What are your tests like?

[ThatWasAKick]

Ha! You weren't one of those guys that made straight A's in school were you?

I've heard of skipping ranks when you're cross-training: you go to another school, they see what you know, and they jump you ahead.
Have you trained before? Or do you just love this?
Either way, good for you!
>hands kanjc some chocolate<

 

[Kamaria Annina]

Our tests follow the same procedure, yet get gradually hard for each testing.

Line kicking (basic kicks, onto more advanced ones)
Forms
Self Defense
Board Breaking

The longest testing I have ever been to I think have been two hours long.

 

[bignick]

i just got done with a test that is halfway between 1st gup and 1st dan...it's basically a preliminary test for the black belt test...was about 2 and a half hours...forms and theory behind them...history, terminology, leadership, teaching, breaking theory, physical test(situps, pushup)...part of this test used to be a 3 brick knifehand with spacers...we no longer do it anymore...but after the test i asked the instructor if i could try it...but she said no spacers...which got me a little nervous...since it wasn't part of the test anymore i tried it with knifehand and didn't get it...for the second try i used a palm smash...and that did the trick...i was pretty confident with spacers...but without them i started to sweat a bit..

 

[kanjc]

Ha! You weren't one of those guys that made straight A's in school were you?

I've heard of skipping ranks when you're cross-training: you go to another school, they see what you know, and they jump you ahead.
Have you trained before? Or do you just love this?
Either way, good for you!
>hands kanjc some chocolate<

No, I didn't get A's in school ( I was too busy getting kicked out), I started Tae Kwon Do the beginning of August, I no I have never had any formal training before. I do enjoy it greatly though, a good work out for mind and body.

 

[bignick]

No, I didn't get A's in school ( I was too busy getting kicked out), I started Tae Kwon Do the beginning of August, I no I have never had any formal training before. I do enjoy it greatly though, a good work out for mind and body.

good to hear you found something you liked

 

[TigerWoman]

Kancj-congrats on your double promotion. Our master does that too, usually orange thru green. If you had good kicks, showed flexibility, did your break well, did you forms, stances well, kicks held etc. adds extra points. Anyway, nice job!

Bignick, see what b i g gets you.... 3 bricks!!! Usually we don't palm strike that many for rec. black but some guys do. For 1st degree, the big guys had to knife two, no spacers. We call that test after high red, an intermediary called recommended black belt and those that take it are considered a black belt. But it shouldn't be long before you go for 1st dan now! Glad it went well, congrats!!!
TW

 

[bignick]

yeah...first dan test in december...we call this rank red senior...same principle i suppose...

we don't have the recommended/probational black belts...but i can understand why some schools do...

 

[KenpoNoChikara]

I think in our BB tests, they obviously do all the techniques, kata, basics, ect. there's also reaction, written test, sparring or line sparring, running for a few of miles.....I haven't had the test yet, so there's lots more, pardon my ignorence.

Respectfully, kenponochikara

 

[jmann06405]

For my first dan, I was flown to cambodia, held in a prison camp for seven days(in a horse stance) then flown back to the states on a specially modified 747 where I could do nothing but forms the entire trip(20 something hours with layover) until we landed on the ground. After I fell down the ramp onto the tarmac, picked myself up and saw my instructor standing there, I breathed a sigh of relief. Was the test over?

He smiled, all teeth, and clapped me on the shoulder.

"Congratulationssssss...now we can begin." Then he laughed insidiously.

Bowel control factor 9.8.

Ok folks. Kidding. My longest test was a matter of maybe 6 hours. And it really doesn't matter after the first thirty minutes. If you are performing at peak, you dry out pretty quick in 5th gear. The only difference between not being in shape and being physically prepared is that your mental engine can still carry you when the carbs from that bear claw and 2 cheese danishes evaporates.

I have had long tests and short tests in almost twenty years of training. The ones that were the best though were the ones where I was actually being tested on what I had learned and not the ones where it was show up and get ground into the floor.

 

[Vadim]

For 1st Degree

1. speech
2. endurance test- Pushups, situps, etc.
3. basic techniques- various punches, kicks, and combinations
4. close range self-defenses
5. breaking techniques
6. continuous sparring- five two minute rounds no rest in between

Quite an exhausting experience but alot of fun none the less.

-Vadim

 

[MartialMom]

I just completed my Orange belt test this past sunday and am still sore.

Our Adult/Teen tests begin at 6:00am at a local park. We begin with about a mile run. (High belts are sent out ahead of the group and told to catch the group before they complete the course).

After that we returned to our rank line and stretched out so we could really get to work. LOL

We did the required pushups and crunches (50 of each non stop)

We ran "Z-Sprints" on the basketball court for what seemed like forever (I think I counted 50 laps)

We were allowed a drink of water and had to carry our gear down the hill to an Ampa-Theatre that is cut into a hill with high rock steps/seats. We proceeded to run up the steps, around the top of the theatre and down the steps, around the front and back up the steps. (repeat as many times as necessary for everyone to complete their required katas, only breaking to do your own katas - I lost count on laps)

Then we were assigned our very own spot on the steps and did step ups while the upper ranks performed their weapon katas in demo style as a group.

We were allowed a quick piece of fruit and water before moving up the hill to an open field approximately the length of a football field. Front snap kicks down and back twice followed by a lap of inner and outward crescent kicks down and back each.

From there we found a flat spot with minimal ant beds and worked techniques "bull in the ring style" where one person is in the center and the others attack as Sensei calls their numbers. Punches and grabs.

From there we grappled to tap out.

At the end of all of this about 4 hours had passed and we were awarded our belts. Everyone advances if they do not quit, you are not invited to test unless you have shown to really know everything needed for your next rank.

Both tests I have completed in Kenpo have been this intense and I have heard the black belt test makes this seem a walk in the park. Required to run 5 miles without stopping. 100 pushup and crunches without stopping. Forms in chest high water (in December BRRRRR) without technical errors. The test is suppose to last an entire weekend and every techniqe from the lower ranks is suppose to be demonstrated/worked as well as the additional ones reserved for the blackbelt level.

My Kung Fu test took two days long however it lasted that long to systematically cover each item we had to know for the next level. I've heard the upper rank level tests are much more difficult.

 

[sifu Adams]

Our test consist forms, forms, forms. My 4th black took 2 hours 57 forms. including Hsing-I, lee tai chi, Yang tai chi, Iron Palm form, 6 tiger forms, 12 bird forms, 4 praying matis forms, 4 drunken forms, 3 two man sets, many weapons including hook swoard, chain whip, 4 bo staffs forms, kwon do, spears ect.. then after forms we hand to spar 1-1,2-1, 3-1, on knees, all drunken tech, all tiger tech. I have to say the test was only 2 hours but it was a mental and phycail draning.

 

[Adept]

The black belt test at my school was around six hours. It was pretty continuous over the entire day, with a mixture of all the usual stuff. They push you pretty hard, and push you right to the limit of your endurance.

But it is mostly just a ceremony and for show. You dont get asked to grade at that level unless they have already decided you have earned the belt. All of the senior brown belts go through several months of preparation, where they are pushed and pushed to train as hard as they can, usually putting in eight hours a week at the dojo, not to mention the obligatory training at home. If the instructors think they are good enough, they are invited to the BB grading.

The only way to fail a BB grading is to really stuff it up. Since all the instructors know all of the students quite well, they can tell if you are just having an off day, or if just slipped on a patch of sweat, or whatever.