# failing a test



## Battousai

I remember one time about 10 or 11 years ago I was studying with this school that I now consider despicable and fake in many regards.
 I was testing for a red belt, with a piece of black electrical tape on it (whats up with all this tape on belts anyway? LOL).
 The test costed 80 dollars or so, it was infront of this "master" guy, besides my normal instructor. 
 Later I found out that I had failed the test, when I asked my instructor why he said that I didn't kiai loud enough when I broke some boards. So being the mindless fanatic that I was back then, I was like ok, when can I retest? He said that he could video tape me kiai-ing and send that to the master guy for another 80 dollars and then I could have the next rank. So of course I was gullible and took him up on it to get the next rank.


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## Bob Hubbard

Wasn't yelling loud enough? :shrug: Oh man, I woulda failed big time.  I just don't 'kia'.   not even the little car. 

As to the electical tape, I think some of the Kenpo guys have stock in 3M, and the rest of us just thought it was cool.


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## TLH3rdDan

that was a total rip off... and yes electrical tape is awesome... i should get stock in 3M hell i go thru so much tape its not even funny lol no cheezy imbroidered belts like in tkd... anyone else find that really cheap and corny looking to have your name rank style and orginazation sewn on your belt in gold???


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## Bob Hubbard

Yeah.  Gold is so tacky.


I'll get mine done in silver.   (may be a while..that eternal white belt thing ya know)


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## TLH3rdDan

lol how about tie-dyed stitching lol


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## Bob Hubbard

Oh man, not that...

hey, where do I go to test for Camofloge belt rank?


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## TLH3rdDan

lol i dont know maybe dux ryu???? lol but if i ever find a school in middle tennessee using a camo belt... there will be an old school *** whoppin going on lol


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## Bob Hubbard

LOL

I saw a test once...Kids shoe went flying, nailed an instructor who had forgotten hit 'protection'.  Shortly afterthat, the poor kid through a kick, and fell on hit ***.  It went down hill from there.

He didn't pass.

Not even for the camo-belt.


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## TLH3rdDan

lmao was it one of those little kung fu shoes that everyone sells? cause ive fired one of those things thru a mirror before lol that was not fun to clean up lol


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## Bob Hubbard

Yup.  The $3 ones I believe.


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## TLH3rdDan

lmao those things make much better projectiles than actuall foot wear lol


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## Danny

> _Originally posted by TLH3rdDan _
> 
> *that was a total rip off... and yes electrical tape is awesome... i should get stock in 3M hell i go thru so much tape its not even funny lol no cheezy imbroidered belts like in tkd... anyone else find that really cheap and corny looking to have your name rank style and orginazation sewn on your belt in gold??? *



They are pretty tacky when they do that aren't they?  Supposed to be just a white roman numeral indicating your Dan according to the encyclopedia.  That's the way our club does it and I like it that way.  Draws more attention to that nice duce I finally got on my belt.


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## TLH3rdDan

hummmm then the gold stitching must just be a WTF thing since they are the only ones i have seen around here the only ITF school i have been too in the area did nothing they just wore the belt no marking for Dan's at all...but the white roman numerals sounds alot better than the gold crap that covers almost a foot of each end of the belt lol


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## kickyou

TLh nope there was a change ITF does use gold Roman Numerals for their rank.As for Camo belts I believe that ATA uses them.They look stupid.What type of rank is Camo belt it is a joke.


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## tonbo

Well, okay....for kids, anyway.

Our school uses the camo belt as a "little dragons" belt--the "dragon belt" is just kinda fun, and only young kids are eligible for it--any adult wearing one would just look.....well...*stupid*.....

Little dragons progress using the camo/"dragon" belt as an intermediate step from white to yellow.....they have to learn fewer techniques to get the dragon belt, so they get a pretty quick advancement, and that boosts confidence.  Works pretty well.

I have often joked that I would like to have one, though....I think it would go well with a camo ninja suit...LOL....(KIDDING!! KIDDING!!)

And I *do* have gold lettering on my Black Belt....the school name on one side, in small letters, and my name on the other (first initial, last name)--also in small letters.  Only takes up a few inches, looks tasteful, and is, in my opinion, well done.  Dan rank is just indicated with red stripes.  

Peace--


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## Danny

> TLh nope there was a change ITF does use gold Roman Numerals for their rank.QUOTE]
> 
> Read the book.  Like I said, the encyclopedia of TaeKwon-Do states that Dan rank should be indicated by a white roman numeral on the left side with nothing else on the belt.  There has never been any change to that.  I didn't say that 95% of the ITF schools out there use gold anyway.


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## Seig

I figure I'll probably be a third degree for the rest of my natural life, I'm thinking of getting my three rank stripes embroidered on, no writing or anything, just the stripes.


