proud of what you have accomplished, and all the hard work you have put into it!

:boing2:

 

[Llarion]

Wow, that's great! Congrats again! I've been working on Pyung Ahn Oh-Dan for a couple of months now, it's my favorite of them all so far. I love the kicks in the middle. The hardest part for me is holding the landing still on the jump; it's a difficult balance point. The lower belts have their one-step moves numbered, but he makes the upper belts "freestyle", to more closely simulate fight conditions, to practice control, and to make us think on our feet.

Congrats on landing the turning back kick break; that's a very tough one to do with confidence and accuracy!

It must vary from school to school, but we are not permitted to know our actual test scores for some reason; it's only a pass-fail as far as we're told, though I do know they are numbers; I saw one of my score sheets once. Their philosophy was that it's not about the number; it's about learning the art; and too much emphasis on the actual score can distract you from the real mission. Personally, I think I'd like to know.

 

[karatekid1975]

Congrads! Tang Soo! *bows respectfully*

 

[The Sapphire Ping Dragon]

Thanks again for the congrats everybody! :asian:

It's interesting how the tests are different in other schools. I would love to hear what you guys had to do for your tests. I'd also love to hear what you practice in class usually and if there is something once in a while you do that might be special. For example, we occasionally practice some grappling (hurray!), or Aikido-ish/self defense techniques, or breakfalls (hate those!).

Llarion, Pyung Ahn Oh-Dan is my favorite kata too! That's funny because landing still on the jump was the hardest part for me too! I'm supposed to be learning Bassai (black belt kata) but I've only learned half of it so far. So far it's REALLY cool! I love doing it and I can't wait to learn the rest! :ultracool

Brittany :asian:

 

[Llarion]

Thanks again for the congrats everybody! :asian:

It's interesting how the tests are different in other schools. I would love to hear what you guys had to do for your tests. I'd also love to hear what you practice in class usually and if there is something once in a while you do that might be special. For example, we occasionally practice some grappling (hurray!), or Aikido-ish/self defense techniques, or breakfalls (hate those!).

Llarion, Pyung Ahn Oh-Dan is my favorite kata too! That's funny because landing still on the jump was the hardest part for me too! I'm supposed to be learning Bassai (black belt kata) but I've only learned half of it so far. So far it's REALLY cool! I love doing it and I can't wait to learn the rest! :ultracool

Brittany :asian:

Yeah, I've just touched on Bassai a little bit. I haven't even gotten the first "fall-forward" move smooth yet. I hurt my knee last week, so I've been hobbled...

We do the TSD stuff, and we add Akido, Hapkido, and Jujitsu to the mix; the grappling stuff is a lot of fun. We have throws as part of our one-step arsenal; though they are generally not employed in testing. So far, testing has generally involved stepping motion, forms, one step, sparring, and a board break. The masters will often ask you to do something you haven't learned yet (or that you're not SUPPOSED TO have learned yet *wink*), to challenge you to think outside the box; for example, on my 8th gup test, I was asked to do a front/jump front kick stepping combination, and the first 3 forms. I'm overprepared for my next test, having already gotten "Oh-Dan" and all the subordiantes well in hand... I just hope my break isn't a spinner...

 

[Kodanjaclay]

Phil,

I'm curious about your signature. If I understood properly, you became a sabum, and then you were reduced in rank, or different styles? I'm not trying to be too nosy, but I am a tad curious. Thanks for humoring me.

 

[Llarion]

No no... I'm a 5th gup.. my master is a 4th Dan. Now that I looked at it, it's a little confusing, isn't it... I changed it to clarify the meaning a bit...

 

[Kodanjaclay]

LOL. Ok, no prob. I was just curious.

 

[Llarion]

That's quite an impressively low Dan number, Master Frank! My master's is in the 1500s somewhere.

 

[Kodanjaclay]

Phil,

Lest I confuse, mt dan bon is from Master Pak's (Pak, Ho Sik) organization. Our organization has only been around for about 10 years or so, so it is difficult to say how impressive that is, if at all.

The dan bon system is basically an accounting system for the number of black belts issued. I am dan 136. I kinda like being in a small organization, and since I have a personal relatioship with Master Pak, I can see my progress, and have access to our source when I have questions.

 

[Llarion]

Well, that fact that it is a dan and not a gup is enough to color me impressed, so there. Anyway, I didn't mean to threadjack here, so shall we jump spin kick this bugger back on topic? :boing2:

 

[Kodanjaclay]

No problem.