From Okinawa to Korea

[dvcochran]

My school requires all students to wear a uniform. If someone showed up without a uniform, they would have to borrow one from us.

I disagree with this concept. I understand decorum and all, but why demand a person pay for a uniform up front? If the instructor is confident and it is a quality program it shouldn't matter the attire for the first class as long as it is appropriate of working out (no short, shorts, etc...). Pay up front for a "trial lesson"? No way.
I do remember a few times being caught out traveling and not having a Dobok. A couple of times I was given a Dobok to keep which was very gracious. I know being up front and able to show your certification greatly helps in situation like these. One time I was told I would have to buy a Dobok if I wanted to work out. I respectfully left. That is a for profit situation I do not agree with.

 

[_Simon_]

I got in touch with the school I was referring to. The instructor welcomed me to join them.

We are flying to our destination, so it would be hard for me to bring my dobok but since it isn’t my school anyway I’m not sure if I should make an effort to bring it and wear it. Thought?

I still have to convince my husband that this isn’t a bad idea. I’m hoping to be able to go once or twice over the two weeks vacation. We will see.


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Ah that's exciting! Yeah I wouldn't see that it would be necessary, but if I was visiting I would definitely wear mine, just cos I love training in it more than anything! But yeah if people trial classes without one it would make sense that it would be fine.

And yeah once or twice in two weeks isn't much time taken away at all, it's your vacation too after all

 

[mrt2]

I disagree with this concept. I understand decorum and all, but why demand a person pay for a uniform up front? If the instructor is confident and it is a quality program it shouldn't matter the attire for the first class as long as it is appropriate of working out (no short, shorts, etc...). Pay up front for a "trial lesson"? No way.
I do remember a few times being caught out traveling and not having a Dobok. A couple of times I was given a Dobok to keep which was very gracious. I know being up front and able to show your certification greatly helps in situation like these. One time I was told I would have to buy a Dobok if I wanted to work out. I respectfully left. That is a for profit situation I do not agree with.

I didn't say buy, I said borrow. The day I showed up at my current school for my first class, the head instructor handed me a uniform. He said if I joined, I could keep the uniform, and if I didn't, just to wash it and return it.

 

[pdg]

To be honest, a properly folded dobok takes up no more room than a rolled hand towel...

 

[Michele123]

To be honest, a properly folded dobok takes up no more room than a rolled hand towel...

Yes. But we had very limited space, not checking any bags, and have three kids to pack for. One is a lap baby which means she doesn’t get a carry on, so all baby supplies have to fit into the rest of our carryons. We are not bringing any towels, only packing a few days of clothes (hoping to find a laundromat), etc. packing is very tight.


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[Michele123]

I didn’t end up getting to visit the other school while on vacation. We vacationed where I grew up and I ended up spending all my time visiting with family I haven’t seen in person for 4 years. I would have liked to visit a school while there but only if family weren’t around. Since there was always someone available I chose to spend time catching up with them instead.

I didn’t even get to practice much. We were staying in a small motel and the only place with enough space would have been the parking lot. I did get to practice a bit one day on the beach. That was fun and brought back memories. My old dojo used to meet at the beach during the month of July. We’d have our classes out there in the sand. It was great for balance and whatnot.

We got back from vacation the day of the test. We had to be up at 2am to get to the airport in time. I tried to nap once we were home but my toddler didn’t sleep long and I dreamed that I got to my test and couldn’t remember any Taekwondo. Instead I did my old karate stuff. Oops. By the time I would have needed to leave for my test the kids were all melting down and exhausted and I was so tired I was having a hard time walking straight. So I didn’t end up testing.

The class after that I was still exhausted and seemed to keep catching my toes on the mat somehow. My instructor noticed and said he was going to wait to test me until tonight. So tonight I went in. I’ve practiced daily since returning from vacation but still felt less prepared than I had before leaving. I was also really nervous about the break because I’d only done a spinning back kick on a bag so far and it just doesn’t feel like a powerful kick, at least not as powerful as a side kick.

