Other comments:
Any group that requires long testing (anythings longer than 3 hours) fits in one (or more) of these in my opinion:
1) They are pumped up on their own BS and think they are doing the student a favor by testing in this way.
2) They don't have a clue if they should promote the student so they stall and grill the student to see if they think the student should be promoted.
3) They have decided that the student should be promoted before the testing ever starts, but want the student to feel like they earned it.
4) They think the student has the physical skills, but want to see if they can make him/or her give up and quit during the test.
5) They have the idea of self-defense confused with endurance and conditioning, so they require a lot of non martial arts requirements like X number of push ups, sit ups, and running a set distance within a specified time limit. Self-defense should be decided in a matter of seconds. If they have to be able to endure more than what happens in a minute or less, they have not taught good self-defense. Schools that do a lot of tournaments and spar set timed rounds tend to forget that self-defense either is good and works quickly or is bad. If bad then the fight is over quickly anyway but in a bad way.
NOTE: I have a problem (A big problem) with any instructor that believes that they must test a student to see if they should be promoted to black belt. If the instructor does not know what the student knows, what he understands, and if he can do it at black belt level, then he has no business teaching anyone.
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I agree with the others. My black belt test lasted 3 hours, no breaks.
When I test my students in general I already know that they can do it. It is just a time for them to shine and show off all they can do. For me it is an evaluation as a teacher to see if I did a good job teaching or if I maybe missed something and usually I find a few things, I feel I could have tweaked a bit more which I will address with the student after the testing and we will work on those things. I never found anything major and I never flunked a student. Unless a student completely freezes and forgets everything I think schools who flunk a student are either full of political BS, themselves, don't know what they are doing or running a belt mill and are whipping as many students through the ranks as they can if they know the students or if they don't. A teacher should know each student enough and should care enough about his student to know exactly what a student knows and what they don't know.
Hi there
The simple answer is really this. Take your styles grading sylibus. Take all the kata, kihon waza, kumite, ippons, kihons and oyhos etc and time yourself as to how long it takes to get through it. Thats roughly how long it should take for you to demonstrate that you understand all the fundamentals to your style. Anything else such as breaking or stamina training such as standing in kiba dachi for an hour etc is just padding it out. So your looking at around the 3 hour mark if you want to be realistic. To be honest a good instructor wouldnt even really need to test you for any grades as they all ready know if your up to the job anyway.
Dont forget theres lots of rather strange and quite frankly stupid instructors heading stupid organisations. They can add what they like to a grading structure but your art will always have the core components that make it a style and thats all that really needs to be tested.
My fitness level is measured and tested in a gym by a PI and not in a dojo!!
A traditional art doesnt need any western input! It works perfectly already without it. :)
Best wishes
idai
I think long tests are unnecessary. I've found, like PugPaws does, that such tests are feats of stamina and grandiose grandstanding to make the student feel good about passing.
I have seen tests that last a week, which involves a trip out west (if living east) or out east (if living west), daily practice in a forest or beach, then culminating in a weekend of testing, capped with a banquet of sorts. Is it necessary? No. It is also expensive - even if you subtract out the banquet. Time off work, the hotel, the test itself, eating, travel, parking, car rental... that's a few thousand dollars right there!
I have also seen tests that are marathons - they last 36-48 hours. This, to me, borders on hazing. I have also heard of the "prep for a real fight" and adrenaline line as well. But what happens over time and you no longer train that way? Is it the case that the test is the build up of stamina, or is it the training that leads up to the test? I think it's much better that the training leads up to stamina build up. As such, it's not a thing that needs to be tested: you either show it in your classes or you can't. It's not like you can make a mistake like you can doing a form or breaking a board: it's just a part of you.
I do find that testing for any rank is necessary. Tests are incentives to practice at home and to cultivate the idea of working on technique. Of course, this should be done all the time. But I've found that testing is the best motivator for that ideal than any class.
On a side note about black belt testing... we in WTF Taekwondo are required to formally test for every rank - even up to 9th dan. The tests are as necessary as witnesses to an execution (sorry for the graphic). Without the witnesses, it's easier to claim the person was handed the rank (and in the analogy, it is easy to substitute a victim for the condemned).
Without the formality (which must include no less than 3 high ranking dans within the organization), it would be easier to hand grading off like it was bottled water. Higher ranks not only have to be witnessed by high ranking dans, they must travel to Korea - to Kukkiwon headquarters - in order to test. This has the effect of guaranteeing you will do your absolute best on your testing and performance, and to be graded in a consistent manner.
Despite the parallel with travel to the west (or east) coast, and training for a week with a cap for testing and banquet, no such pleasantries exist in Kukkiwon: you book a hotel, travel, test for an hour or two, then go home (or you can stay and sight-see). You are graded and must score 60 points across a variety of factors: forms, sparring, breaking, special technique (I think this is self-defense), and an essay.
That is the JKA's (Japan Karate Association) grading test for a black belt (1st Dan). (Shotokan Karate)
1st Dan
Kihon: Sambon Renzuki Jodan Age-uke+Gyaku-zuki Chudan Soto-uke+Yoko Empi+Yoko Urakenuchi +Gyaku-zuki (Zenkutsu-dachi to Kiba-dachi to Zenktsu-dachi) Chudan-Uchi-uke+Kizami-zuki+Gyaku-zuki Shuto-uke+Nukite (Kokutsu-dachi to Zenkutsu-dachi) Mae-geri Rengeri (Chudan/Jodan) Mawashi-geri Yoko Ke-age (Kibadachi) alternate feetYoko Ke-komi (Kibadachi) alternate feet
Kata: Sentei Kata (Bassaidai, Kankudai, Empi, Jion)—student may choose any of these
Kumite: Jiyu Ippon Kumite – Jodan/Chudan/Mae-geri/ YokoKekomi/Mawashigeri (right/one side)
Hello.Is it normal for black belt karate gradings to last for a whole week.5 days .10-3.30 approx with breaks.I trained in Seiki-Juku and achieved brown belt.Stopped in 2008.I was just wondering briefly what the other styles(Shotokan etc) black belt gradings involve?
My own view is that a week is too excessive and expensive.Any views here.Thanks ?
