Conditioning. They probably never failed a grading before. This could be for three reasons:
1. In their own dojo, they are known and their instructors can see them as a complete picture and not just look at the testing. Some folks test better than others, and sometimes, people just get nervous. But an instructor who has worked with you from white belt knows if you are really the quality of whatever grade you are testing for.
2. The dojo policy is that you only test when sensei says you are ready, at which point it really is not a test.
3. The most likely reason is that many schools pass you if you pay.
At a Kukkiwon test, they do not know you, so they cannot look at you as a complete practitioner and take into account any variables. They assume that if you are signing on to test that you feel that you are ready. Because they do not know you, they cannot make that determination. Lastly, they are not a McDojo that needs to keep you coming back for the next belt or keep your mommy and daddy happy.
As you say, Terry, if you go to the Kukkiwon to test, be prepared. Obviously, this guy was not, or at least not for the grade he was testing for.
Daniel
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