We had an intense warm-up and then he had me go through all my material with a black belt to make sure I was ready. I was physically exhausted by the time my test started.

The first thing I had to do was intermediate kicking 1-10. In not sure if/what I did wrong, but he had us go through it continually until he said stop. We went through it 2 1/2 times I think. We did it so fast that, after everything else from class I was winded. I must have done ok though because then he had me do my form (Taeguk Yi Jang).

Probably because of my exhaustion (I wasn’t actually feeling nervous at this point, just dead on my feet), I somehow messed it up. I have no idea what I did but someone I went right before left in the middle with the kick and face punch. Thankfully he chalked it up to nerves and gave me a second chance and my body cooperated this time and I did it just fine. I’m still scratching my head about my first attempt though. I seriously don’t know how I got where I was.

Next I did basic counter attacks and did fine on those. Then I did 21 movement and got it under 12 seconds! With how exhausted I was at this point I was shocked I did it so well.

Finally came my break. I was expecting to need a second chance (usually people get two chances to break their board and if they don’t, they don’t pass). I had to mentally tell myself that I was going to break it the first try. Then I went for it. Shockingly, it broke the first try!

I really hope I can make the actual testing date next time. At those tests you warm up on your own and there isn’t a class prior to your test to wear out all your stamina. I think I would have done much better if I wasn’t so worn out before starting. And the blunder on the form kind of bugs me because I KNOW that form very well.

Anyhow. I’m glad I passed my test. My daughter hasn’t tested yet. She got sick right after we got home so hopefully she will get to test tomorrow.


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[dvcochran]

I didn’t end up getting to visit the other school while on vacation. We vacationed where I grew up and I ended up spending all my time visiting with family I haven’t seen in person for 4 years. I would have liked to visit a school while there but only if family weren’t around. Since there was always someone available I chose to spend time catching up with them instead.

I didn’t even get to practice much. We were staying in a small motel and the only place with enough space would have been the parking lot. I did get to practice a bit one day on the beach. That was fun and brought back memories. My old dojo used to meet at the beach during the month of July. We’d have our classes out there in the sand. It was great for balance and whatnot.

We got back from vacation the day of the test. We had to be up at 2am to get to the airport in time. I tried to nap once we were home but my toddler didn’t sleep long and I dreamed that I got to my test and couldn’t remember any Taekwondo. Instead I did my old karate stuff. Oops. By the time I would have needed to leave for my test the kids were all melting down and exhausted and I was so tired I was having a hard time walking straight. So I didn’t end up testing.

The class after that I was still exhausted and seemed to keep catching my toes on the mat somehow. My instructor noticed and said he was going to wait to test me until tonight. So tonight I went in. I’ve practiced daily since returning from vacation but still felt less prepared than I had before leaving. I was also really nervous about the break because I’d only done a spinning back kick on a bag so far and it just doesn’t feel like a powerful kick, at least not as powerful as a side kick.

We had an intense warm-up and then he had me go through all my material with a black belt to make sure I was ready. I was physically exhausted by the time my test started.

The first thing I had to do was intermediate kicking 1-10. In not sure if/what I did wrong, but he had us go through it continually until he said stop. We went through it 2 1/2 times I think. We did it so fast that, after everything else from class I was winded. I must have done ok though because then he had me do my form (Taeguk Yi Jang).

Probably because of my exhaustion (I wasn’t actually feeling nervous at this point, just dead on my feet), I somehow messed it up. I have no idea what I did but someone I went right before left in the middle with the kick and face punch. Thankfully he chalked it up to nerves and gave me a second chance and my body cooperated this time and I did it just fine. I’m still scratching my head about my first attempt though. I seriously don’t know how I got where I was.

Next I did basic counter attacks and did fine on those. Then I did 21 movement and got it under 12 seconds! With how exhausted I was at this point I was shocked I did it so well.

Finally came my break. I was expecting to need a second chance (usually people get two chances to break their board and if they don’t, they don’t pass). I had to mentally tell myself that I was going to break it the first try. Then I went for it. Shockingly, it broke the first try!

