Testing process

jdinca

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First of all, I tried a search to see if this topic has already been discussed and couldn't find one. If it exists, sorry!

It appears that testing procedures are as diverse as the systems represented here. So I'm curious, what process does your school use to test for advancement? What are the general requirements? Can a single instructor test and pass a student, or is it done by a board (some only have one)? Is the student presented with their next belt immediately, or is there a set time for the ceremony? There's no right or wrong way, and many ideas on how elaborate or simple the process can be. It would be interesting to know what others do.

We're a pretty large school with a lot of students and a lot of instructors. Our tests involve all material for the belt (of course), kicks, techniques and katas. I can test and pass a student by myself up to orange belt. At that point, we usually have at least two additional instructors watching the test, with the students private instructor running the test. At the blue belt level, the test will have several black belts present. Above that, there will be plenty of of black belts and the school's Master.

In addition, we have a monthly "Belt Board". The students test in a group by belt rank. Black belts and instructors are seated in the front of the room. It can be intimidating to the students but it can also provide a great deal of benefit. We try and test as much as possible on these occasions and there are very few tests above blue belt that aren't done at the belt board.

Testing once you have become an instructor is a different process. Testing for your black belt is a whole 'nuther ball game.

Belts are presented immediately after a successful test. Black Belt ceremonies are a special event, as they happen very infrequently, with everyone from the school and their families invited.
 

Andrew Green

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My adult class don't test, no belts, no testing.

Kids class:

At every level they do a "test" which is basically a test of whether they have been picking up on what we've been doing. And perhaps more then that it is a chance for them to push themselves. We completely drain them and see how hard and how long they can go. At the end they are whipped, pumped, and a little more motivated afterwards and leading up to it.

Every few belts, (first one is at green) they also have to demonstrate a list of skills. There is about 50 for the first one, ranging from pin escapes, takedowns, a few submissions, striking and weapons work.
 

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jdinca said:
It appears that testing procedures are as diverse as the systems represented here. So I'm curious, what process does your school use to test for advancement?

There were stripe tests for the required rank material weekly and monthly belt exams. Just because there was a weekly/monthly test, did not mean that you were going to be tested.

What are the general requirements?

They had to know all of the required material for that belt level, and be able to perform it, make it work, understand it, etc. For the lower ranks, at times there was a little more consideration given due to the rank, but once they started to advance, their performance was also expected to go up.

Can a single instructor test and pass a student, or is it done by a board (some only have one)?

The montly test was done IFO a board.


Is the student presented with their next belt immediately, or is there a set time for the ceremony?

No, they received it that night.

Mike
 
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TheBattousai

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What we do at our school is somewhat the same and different. We have two test periods at the hombu (or home/main) dojo around june and december. The soke or headmaster and the avalible black belts not testing sit on a board and observe the test to offer opinions or other angles from the test. Kyu ranks or non-black belt ranks stand in front of the board with their uke or partner and perform some old techniques (unless there a white belt), then they begin the test by demanstrating their rank's techniques;throws, blocks, hand techniques, kicks, chokes (if 16), and counterjoint techniques, then their weapons demanstration, kata, and embu (two man form). For black belts they first have to do some prerequisists, a pretest showing all the techniques they should know and a mondo. A mondo is a paper they write on questions given to them to so if they are developing mentally and spiritually. Then they may take there test in a simular format only more katas. We do the belt tieing ceremony either as soon as the belts come in for someone who passed or when they can have family come and watch. For our outlining schools they can only test up to like a 3rd class brown or 1st class brown, then the students will either come visit and test at some point in time or the headmaster will visit for a test session.
 
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jdinca

jdinca

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Thanks, Mike. We do stripe tests also but I left that out to keep the post from being even longer. I assume three stripes before a belt test? And yes, expectations go up with rank. Also, a student does not test either in a private lesson or before the belt board before their instructor feels they're ready.
 

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Tests are done by your private instructor until brown belt. At brown belt level, you must spar, and therefore there will be an/some instructors you spar and some that judge. If you spar on a test before that, there will be more people, but that doesnt always happen. It depends on the student. I dont know what the blackbelt test entails but it takes like 3 hours and there are several instructors present. You recieve your belt and certificate that night.
 

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jdinca said:
I assume three stripes before a belt test?

Thats correct. 2 forms and the techniques.


And yes, expectations go up with rank. Also, a student does not test either in a private lesson or before the belt board before their instructor feels they're ready.

I've never really liked the set time that is often done in many schools. Its fine to have a guideline, but to give the student the impression that once that time is up, they're going to be able to test...sorry, that just doesn't agree with me.

I was always more than happy to spend a few minutes before/after class to help them along, but I looked at it like this: The students that I gave the OK to to test, were going to be a reflection of me. If I went ahead and put someone who's not ready on the test, thats not going to make me look good in the eyes of the other instructors, the head instructor, and the other students. I'd rather have someone wait and look good, than rush and look bad.

Mike
 

Sam

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MJS said:
I was always more than happy to spend a few minutes before/after class to help them along, but I looked at it like this: The students that I gave the OK to to test, were going to be a reflection of me. If I went ahead and put someone who's not ready on the test, thats not going to make me look good in the eyes of the other instructors, the head instructor, and the other students. I'd rather have someone wait and look good, than rush and look bad.

Mike

I never personally liked the idea of group testing or testings that only occur x times a year. When testing, to make sure everything is good, it should be just YOU in my opinon. It makes you more nervous too, which is good I think, so you can know how you do under pressure. Not everyone learns at the same rate, why should they all test at the same time? Why hold some students back to wait for others? Why hurry slower students to meet a pace?
No, I think tests should be one student, whenever its time.
 

