Preparing for a Test

[Lucy Rhombus]

Well, I just found out that I'm to test for brown belt (san-kyu in Okinawan kenpo and kobujutsu) in three weeks. Yahoo! -- but also so much to work on! There will be a warm up, which can be very strenuous, and then I'll have to perform two karate kata and one kobudo kata. Not sure which karate kata I'll be doing yet (I'm hoping for Passai and Pinon Godan, but Sensei will decide), but the weapon kata will be Kyan No Sai.

I'll also have to answer questions about the history or our style of karate as well as kobudo, plus talk about the karate "way," why I take karate, why I'm testing, etc. Finally, I'll have to do full contact sparring (wearing bogu gear) with one of the black belts.

I'm becoming a wreck thinking of all the work I have to do! I feel my stamina isn't up to snuff, and I'm not sure how to build it up in three weeks. (I'm considering getting a month-long membership at the local Y and doing the treadmill there.) Kyan No Sai is my weakest weapons kata, which is why Sensei has asked me to perform that one. Passai, though I love it because it's so beautiful, is extremely hard, with a spinning side kick that doesn't agree with me. And Sensei will be looking for me to have fixed my problem of often lifting my back heel on moves.

So:

1. Okay, I've been going into overdrive to increase my flexibility and strength, I have plenty of notes on the history of karate, and I know I need to practice my kata. Any suggestions for how to increase stamina in three weeks? I'd hate to poop out during the warmup so much that I can't give my all during the kata. Any other suggestions for training for a belt test in such a limited amount of time?

2. I'm not even going to get into describing my intense fear of performing in front of a crowd (and my parents and some friends may attend as well!). I've been getting better, but any tips would be appreciated.

3. I'd also like this thread to be for members to describe how THEY prepare for belt tests. Should be interesting!

Looking forward to your responses!

 

[Shinzu]

ive been there and i think we all have at some point. you never feel you are truly ready and that you are going to miss something.

one word......RELAX

if your instructor did not feel you were ready for this he/she would not have you testing.

review what you know and trust yourself. if stamina is a concern i alway resort to taebo. some may think it is cheesy but it is a great cardio workout and helps fast with results.

also ask lots of questions at class. this will make things easier if you are asked on the spot.

i start to prepare myself by going over techniques in my head if i dont have time to practice (like when i'm at work). think kenpo, eat kenpo, and sleep kenpo. focus on different areas through out the next 3 weeks. you will see a major improvement.

best of luck..i'm sure you will shine!!

 

[Danny]

Forget about trying to increase your flexibility and stamina in three weeks. You'll need a weeks rest after training just to be 100% on your test. That gives you two weeks actual training which isn’t going to amount to much even if you train 6 hrs. a day. Having said that now is the time to start increasing your flexibility and stamina in preparation for your Black Belt test.

Otherwise relax. Review your stuff over, and over, and over again until you know it like the back of your hand. After that what will happen will happen. No point worrying about it. Just suck it up, get up there, and do what you have to do.

Lastly remember, that the satisfaction you feel when you put on that belt for the first time is proportional to stress of the test you took to earn it.

 

[tshadowchaser]

ive been there and i think we all have at some point. you never feel you are truly ready and that you are going to miss something.

If you felt over confident I would say you where not ready.
The fact that your instructor has decieded that you are to test tells me you are ready.
go over your forms till you see them in your sleep
do whatever normal excercises you do but double them on your own time
Go into the test knowing your going to give 100 % and enjoy the experence
if you mess anything up and are allowed to repeat it ask permission , take a deep breath , relax( body and mind) and nail it

Remember you have all of us cheering for you
tshadowchaser
:asian:

 

[Lucy Rhombus]

Thanks for your encouragement!

Well, I'm definitely not confident, so I guess I have THAT going for me...

What's this about a week's rest after training? If I went a week without practicing, I'd be up the creek! I've noticed that a few days off of intense stretching can actually improve flexibility, and I know your muscles need rest from weight bearing exercise, but what about practicing kata?

So, anyone else want to share how they prepare for their belt tests?

 

[Danny]

I mean a week without fitness training. Keep practicing your technical just don't wear yourself out doing it.

 

[SenseiBear]

Hmmm. 3 weeks - do all your forms daily. Tae Bo is great for cardio and endurance, and less boring than running. I agree, little to no working out for 3 or 4 days prior to the test, let everything rest and heal. Carb loading starting a couple of days prior. I like to visualize my forms as I go to sleep. Get into a meditative state, see the form. Picture each body posture being done correctly, try to really see it, and hopefully feel it in your muscles.

And finally, RELAX. If you were asked/told to test - you are ready. Your instructor knows you are ready. Think of the test not as a challange, or a fight, but rather as a showcase. It is an opportunity to put what you know on display. More than that, it shows what you really know, as it must be called upon in a high stress situation. And try to think of it as a showcase of your abilities for yourself. It is to show YOU what you know. Your instructor already knows what you can do. This is to make sure you know.

And time to focus on the Black belt...

 

[LadyDragon]

I think at one point in time or another everyone in the upper ranks has gone through their moments of complete PANIC before an exam of that mignitude. But ultimately the thing to try and do is to stay calm. If you work youself up you'll spaz before you even start the exam and that'll actually make your energy levels drop.

If you want to build up your stamina, try swimming. Its one of the best work outs you can get. It works out just about every muscle in your body and at the same time you'll be having to hold you breath slightly so that'll help increase you lung capacity some.

As for your kata's. Go over them in your mind before doing them physically. Imagine yourself doing your form the way you would like to and then try and go over the motions slowly. This should help take out some of the small kinks in your form, if thats what your looking for.

Good luck on your test and let us all know how it goes.

 

[Lucy Rhombus]

You guys rock! It's so nice to have people I can gush about martial arts to, since my friends (non-dojo friends, that is) and family (except for my green-belt husband) are not that interested.

Like SenseiBear said, I'm trying to think of the test as not a terrible stressor, but as an opportunity to show sensei what I've learned.

SenseiBear, I'm a freelance nutrition writer, but I've only just started to write articles for the more sports-oriented mags (I usually write nutrition pieces for women's mags like Oxygen and Family Circle), so I'm not too familiar with carb loading yet. What does this entail, and do you know of any good online resources about nutrition before a sporting event? (I have written about nutritional needs before powerlifting competitions, but they're looking for short bursts of power and strength, while I'm looking for long-lasting power and endurance).

Also, thanks for your tips, LadyDragon! I LOVE going over kata in my head, so no problem there. But I like the idea of visualizing the perfect kata and doing the moves slowly.

 

[Mithios]

Work on everything hard for the next 2.5 week's! And then take the day or two before the test an relax !!!!! MITHIOS

 

[Mark L]

I agree Tae Bo is kind of cheesy, but it does keep you going for a good 45 minutes, I use it for a few months before each test to get my wind up. Another aspect of testing (at least at my school) is recovery. If your going for hours at a time with just a few moments between activities, the ability to recover quickly is important. For this I've found wind sprints to be invaluable, and I believe you can make noticeable improvement in a few weeks.

Make sure you're warmed up. Run as hard as you can for 30 seconds, it doesn't matter how far you go, just go hard. Walk or jog back to your starting point, then do it again right away. Repeat until you've run 10 sprints. This kills me, but you can do it 4-5 times a week, and it has made a huge difference in my test performance.