I really hope I can make the actual testing date next time. At those tests you warm up on your own and there isn’t a class prior to your test to wear out all your stamina. I think I would have done much better if I wasn’t so worn out before starting. And the blunder on the form kind of bugs me because I KNOW that form very well.

Anyhow. I’m glad I passed my test. My daughter hasn’t tested yet. She got sick right after we got home so hopefully she will get to test tomorrow.


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Great job! There is a positive quality to a makeup test like that. The additional stress added by the class before and harder warmup was, of course, part of the test as well. You mentioned your mental stress before and during the test and I commend you for rising to the occasion, and admitting the moments of error. I am certain you will remember and use them to fuel your practice areas going forward. So next test you have not only the curriculum going forward to work on but also these weak areas you had looking back. Breaking is so much more mental than most people realize. Being exhausted may have helped you by making you loose and not overly mentally engaged. Was your form Taeguek 2 (Ee jang)? Just curious.
Congrats, and thanks for the great update.

 

[_Simon_]

I didn’t end up getting to visit the other school while on vacation. We vacationed where I grew up and I ended up spending all my time visiting with family I haven’t seen in person for 4 years. I would have liked to visit a school while there but only if family weren’t around. Since there was always someone available I chose to spend time catching up with them instead.

I didn’t even get to practice much. We were staying in a small motel and the only place with enough space would have been the parking lot. I did get to practice a bit one day on the beach. That was fun and brought back memories. My old dojo used to meet at the beach during the month of July. We’d have our classes out there in the sand. It was great for balance and whatnot.

We got back from vacation the day of the test. We had to be up at 2am to get to the airport in time. I tried to nap once we were home but my toddler didn’t sleep long and I dreamed that I got to my test and couldn’t remember any Taekwondo. Instead I did my old karate stuff. Oops. By the time I would have needed to leave for my test the kids were all melting down and exhausted and I was so tired I was having a hard time walking straight. So I didn’t end up testing.

The class after that I was still exhausted and seemed to keep catching my toes on the mat somehow. My instructor noticed and said he was going to wait to test me until tonight. So tonight I went in. I’ve practiced daily since returning from vacation but still felt less prepared than I had before leaving. I was also really nervous about the break because I’d only done a spinning back kick on a bag so far and it just doesn’t feel like a powerful kick, at least not as powerful as a side kick.

We had an intense warm-up and then he had me go through all my material with a black belt to make sure I was ready. I was physically exhausted by the time my test started.

The first thing I had to do was intermediate kicking 1-10. In not sure if/what I did wrong, but he had us go through it continually until he said stop. We went through it 2 1/2 times I think. We did it so fast that, after everything else from class I was winded. I must have done ok though because then he had me do my form (Taeguk Yi Jang).

Probably because of my exhaustion (I wasn’t actually feeling nervous at this point, just dead on my feet), I somehow messed it up. I have no idea what I did but someone I went right before left in the middle with the kick and face punch. Thankfully he chalked it up to nerves and gave me a second chance and my body cooperated this time and I did it just fine. I’m still scratching my head about my first attempt though. I seriously don’t know how I got where I was.

Next I did basic counter attacks and did fine on those. Then I did 21 movement and got it under 12 seconds! With how exhausted I was at this point I was shocked I did it so well.

Finally came my break. I was expecting to need a second chance (usually people get two chances to break their board and if they don’t, they don’t pass). I had to mentally tell myself that I was going to break it the first try. Then I went for it. Shockingly, it broke the first try!

I really hope I can make the actual testing date next time. At those tests you warm up on your own and there isn’t a class prior to your test to wear out all your stamina. I think I would have done much better if I wasn’t so worn out before starting. And the blunder on the form kind of bugs me because I KNOW that form very well.

Anyhow. I’m glad I passed my test. My daughter hasn’t tested yet. She got sick right after we got home so hopefully she will get to test tomorrow.


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That's so awesome to hear Michele, well done! A massive effort, and good call not doing the test the day you got back.

Ah trust me these things happen in tests that are real headscratchers haha.. especially things you've done a million times before! It's all part of it and we can't do everything perfect every time.

