Asking To Test

[dvcochran]

Instead of a minimum time frame, have a minimum number of classes. Or a minimum of time AND classes. Our syllabus states a minimum number of classes and time. My teacher looks at the number of classes, not so much at time for kyu ranks. There have been people who tested earlier because they had more than enough classes in. But they were always ready to test.

Stress it’s a MINIMUM and not a rule that they have to test after X classes and/or time.

Example:
Promotion from to 1st kyu
...(Skipping parts about all previous material, requirements, CI’s approval et al)...
“Minimum 6 months of training AND 60 classes since last promotion.”

If your current interval is 3 months, take the minimum number of classes you think they should attend per week and do the math. Make it a number they can honestly hit, given there aren’t the same number of weeks every month, dojo closings for holidays, etc. 10 classes per month sounds like a good average to me.

I need to read through our manual given to each new student (it's been a while). I do not know how/if it specifically explains the requirements to test. That is a good model to include a minimum number of classes. I would add, for me at least, time to digest and process material outside of class is sometimes as helpful as time inside the dojang. But that is a very vague measure and I would consider it meaningless for calculating time-in-grade. Most of our adult red belts, (3rd to 1st gup) skip some testing's to better prepare of their own accord. Kids seem to move through a little quicker.

 

[JR 137]

I need to read through our manual given to each new student (it's been a while). I do not know how/if it specifically explains the requirements to test. That is a good model to include a minimum number of classes. I would add, for me at least, time to digest and process material outside of class is sometimes as helpful as time inside the dojang. But that is a very vague measure and I would consider it meaningless for calculating time-in-grade. Most of our adult red belts, (3rd to 1st gup) skip some testing's to better prepare of their own accord. Kids seem to move through a little quicker.

Those are minimum times. Most people are a good amount over the minimum when they’re invited to test. I’ve tested on time every time, but I also have significant previous experience in an organization that was started by two guys who left my current organization. The syllabi are about 90% identical in both up to 1st dan. At 1st dan it’s about 50% identical that I’ve seen so far. I was scheduled to test for 2nd dan in my previous organization when I left and somehow remembered everything 15 years later. My teacher and I were walking through the 2 black belt katas that I know a few weeks ago; we got on that somehow by discussing changes over the years, and it was “I did this this way first, then changed to this, then changed to that.” He smiled and said they went through the same thing independently of each other. Then it was “let me see how much you remember” so I did both katas. Not pretty, but I definitely got that unspoken nod of approval. If all goes well and I can stay healthy I should test for 1st dan again around this time next year. 1st kyu to 1st dan is one year and 120 classes minimum. No hurry on my end. Been there, done that. No need to chase it. I’ll be ready when I’m ready and when my CI says I am.

 

[Yokozuna514]

Those are minimum times. Most people are a good amount over the minimum when they’re invited to test. I’ve tested on time every time, but I also have significant previous experience in an organization that was started by two guys who left my current organization. The syllabi are about 90% identical in both up to 1st dan. At 1st dan it’s about 50% identical that I’ve seen so far. I was scheduled to test for 2nd dan in my previous organization when I left and somehow remembered everything 15 years later. My teacher and I were walking through the 2 black belt katas that I know a few weeks ago; we got on that somehow by discussing changes over the years, and it was “I did this this way first, then changed to this, then changed to that.” He smiled and said they went through the same thing independently of each other. Then it was “let me see how much you remember” so I did both katas. Not pretty, but I definitely got that unspoken nod of approval. If all goes well and I can stay healthy I should test for 1st dan again around this time next year. 1st kyu to 1st dan is one year and 120 classes minimum. No hurry on my end. Been there, done that. No need to chase it. I’ll be ready when I’m ready and when my CI says I am.

Good luck, JR137. Out of curiosity, what are the two katas you mentioned ?

 

[JR 137]

Good luck, JR137. Out of curiosity, what are the two katas you mentioned ?

Seiunchin and Gekisai Sho.

A shodan was talking about where the hands start out at the very beginning of Seiunchin. Chambered, straight down after yoi, etc. It’s been changed back and forth a few times. I was watching and and chuckled and said that and another thing changed twice while I was actually learning the kata. We also did then didn’t do a morote shuto kinda movement at knee height before the hands went straight down. My CI asked me how I learned it, so I showed him. He nodded and said they’ve been through all that too.

Then it turned into “show me the rest of the kata.” Then Gekisai Sho somehow went into the mix.

 

[Yokozuna514]

I enjoy doing both those katas very much. I've been working on making Gekisai Sho more dynamic (as they do it in Europe) and it has been rather inspiring. Seiunchin is a kata I just started working on. I am trying to picture the 'morote shuto' move you were describing. Not sure if I have ever seen that iteration.

Travelling to Europe for this tournament has given me a pause to consider how I do all my advanced katas. Although the katas are essentially the same, the tempo is quite different so the performance looks quite different as well. A lot less monochromatic than the examples you see on youtube. If you have a video demonstrating this move it would be cool to see it.

