Stripe tests for American Kenpo

[bzarnett]

I don't think it really matters about the material. Often its a form of tape though.

 

[KenpoNoChikara]

We have stripes for Blue & Green ie: blue w/green stripe, green w/ brown stripe. They have technique and form requirments just like the other ranks.
Kid's get one black stripe on their belts for 100% effort in six classes. Everyone has to be able to sew, though, we only use fabric stripes on the belts. A felt-like material tends to work well, otherwise it's impossible to get them in place on the belt!

 

[loki09789]

The idea behind a stripe is that it represents a unit of work in a system. A stripe test is informal while a belt test (exam) is formal. A student can fail the stripe tests many time and by the time they go for the final exam they should pass because they have proven through the stripe tests that they know the material.

For a martial art school, its a retention method.

For example, a student working on yellow belt material might get a stripe when:

1) They know the terminology or specific terms and points of logic of the rank.

2) Can demonstrate the techniques and identify elements regarding margin for error.

3) Demonstrate short 1 and block set 1 demonstrating the concept of with.

It can be more detailed. Or less detailed. You might get a stripe for the first 12 techniques, a stripe for the second 12, and a stripe for the forms and sets. Three stripes passed and away you go for the test.

Just some examples...thoughts...points of view.

Soooo, if these tokens are being used ethically, they are indicators of passing a 'module' within a larger 'unit' of study that, when all the 'modules' are completed will mean successful completion of the 'unit' of study and the student has earned a promotion...

Sounds like effective use of organizing a curriculum into short and long term goal sets/objectives so that students can see how things are connected in small ways and larger conceptual ways as well.

If folks are abusing this system and handing them out for no real valid or reasonable purpose, that can happen with any system that has been corrupted from curriculum organization and used as 'power tools' to satisfy the ego of the leader.