Sounds like really nailed most of it though, and considering your state at the time that's something really significant for you. Well done

 

[Michele123]

Thanks gentlemen. I’m still bugged about the form. Never in all the years I did karate did something like this happen. Usually I still something so much that once the test begins, autopilot takes over and I do great. I was on autopilot this time too, which is why I can’t for the life of me figure out what I did. I only came out of autopilot when I couldn’t go forward because I was in the wrong position. Very frustrating for this perfectionist.

@dvcochran yes, it was Taeguek 2


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[Michele123]

So my daughter tested today. As much as I sometimes pine for my old karate dojo, I think Taekwondo has been fantastic for my daughter. The instructor is really amazing with the kids. I love how he brings in and related life lessons that we’ve been working on at home to what is going on in the gym. My daughter has actually spent a lot of time practicing her form the last couple days which is a miracle in itself. She rarely wants to practice even though I invite her to practice with me almost daily. In any case, even though she got it down during practice, old muscle memory came into play and she did a wrong turn. Rather than getting upset, she just corrected it and was given a second try at her pattern. She then did it correctly. Our instructor, when awarding her her belt after the test, pointed out how great it was that she’d just accepted and learned from her mistake, rather than getting upset about it. For some reason, hearing those types of lessons from an adult other than mom or dad makes them sink in more.

Anyhow, I’m thrilled with how she’s doing and everything she’s learning in class. She’s on the ASD spectrum and it really has been super helpful for her.


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[_Simon_]

Thanks gentlemen. I’m still bugged about the form. Never in all the years I did karate did something like this happen. Usually I still something so much that once the test begins, autopilot takes over and I do great. I was on autopilot this time too, which is why I can’t for the life of me figure out what I did. I only came out of autopilot when I couldn’t go forward because I was in the wrong position. Very frustrating for this perfectionist.

Ah yeah I know the feeling.. understand that frustration, minor slipups happen and its cos we don't have control over everything. Especially during a grading, where we already feel all this pressure, sometimes the brain will just do funky things. And it's not really about the form, it's you being hard on yourself that hurts (trust me I've done far too many years of it...). Even with the absolute best and optimal preparation anything can happen ay! I know that's been a big part of my martial arts journey, a focus of easing up and being kind to myself.

So my daughter tested today. As much as I sometimes pine for my old karate dojo, I think Taekwondo has been fantastic for my daughter. The instructor is really amazing with the kids. I love how he brings in and related life lessons that we’ve been working on at home to what is going on in the gym. My daughter has actually spent a lot of time practicing her form the last couple days which is a miracle in itself. She rarely wants to practice even though I invite her to practice with me almost daily. In any case, even though she got it down during practice, old muscle memory came into play and she did a wrong turn. Rather than getting upset, she just corrected it and was given a second try at her pattern. She then did it correctly. Our instructor, when awarding her her belt after the test, pointed out how great it was that she’d just accepted and learned from her mistake, rather than getting upset about it. For some reason, hearing those types of lessons from an adult other than mom or dad makes them sink in more.

Anyhow, I’m thrilled with how she’s doing and everything she’s learning in class. She’s on the ASD spectrum and it really has been super helpful for her.


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That's so awesome to hear... and congrats she graded! Sounds like such a great instructor but props to your daughter, what a great attitude she's learning and developing!

 

[dvcochran]

So my daughter tested today. As much as I sometimes pine for my old karate dojo, I think Taekwondo has been fantastic for my daughter. The instructor is really amazing with the kids. I love how he brings in and related life lessons that we’ve been working on at home to what is going on in the gym. My daughter has actually spent a lot of time practicing her form the last couple days which is a miracle in itself. She rarely wants to practice even though I invite her to practice with me almost daily. In any case, even though she got it down during practice, old muscle memory came into play and she did a wrong turn. Rather than getting upset, she just corrected it and was given a second try at her pattern. She then did it correctly. Our instructor, when awarding her her belt after the test, pointed out how great it was that she’d just accepted and learned from her mistake, rather than getting upset about it. For some reason, hearing those types of lessons from an adult other than mom or dad makes them sink in more.

