What are your tests like?

[ThatWasAKick]

Being fairly new to the martial arts I'm very curious as to how other schools test their students for upper belts and for black. I've heard of everything from getting a black belt through a mail order program to 50-hour tests. I'm wondering if there is a "norm."

We do 4-hour tests for degrees of brown in our self-defense school (MMA). The premise is to make you move so fast that you don't have time to think, then see how well you can perform when you're exhausted, not thinking straight, and being barked at. There's no kata. We fight in the gym, in the dojo, and outside in the dirt (fun). It's hard, serious, and exhausting.

The black belt test is 30 hours, no sleep, no food.

I guess I can deal with that just so I can finally start learning - really learning - the new material, but cripes, it's a scary thought. Is this type of testing par for the course in mixed martial arts / self-defense?

 

[AnimEdge]

Harder than ours
Most of the tests are done at "Demos" they call it, where anyone can come up and watch, i dont knwo hwo the high ones are done but all the others its a general they tell you want to do you do it but the black bekt one is like a 3 hour long non stop sparring session(aka getting your ***-kicked)

 

[ThatWasAKick]

So the lower belts are public and the black test is private? Or do you get to get your **** whooped in front of the world? hehe

 

[AnimEdge]

the black belt is private incase they dont make it through last thing you want goin around is how badly you lost your BB test

 

[jesse sutton]

a standard yellow belt test is an hour long, and for ever belt you get you have to do that belts worth, plus everything from all the belts you already have. So if you are going for black, then you do yellow, orange, green, blue, brown, AND the black stuff all in one session. So you do everything you've ever learned which goes for approx... 8 hours? maybe more, maybe less.

When going for each black belt you have to do the same, but only with the stuff you've learned as a black. So when going for 8th, i would have to do the 1st and on up, not doing anything of the lower belts.

Either way its tough.

 

[AnimEdge]

in ours you dont do it all at one time, but the black belt test is like in parts per say, like one is techniques of all teh belts, one is like a 1000 word essay and like then a 3 hour sparring session

 

[ThatWasAKick]

Jessee, yours seems close to ours in the way you need to know and demonstrate your material for lower belts vs. degrees of black. That is tough.

AE - What would be an example of the subject of a 1000-word essay? Would it be subjective, like "how has this training affected my personal life?" or objective, like "explain the physics behind the following movements...?"

 

[AnimEdge]

i woudl think it woudl be subjective "Why does a ninja enjoy fliiping out and killing people wail wailing on there guitar?"

 

[Shogun]

Aikido-
lower ranks: About half hour, demonstrating each technique several times.
High ranks: about 2 hours or more, several days, same thing. more techniques.

Ninjutsu-
low ranks = when instructor feels you ready.
Shodan = discretion of Shidoshi.
5th Dan = Soke discretion.

I use a couple of HSC as aids. you practice at your school, or with a partner for a determined amount of time, then send video of yourself for review. at Shodan, you test in person with instructors.
I use a Freestyle Jujutsu course, a Toshindo (Taijutsu) course, and a few other supplements as well.

 

[MichiganTKD]

Our Grandmaster has said that testings should take two hours regardless. If one person-two hours; if 1000 people-two hours.

Anyhow, our testings are conducted in the following manner:
1. White belt-first half of basics, form (Kibon Ilchang)
2. Yellow belt-second half of basics, Palgue Il chang
3. Yellow green-basic kicking, one step sparring, Palgue Eichang
4. Low green-high red: Form (whatever Palgue form is at your level), controlled free fighting. You must demonstrate footwork and the ability to contact your opponent.
5. Red to black-Palgue Chil/Pal, free fight three times against black belts, breaking, three page essay on TKD with your application.
However, all tests are subject to whatever our Grandmaster wants to see. If he wants to see a red belt do one step, they do one step.

Testing 4th Dan and above can be public or private. My test was public. Most of the tests for 5th Dan and above are private-just the tester and the judges. May take place in Korea or America, wherever the judges happen to be. Furthermore, higher Dan testing can be physical or verbal with the judges examining your credentials and asking you questions. You may not put on a uniform to test.

 

[kanjc]

Not sure I go for my yellow test in about an hour, I'll let you know

 

[ThatWasAKick]

This is all so varied and so interesting.

kanjc - How did it go?