 

[JR 137]

I enjoy doing both those katas very much. I've been working on making Gekisai Sho more dynamic (as they do it in Europe) and it has been rather inspiring. Seiunchin is a kata I just started working on. I am trying to picture the 'morote shuto' move you were describing. Not sure if I have ever seen that iteration.

Travelling to Europe for this tournament has given me a pause to consider how I do all my advanced katas. Although the katas are essentially the same, the tempo is quite different so the performance looks quite different as well. A lot less monochromatic than the examples you see on youtube. If you have a video demonstrating this move it would be cool to see it.

I don’t have a video. I can video myself doing it and email it. I’ll send you a PM when I do that.

 

[Yokozuna514]

Looking forward to seeing the kata.

 

[JR 137]

Looking forward to seeing the kata.

Other than walking through it that one night a few weeks ag, I haven’t done it in quite some time. It won’t be pretty.

 

[dvcochran]

I don’t have a video. I can video myself doing it and email it. I’ll send you a PM when I do that.

Can I get on that email list? Would love to see it.

 

[Hanshi]

There has been talk here before, that when it comes to testing for rank, asking your instructor "can I test?" has been frowned upon as being disrespectful.

So how about this, what if it's taking you longer to test than you expected?

Most schools have either a specific or at least general testing schedule for the earlier color, or kyu, belts. Some students will be ready on time while others may need a little extra training but individual abilities are allowed for. Initially, in my school, the first few belts included a set time interval between tests. But around the brown belt levels simple time intervals may not work as well since the requirements at that point can be much more demanding. Asking to test at that level and especially at the dan levels is usually frowned upon; just asking for progressional feedback, however, is okay in my opinion. I think the idea is not to get "pushy" and be willing to approach the subject sort of, tangentially.

 

[JR 137]

Can I get on that email list? Would love to see it.

Sure. But it ain’t gonna be pretty, that’s for sure. Maybe I should follow it up with something I’m actually good at to redeem myself.

Edit: Who am I kidding? I should’ve said something that I’m less bad at

 

[PhotonGuy]

Im talking about testing for the color belts up to and including first Dan but not so much about testing for higher dan ranks such as 2nd dan, 3rd dan, ect.
Some schools do have a timeline or curriculum but not all. As you point out promotions for color belts do come relatively often although there are some styles where that is the exception such as BJJ where it takes an average of two years to get your next color belt. But if color belt promotions do come often than that would be an even stronger case of it taking longer than what you expect if it is taking longer than you expect.

I would like to correct myself from what I said in the previous post of mine quoted above. What Im talking about is testing for any belt or rank a student wants to test for, including higher dan ranks. As for me, I don't care much about rank advancement beyond 1st Dan but there are some students that do. A poster on this forum talked about testing for 5th Dan on this other thread. And then I knew this student who didn't care to promote beyond 3rd Kyu so he wouldn'tve asked about testing at that point. So what Im talking about is any rank a student hopes to earn, whether its a Kyu rank, a high Dan rank, or anything in between.

 

[PhotonGuy]

But around the brown belt levels simple time intervals may not work as well since the requirements at that point can be much more demanding. Asking to test at that level and especially at the dan levels is usually frowned upon; just asking for progressional feedback, however, is okay in my opinion.

Alright, so how about, at that level, asking what I would need to do to test, what I would need to work on to be able to test and pass, how about asking that?

 

[dvcochran]

Alright, so how about, at that level, asking what I would need to do to test, what I would need to work on to be able to test and pass, how about asking that?

If you can be specific, I think you will get a better answer. In TKD, the higher you go in Dan rank the more it has to do with growing your school(s) and promotion the art, at your federation level and overall. This does not mean there are no physical components, far from it. A person is still expect to grind through the required class amount and improve and grow; that is the tangible part that everybody can see. It is the intangibles that go unnoticed.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I'm not sure I've ever seen such a simple thing made so ridiculously complicated.

Follow the rules at your school. If it's ok to ask, ask. If it's not, don't.
#facepalm

 

[DocWard]

I'm not sure I've ever seen such a simple thing made so ridiculously complicated.

Follow the rules at your school. If it's ok to ask, ask. If it's not, don't.
#facepalm

There must be a lot of attorneys around here, we've been making the simple complex since the dawn of history...

 

[Buka]

Looking back, I think the only people who ever asked were white belts.

You have to forgive them for just about anything, because, you know, they're white belts.
Kind of like puppies.

 

[donald1]

Sure. But it ain’t gonna be pretty, that’s for sure. Maybe I should follow it up with something I’m actually good at to redeem myself.

Edit: Who am I kidding? I should’ve said something that I’m less bad at

Add a couple well placed loud kiai in and nobody will notice the mistakes.

 

[PhotonGuy]

I'm not sure I've ever seen such a simple thing made so ridiculously complicated.

Follow the rules at your school. If it's ok to ask, ask. If it's not, don't.
#facepalm

First you would have to know if its OK to ask, you're not going to know if its OK to ask without asking in the first place.

 

[Dirty Dog]

First you would have to know if its OK to ask, you're not going to know if its OK to ask without asking in the first place.

Let's just say you're clearly not ready to test yet.