Anyhow, I’m thrilled with how she’s doing and everything she’s learning in class. She’s on the ASD spectrum and it really has been super helpful for her.


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Ain't it great reliving some of life through our kids, seeing how they see and do things differently, but in many ways the same.. Sounds like she did fantastic. Great job.

 

[JR 137]

Ain't it great reliving some of life through our kids, seeing how they see and do things differently, but in many ways the same.. Sounds like she did fantastic. Great job.

The best day I ever had in the dojo by far was the first time I tied my daughter’s belt on her and watched her take her first class. It sucks that she lost interest, but she’s only 7, so there’s hope.

 

[dvcochran]

The best day I ever had in the dojo by far was the first time I tied my daughter’s belt on her and watched her take her first class. It sucks that she lost interest, but she’s only 7, so there’s hope.

Our son's first two birthday parties were at our Dojang. My professional (other) career and business really started taking off to the point something had to give and I closed the school a few years later. The point is I never got our son into MA as he was too young and he never has had the interest himself. My wife is a 1st degree so we have some great MA memories though. We have some great sports memories with our son. His track relay team in the 4x100 held the state speed title for a while and he played football while he was in college. He is headed to Pennsylvania on an analytics internship through the end of the upcoming NFL season so there are more memories to be made.

 

[Michele123]

Yesterday was weird. Not really TKD but on the way there a van tried to run me off the road. I was driving on Main Street with the van on my rear bumper so when a new lane opened to to the right, I moved over. The van pulled up next to me with the driver gesturing and then veering into my lane. I started to pull into the breakdown lane while putting on the breaks to get out of his way. He pulled over into the breakdown lane in front of me before I stopped. I turned back onto the road and drove around him but he was stopped at this point and other cars came by and passed too. I took a turn a block up and lost him. I’ve never met the driver before. I’m so confused as to what was going on and why he was trying to get me to stop. My instincts said to get away from him and so I did. But this is a fairly public road and so unless someone was completely deranged I can’t imagine them trying anything. When I got to TKD I looked at my car. All was fine. No broken headlights or anything that might trigger a Good Samaritan to try to inform me. When I passed him after he pulled over he was gesturing again. He was trying to communicate something but I didn’t feel safe enough to find out what. I remember it was a tan van with handicap license plate for our state. He had a thin face with little hair and short facial hair. Weird stuff.

On a happier note, I’m really enjoying the material at my new rank. It’s been a lot of fun so far. I’ve learned 3 out of 4 chunks of material for this rank. The only thing left is the pattern (then working on perfecting what I’ve just learned). So far it is all nuanced versions of precision material. I just need remember the orders and refine the techniques. I wonder if I spend too much time practicing? The next test isn’t until the end of September. I’m going to have all my material down by then. I just like to practice enough that whatever new thing I was just shown I know really well so we can immediately jump to fixing/refining type stuff. A month before this test I was already at the point where the black belts rarely had anything to say when they went through my material with me. I know plain repetition is good, but I like to also be improving and refining. Oh well. For now I’m having fun learning new stuff. I’ll enjoy this time and try not to worry about what I’ll be doing in in a couple weeks.

I can’t wait to get an advance rank and maybe be able to help out in my kids’ class. I miss teaching and I think it might help him keep the little kids busy if he had someone else holding pads and whatnot. Of course then I’d have to find something to do with my 2 year old.


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[Michele123]

Things have been fun these last few weeks. I have now been taught all the curriculum for my new rank. I’ve been practicing hard at home and know it pretty well. We are at the knit picking stage and I love being here and refining my techniques. Tonight, after going through my new material, my instructor and one of the head black belts both said they didn’t know what to do with me because I am clearly ready to test now but the next testing cycle isn’t until September. I get the impression that they don’t do double testing once someone is at this point in rank progression.