MJS

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Sam said:
I never personally liked the idea of group testing or testings that only occur x times a year. When testing, to make sure everything is good, it should be just YOU in my opinon. It makes you more nervous too, which is good I think, so you can know how you do under pressure. Not everyone learns at the same rate, why should they all test at the same time? Why hold some students back to wait for others? Why hurry slower students to meet a pace?
No, I think tests should be one student, whenever its time.

Sam, you bring up some good points. I've taken a few private tests, and I agree, it does make you nervous. Just you and a bunch of other instructors.

Just to clarify the way the testing was done at this school. Monday and Tuesday were devoted to rank requirements. Monday being the beginners and Tuesday the intermediate and advanced. I agree not everyone learns at the same rate. Nobody was being held back and nobody was being rushed. I can't speak for every school, but this was not the case at this school.

Mike
 

Korppi76

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In our aikido school there is about 4-5 test/year for kuy ranks.
You can ask permission to enter test when you have enough practise sessions and it has been long enough from last time.(between 2-10 month depending the rank)

If you get permission to go test then there are about 1-3 persons/time doing all techniques in requirements. All kyu ranks are in same test so it is usefull for lower belts to see what higher belts are doing. Test is held by 1 or 2 instructors.

For Black belt there are now 4 test opportunities/year. You have to get permission from your schools head teacher to enter test and after that national Technical committee decides if you can enter to test.

Test itself is quite bit more nervous situation because there might be over hundred persons to watch it because they are always within seminar held by Japanese shinan rank sensei (either Endo, Kobayashi or Igarashi sensei)

Test is held by Japanese shinan rank sensei and Technical committee.


In our Karate school 2 tests/year for kyu ranks.
You can ask permission to enter them from your instructors.

If you are accepted then you can go to try test which is held by schools head teacher.
In test there are more group doing than aikido test otheways quite similar.



In my Judo school situation is quite similar to our karate school. Execpt there is 3 tests/year.


In my old Jujutsu school first kyu test was on our school and rest are in seminars.


(sorry my bad english.)
 

arnisador

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It depends. In arnis we usually use a board for black belts, but not always. Lower level promotions are usually at the instructor's discretion, if authorized to promote.
 

karatekid1975

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In our dojang, we tip test every month (three tips per belt, one per month). Once you get the third tip, that is basically your test for your next rank. There is an additional test to make sure you are ready for graduation. That's when the color belts get their new belts. For each tip, you have to go through everything that you learned to that point (forms, one steps, ect).

1st gups that are going for BB, and everyone above that have to go through power camp (basically 8 hours of H.....). 2nd gups going for 1st (high red or senior red), they don't do power camp but they test with the BB's. Then the test itself. If you pass, there is a special Black Belt ceremony, which family and friends can attend (they can attend the test also). That's when the high red and BB ranks get their belts.

When we tested this last time, we basically went through the whole curriculum, basics, board breaking, and sparring. I actually had a blast this time around.

In TSD, you had a three month wait between ranks (longer once you hit 4th gup). Once you have completed the three month period, and attended class regularly, you would be pretested and would get one tip. That means you would be testing at the next test. The testing was basically done in class (a scheduled test, that is). They would pull all the testees aside and go through the curriculum, or make the whole class go through it. If they had to do breaking, they would definitly be pulled off to the side. Then the class sparred as a whole. If you passed, you'd get your belt that night or at the next class.

In Jujitsu, I haven't tested yet. But there isn't a test. My instructor said he will promote us when he sees fit. Simple enough ;)
 
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jdinca

jdinca

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MJS said:
I was always more than happy to spend a few minutes before/after class to help them along, but I looked at it like this: The students that I gave the OK to to test, were going to be a reflection of me. If I went ahead and put someone who's not ready on the test, thats not going to make me look good in the eyes of the other instructors, the head instructor, and the other students. I'd rather have someone wait and look good, than rush and look bad.

Great point. We've been told a number of times that at a belt board, the black belts are critiquing the instructor just as much as they are the student. The first couple that I sent students to, I think I was more nervous than they were!
 
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jdinca

jdinca

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Sam said:
I never personally liked the idea of group testing or testings that only occur x times a year. When testing, to make sure everything is good, it should be just YOU in my opinon. It makes you more nervous too, which is good I think, so you can know how you do under pressure. Not everyone learns at the same rate, why should they all test at the same time? Why hold some students back to wait for others? Why hurry slower students to meet a pace?
No, I think tests should be one student, whenever its time.

I wholeheartedly agree about set testing times. The student is ready when the student is ready.

As for group testing, I can see your point also. I must say though, having over a dozen black belts and instructors watching you perform can add a lot of pressure. There are students that are tested privately, just because of that. Small children are always tested privately.

As long as you not testing in a huge group (I've never seen more than six on the mat at one time) I think it can work well. It can be good for the student to see what they can do in that environment under that level of scrutiny.
 

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In my school you test when the Sensei feels you are ready and if you met the mandatory time of training. There is a set time between each rank that you need to fulfill. I am soon to be testing for my brown belt. The test includes:
1) Needed to be actively training for 1 year from my previous belt test.
2) Go thru a pre-test to make sure.
3) Do all 50 Techniques on the right and left side. Do all 50 Techniques in application (being attacked by Uke) on both right and left side.
4) 100 person attack line, which usually ends being 125 attacks due to going thru the failed pile again, multiple attackers and what ever else they feel like throwing at you. Basically attacks are written on cards and handed out to Uke's. They hand card to the sensei's and they attack you based on what the card said (Punch, kick, knife, stick, gun, grips, etc.). The Sensei's then put the card in a pass or fail pile.
5) And I think there is a written test, but not sure.
 

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