When to test for rank promotion.

[Barnatha82]

I just started karate and I asked my instructor when I will get my first promotion(Yellow belt). He told me that he would randomly invite no more than 3 students to test at a time. He then told me that he keeps attendance and that he will only test students who attend at least twice a week with a minimum of 30 class training hours, but he would prefer that stuents have 40 class hours before testing. He does not charge testing fees. Is this an appropriate approach to testing?

 

[Steve]

Sounds pretty straight forward. Do any of the pope,e who test ever fail?

 

[Buka]

I just started karate and I asked my instructor when I will get my first promotion(Yellow belt). He told me that he would randomly invite no more than 3 students to test at a time. He then told me that he keeps attendance and that he will only test students who attend at least twice a week with a minimum of 30 class training hours, but he would prefer that stuents have 40 class hours before testing. He does not charge testing fees. Is this an appropriate approach to testing?

Yup.

Now worries, bro, every dojo is different. But it will all work out eventually, you'll get your belt if you work out and give your best.
Count your blessings, if you were in my dojo and asked about promotions/belts etc, it would be an automatic six months tacked on before you were even considered.

Just keep training, you're going to love what comes. Your instructor sounds sound.

 

[Barnatha82]

Sounds pretty straight forward. Do any of the pope,e who test ever fail?

I haven't seen any one test yet, but he is serious about technique and will correct someone and show them the right way the moment he sees an improper technique being executed.

 

[Barnatha82]

Yup.

Now worries, bro, every dojo is different. But it will all work out eventually, you'll get your belt if you work out and give your best.
Count your blessings, if you were in my dojo and asked about promotions/belts etc, it would be an automatic six months tacked on before you were even considered.

Just keep training, you're going to love what comes. Your instructor sounds sound.

I asked before signing up. I'm glad I didn't ask afterwards.

 

[Tames D]

Welcome to MartialTalk. Are you training in Kanzen Ryu?

 

[Tames D]

Sounds pretty straight forward. Do any of the pope,e who test ever fail?

This guy must be good if he's training the Pope.

 

[Barnatha82]

Welcome to MartialTalk. Are you training in Kanzen Ryu?

Yes I am. How did you know?

 

[PhotonGuy]

Count your blessings, if you were in my dojo and asked about promotions/belts etc, it would be an automatic six months tacked on before you were even considered.

Than how would a student know how the system works? Lets say a student isn't clear about how promotion works in your dojo and so they ask about it, what would be another six months just because a student asked about how promotion works?

 

[JR 137]

Than how would a student know how the system works? Lets say a student isn't clear about how promotion works in your dojo and so they ask about it, what would be another six months just because a student asked about how promotion works?

There's ways to ask. At my dojo (and the rest of Seido Juku), it's against our etiquette to ask when and/or to promote. The policy is you'll be told when you're ready.

But students starting out should be told the expectations. Like most schools, we have a minimum about of classes attended before testing policy (kyu ranks). It's typically 30-60. If the student isn't ready once that time has been met, they don't test.

A student should ask what is required to promote: material, attendance, and anything else. They shouldn't ask "when am I going to promote?" They also can and should respectfully ask why they aren't promoting if they genuinely don't know. This should always be done privately and asked in a manner that doesn't put the teacher on the defensive.

Just like in comedy, timing and delivery is everything.

 

[drop bear]

Yeah the reality is people want belt ranks.

(Ssshhh. don't tell anyone. But that is why you have them in the first place)

 

[PhotonGuy]

They also can and should respectfully ask why they aren't promoting if they genuinely don't know.

This is basically the point I've tried to make in the past. Not to ask if I could promote but to ask why I haven't been told I could test or promote if its taking me longer than usual to promote and by that I mean if its taking me much longer than the average length of time it takes a student to promote at the particular dojo Im going to. If its taking me much longer than that I would want to know why, specifically where I fall short and what I need to work on to meet my instructor's standards. I want to know what I need to do to bring myself up to par so Im eligible for the next belt or level.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Yeah the reality is people want belt ranks.

From my experience both in this forum and in the world of martial arts in general, what I've seen is that some people do and some people don't.

 

[drop bear]

From my experience both in this forum and in the world of martial arts in general, what I've seen is that some people do and some people don't.

Yeah i think you are supposed to pretend you dont or something. It gets complicated.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Yeah i think you are supposed to pretend you dont or something. It gets complicated.

That's silly if you ask me. Wanting something and pretending you don't.

 

[drop bear]

That's silly if you ask me. Wanting something and pretending you don't.

Yeah. But the martial styles have this on offer. Have integrated into their system that you can/should work towards higher rankings. Otherwise they would not have belts.

But at the same time can't openly chase these ranking because it is seen as a social faux pas.

 

[Tames D]

There's ways to ask. At my dojo (and the rest of Seido Juku), it's against our etiquette to ask when and/or to promote. The policy is you'll be told when you're ready.

But students starting out should be told the expectations. Like most schools, we have a minimum about of classes attended before testing policy (kyu ranks). It's typically 30-60. If the student isn't ready once that time has been met, they don't test.

A student should ask what is required to promote: material, attendance, and anything else. They shouldn't ask "when am I going to promote?" They also can and should respectfully ask why they aren't promoting if they genuinely don't know. This should always be done privately and asked in a manner that doesn't put the teacher on the defensive.

Just like in comedy, timing and delivery is everything.

Doe's your school have a technique called 'Walking On Eggshells' ?

 

[Tames D]

Yeah. But the martial styles have this on offer. Have integrated into their system that you can/should work towards higher rankings. Otherwise they would not have belts.

But at the same time can't openly chase these ranking because it is seen as a social faux pas.

I think alot of school owners have forgotten who pays who.

 

[JR 137]

Doe's your school have a technique called 'Walking On Eggshells' ?

Nope. It has techniques called "soccer mom doesn't tell us when you promote," "rank is earned rather than given," and "you must have us confused with the McDojo black belt drive thru."

 

[JR 137]

I think alot of school owners have forgotten who pays who.

While I agree, I think more have given people whatever they want so long as they're paying. How many people earn their black belt in 2 years? How many 8 year old black belts are there? How many from either group can fight their way out of a wet paper bag?

A TKD school down the road from my dojo has several 4th dans around 13-15 years old. Hopefully they'll achieve grand master status for their 30th birthday.

As Mr. Miyagi said, "Balance most important, Daniel San."