So... I get two months to refine what I’ve learned. I guess that’s good, but I’m also a little disappointed. I like learning new material. It makes me wonder if I should back of on the practicing. I like doing so but now they don’t seem to know what to do with me. In talking with other students, it seems most folks rarely practice on their own unless they are about to test. I just enjoying my morning workouts so much. I do some strength and conditioning followed by stretching, followed by Taekwondo practice. But maybe I shouldn’t. Back when I studied karate, I practiced daily then too. But it was ok because they held tests every month for those that were ready to test. Rarely did anyone test two months in a row. But if someone was ready, it was a possibility. It also made it easy for some to go slower than the rest without feeling bad because only a few people tested each month. None of this everyone testing at once thing.

Oh well. For now I’m still enjoying it so that is good. I did get to spend the second half of class learning some Taekwondo self defense. It was neat to see something that were almost identical from karate and somethings completely different.

I suspect my progress would be slower if i didn’t have the MA background and the accompanying self-discipline that I have.


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[_Simon_]

Things have been fun these last few weeks. I have now been taught all the curriculum for my new rank. I’ve been practicing hard at home and know it pretty well. We are at the knit picking stage and I love being here and refining my techniques. Tonight, after going through my new material, my instructor and one of the head black belts both said they didn’t know what to do with me because I am clearly ready to test now but the next testing cycle isn’t until September. I get the impression that they don’t do double testing once someone is at this point in rank progression.

So... I get two months to refine what I’ve learned. I guess that’s good, but I’m also a little disappointed. I like learning new material. It makes me wonder if I should back of on the practicing. I like doing so but now they don’t seem to know what to do with me. In talking with other students, it seems most folks rarely practice on their own unless they are about to test. I just enjoying my morning workouts so much. I do some strength and conditioning followed by stretching, followed by Taekwondo practice. But maybe I shouldn’t. Back when I studied karate, I practiced daily then too. But it was ok because they held tests every month for those that were ready to test. Rarely did anyone test two months in a row. But if someone was ready, it was a possibility. It also made it easy for some to go slower than the rest without feeling bad because only a few people tested each month. None of this everyone testing at once thing.

Oh well. For now I’m still enjoying it so that is good. I did get to spend the second half of class learning some Taekwondo self defense. It was neat to see something that were almost identical from karate and somethings completely different.

I suspect my progress would be slower if i didn’t have the MA background and the accompanying self-discipline that I have.


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Ah nice, it's a credit to you that they don't know what to do with you! You've obviously progress really well and have developed dem skillz.

Two months will fly by I reckon, in my old style I graded once a year, by choice haha (maybe twice a year for the first couple). I really wanted to take the time to absorb each grade, understand what it's about, what its focus was and try to deepen my knowledge of it rather than just wanting to learn new stuff (which I also loved). And also because gradings were haaaaaard haha, and preparing for them two or three times a year would have been overkill for me!

But great to hear, and if you feel you're definitely more than ready for the new grade you could lessen the training for that (maybe in your sessions just run through some stuff very quickly as a refresher), and spend the rest doing stuff you enjoy and want to work on

 

[JR 137]

Things have been fun these last few weeks. I have now been taught all the curriculum for my new rank. I’ve been practicing hard at home and know it pretty well. We are at the knit picking stage and I love being here and refining my techniques. Tonight, after going through my new material, my instructor and one of the head black belts both said they didn’t know what to do with me because I am clearly ready to test now but the next testing cycle isn’t until September. I get the impression that they don’t do double testing once someone is at this point in rank progression.

So... I get two months to refine what I’ve learned. I guess that’s good, but I’m also a little disappointed. I like learning new material. It makes me wonder if I should back of on the practicing. I like doing so but now they don’t seem to know what to do with me. In talking with other students, it seems most folks rarely practice on their own unless they are about to test. I just enjoying my morning workouts so much. I do some strength and conditioning followed by stretching, followed by Taekwondo practice. But maybe I shouldn’t. Back when I studied karate, I practiced daily then too. But it was ok because they held tests every month for those that were ready to test. Rarely did anyone test two months in a row. But if someone was ready, it was a possibility. It also made it easy for some to go slower than the rest without feeling bad because only a few people tested each month. None of this everyone testing at once thing.