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## Nightingale

When I get my second degree brown, I'm getting two black stripes embroidered on my brown belt. That's it. no letters, nothing fancy, just two plain old black stripes. I just think the electrical tape looks tacky, plus, its sticky enough to stick to everything except what its supposed to stick to.


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## inbuninbu

Our black belts have a gold stripe on the end for each extra dan they've got and also their name embroidered on - at least if you're new you know what to call them!

And yeah, we used to have the ubiquitous electrical tape for half-ranks (e.g. white belt yellow tag). I always said I could pinch my Dad's (he's an electrician) green and yellow striped "earth" tape. I thought that'd look cool!
But now we've got these posh belts where the stripe goes horizontally all the way round and its actually on the belt, they're much better. Not so cheap n tacky!


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## KenpoTess

We used to use the tacky looking electrical tape..In our organization we use cloth strips. Now I split the side seam of a students belt  for advanced belt promotions.. and use the next belt color cloth strips (Bias tape) and following the stitches of the belt.. sew the strips on.  Looks much better and no sticky tape.


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## ShaolinWolf

Well, ATA has a camoflauge belt. I think it's ridiculous. I was embarrased to wear it and couldn't wait to get out of the belt. But the belt is more for the kids than the adults. And the other reason why they have the camoflauge belt is that they ran out of belt colors...You want to wear a pink belt?!?! I don't think so; I would much rather where some speckled green and black belt than a pink belt. NO THANK YOU...lol.  Yes, I know it's kind of stupid, but oh well, humility. Have some humility and we all need to learn it and keep learning it. heh

As for the $160 you paid, the guy was such a ripper. I mean, when anyone fails a testing at our school, they get 2 more testing tries and the money carries over for those 2 testings. Of course, if you failed continuously after 3 testings you have to pay. What a rip off,


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## sifu nick

We also use the camo belt for our Little Dragons in the same way.


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## BrandiJo

camo is ATA that was my last rank there befor i quiet now im back as a yellow belt in UTA both my instrutors have there name rank and school name on their belts i think it looks nice ....when i test if i pass ill get green tape on my belt for my High Orange rank i dont think ill mind to much its just tape it dont look very nice but it works


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## Adept

TLH3rdDan said:
			
		

> anyone else find that really cheap and corny looking to have your name rank style and orginazation sewn on your belt in gold???


 While the idea of getting it done seems outrageously pompous in my opinion, the name part comes in handy. I am terrible at remembering names, so if you can just look at someones belt and get their name, its much easier. And less embarrasing than asking them what their name is for a third time.

 And yes, electrical tape is indeed the roxxors.


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## dmdfromhamilton

The org black belts all look the same with the same stuff on them but no stripes


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## thepanjr

i feel bad for you to fail. Some ppl are really greedy
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





trust me.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Hope u dont get ripped off by that master agian.


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## Miles

I don't think having a weak kihap is sufficient reason to fail a test.  But if it is a test, there should be standards and if someone does not measure up to the standard, they should fail.  Otherwise, it is not a test, it is a "done deal."

 Having said that, I personally don't let anyone test unless I am absolutely sure they are going to pass.  We do a lot of pre-test work so that no one can say they don't know their material.  It is in writing, on the website, and it is worked on regularly. Still, sometimes folks have a brain-freeze and forget stuff-that's okay, they can retest at no charge-saves them the $10 (under black belt).

 Miles


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## Ana

At our school for people inbetween belts we use gaffer tape.I personally don't think it's that big a deal because if you are between belts then it doesnt really matter , your actual skill matters more. 
However the BBs  get their dan embroidered on in yellow with their last name and the name of the school.


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## Zenjael

One of my favorite teachers was more than happy to fail a student during an exam, if it was warranted. And he did, hundreds of times throughout his teaching career in martial arts. His exams were both initiation and exam- the latter meaning one could pass or fail. You were tested twice, for over two months before even reaching the exam itself, and you only got that second stripe if you were ready. It often struck me that the blue belts (about 4 belts in) at his school looked better than some dans I have seen from other schools. He was a gifted teacher, and when you earned a black belt, it was generally understood you were a person not to **** with. I've never seen an entire school of people with such warrior spirit... and they fought viciously. No face strikes of course, but that didn't stop anybody, ever. What it did stop was us ever reporting it, which was the point. Take the pain, move in. If you failed, it wasn't for forever. It just meant don't screw up next time.

He would also as punishment be happy to take a rank back as punishment and banish even 3rd dans to the white belt class, if they acted inappropriately. His school was one of heroes, truly. Though now passed away, Anapum was a khan's student involved with the VT shooting. Students, half the class from what I heard about the incident, had to subdue him to get him out the window and stop him from ATTACKING the shooter. That's the kind of people khan's students were, all of them. It was an honor to train with them, I do not think it will be easy to find such a school as he had anywhere in the world. Different, the same quality, but not the same.


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