 

[kanjc]

The yellow belt test was actually rather easy. We had to show that we could do the basic kicks (front, round, axe, back, and step side) and Palgue 1. After all that was over we had to break a board with the step side. We did it all together white through red so it was a little confusing at times but other than that it went rather well and it only took about an hour and a half for 13 people. Now I have to start working on kicking basic 1 for the orange belt test in december.

 

[IMAA]

Interesting question and I'd like to add my credentials here.

When I tested for my shodan back in 91 my black belt test was pretty extensive. It was around 12 hours long and very exhausting. We ran through all our requirments including the kicks, punhces, kata and self defense, performing bunkai out of kata, weapons etc...We were required to do a physical training course. Run 3miles in under 30mins, so many pushups etc. At the very end we were taken to a park where there were several guys who we did not know and we were forced to defend ourselves. We were not outnumbered but the guys were members of high rank in another MA school. We were forced to believe they were "paid" to fight us. LOL this was one of the secret black belt testing agreements that was initiated amongst peer schools. Its a shame that this school and my sensei had retired many years ago it was one of the better schols around. Today most that my current dojo and sensei does for BB testing is spar a round w/ all the studentsand its not that extensive. Only lasts about 2 hours tops. OH THE GOOD OL DAYS LOL

 

[Paul B]

Hard....(giggling hysterically) I know,I know,.. "I am a dork".


Not too bad..about 4 hours. Too many techniques to count. Freestyle practice,multiples,uhh.....more like a "show me what you know" kind of thing than a strict"do what I tell you" test.

It is definitley a "mental" sweat as well as physical,though.

 

[sifu nick]

underbelt tests require students to demonstrate the material for their current rank. Brown Belt and above requires the same plus all material from white belt to current rank. Also included above orange belt is sparring and breaking. The black belt test is a whole different story. Basically plan on 8 hrs. minimum and soreness for about a week. Underbelt test take between 1-3 hrs. depending on the number of students testing.

 

[IMAA]

Sounds good. Many things have changed in our testing ceremonies. Used to, to me they were well organized and decently put together and had a bit of a "harder" flavor or mentality somewhat Military to a standard. Alot of barking and ordering going on. Well recently, we had a change of heart in our promotional requirements and structure. We had a Ninjutsu guy who jerked his kids out of our promotions because of the yelling and military type structure said it was a negative environment and not productive in the sense of demeaning to break down the students mentally. And well we have softned our tones now and pretty much made our promotions a just make sure you can do your requirements now, and don't have to put forth the effort that you once had and as long as everythng goes smoothly you pass. Im not sure how I take to all of this right now. I've been through 2 of these promotions now as a board member and w/ me being ex military, and a corrections officer as well as just going up my ranks being expected to put forth 100% regardless and always had that fear of failing if I didn't give my upmost extreme effort and to be the best I could be and made me dig deep within myself to pull out even at the roughest and hardest of times and now these other people don't have to really even break a sweat and can slack off it seems like and they all know now that everyone will pass or at the least you'll be put on a probationary standard for your rank otherwise..is just redundant to me and im in the realm of not sure i can continue under my sensei anymore because I am having a hard time w/ this structure. But I guess I can't complain its his school not mine. Oh well.

 

[ThatWasAKick]

I think the mental part is at least as important as the physical.

nanjc - congratulations on your new belt! Good for you!

IMAA - you illustrated the question I had perfectly. I have heard whispers that on our black belt test we will be facing surprise attackers on-site and off; black belts from elsewhere. hehe, I like the paid-actor approach better. What a clever idea. We don't have to do a 3-mile run, thank goodness. We do have to last 30 hours w/out sleep/food. (Thankfully it's a one-shot deal and we never have to go through this test again.) Anyway, I'm pleased to find that other school's tests are quite difficult, and from you that we aren't the only school that is so... aggressive? demanding? wacked-out? absolutely friggin' nuts?

 

[kanjc]

We all got our test results back last night for saturday's belt test, I was going for yellow belt, but did not get it. As luck would have it myself and one other person are skipping yellow and are now orange belts. We were told last night what we need to learn before our next test...That is a lot of stuff to remember!

 

[IMAA]

Damn over achievers! LOL wow congrats I've never gotten to skip any ranks b4.. Good job