Oh well. For now I’m still enjoying it so that is good. I did get to spend the second half of class learning some Taekwondo self defense. It was neat to see something that were almost identical from karate and somethings completely different.

I suspect my progress would be slower if i didn’t have the MA background and the accompanying self-discipline that I have.


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IMO just keep training. Forget about promoting and learning new material. Try to perfect what you know rather than learning new stuff. We all want to learn the cool new stuff we see those above us doing at some point, but remember that perfection of material is far more important than just knowing and memorizing it. You don’t seem like the type that’s just there to earn new belts.

I can easily relate to where you’re at and what you’re feeling right now. I was a shodan in a very similar organization to the one I’m currently in a while back. I know all my material for my current rank army next rank. On paper, I’m not going to learn anything new until I’m promoted to shodan in this organization. I’ve got more than a year before I meet the minimum class attendance requirement. I’m currently a 2nd kyu brown belt, and the syllabi of this school and my former school at 2nd and 1st kyu are exactly the same. Rather that asking and/or pushing to promote, I’m just trying to prefect what I know. Doing this, I’ll easily be far better when it comes time to test for 1st kyu and shodan. At shodan, I’ll already know about 70% of the material from my previous experience. Doesn’t matter IMO. It can all get better for sure.

Don’t chase rank nor new material; chase improvement. Unless you’ve got a predetermined amount of time before you have to leave, like say you’re moving away in a year, is there really any rush to learn anything? So much easier said than done though. I see upper ranks doing stuff I know and really liked doing and ask myself every now and then when am I going to get to do that again too. Then I remind myself that I’m not going to quit any time soon, so I’ll get there eventually. Just because I won’t learn anything new syllabus-wise doesn’t mean I won’t learn anything new at all. Every time I’m on the floor I learn something new, even if it’s something very small and feels almost insignificant.

Edit: Honestly, at this point in my training, I feel that if I tested for shodan right now I would be good enough to pass. That’s not being conceited or anything like that; it’s just being honest. If I did, I’d be happy for a few days, but then I know id genuinely feel cheated. Good enough isn’t good enough for me. I’d much rather wear that belt and rank like I perfected it.

I could also re-join my former organization and test for shodan again within 6 months. And I’d pass that test. Been there and done that previously. But what’s the point? To wear a new belt around my waist?

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Tonight, after going through my new material, my instructor and one of the head black belts both said they didn’t know what to do with me because I am clearly ready to test now but the next testing cycle isn’t until September. I get the impression that they don’t do double testing once someone is at this point in rank progression.

So... I get two months to refine what I’ve learned. I guess that’s good, but I’m also a little disappointed. I like learning new material. It makes me wonder if I should back of on the practicing. I like doing so but now they don’t seem to know what to do with me.

This sounds like a good opportunity to forget about new material and testing to instead focus on getting better at what you have already learned. Look at each element of your repertoire and ask yourself. "if I had to use this in a fight against a skilled, tough, experienced opponent who was bigger and stronger than me, would it work?" If not, figure out how you can improve it.

I've been training martial arts for 37 years. My primary art, BJJ, is a never-ending fount of new material. What is my biggest focus in training? Refining fundamental techniques that I learned decades ago. Trust me - if you go back to your white belt curriculum, you should find details to work on.

(I am concerned if your instructors "don't know what to do with you." A good teacher should be able to easily point out a few aspects of your basic technique that you could benefit from focusing on for the next few months.)

 

[Earl Weiss]

Things have been fun these last few weeks. I have now been taught all the curriculum for my new rank. I’ve been practicing hard at home and know it pretty well. We are at the knit picking stage and I love being here and refining my techniques. Tonight, after going through my new material, my instructor and one of the head black belts both said they didn’t know what to do with mek

IMO testing requirements are the "Minimum" an average student needs to have proficiency with to advance. Part of my job as an instructor is to help the student surpass their perceived potential. Say for example there is a minimum requirement that they do a jumping turning / roundhouse kick. If they can do that, can they do a double? Triple? Break a board, 1,2, or 3 targets in a single jump?