which test?

[bushidomartialarts]

sorry, but this is aimed more at folk who've been at it a while...

if your art tests,

which test do you remember best?

which test are you proudest of?

which test still makes you wince to remember?

what did you learn from testing?

story time, boys and girls. i'll get the fire lit....

 

[terryl965]

which test do you remember best?
That one is easy Yellow Belt.

which test are you proudest of?
My 4th in TKD it was taken 3 months after my heart attack, to be able to finish and walk out was my proudest moment in MA.

which test still makes you wince to remember?
When I took my 1st BB in Karate, my father and his friends tried to get me to quit every minute of that test it was 13 hours long and my father was my instructor, my test was so much harder than the other students. I now know why it was and I train my family like my father trained me.

what did you learn from testing?
That the test was about my will power and detrimination and not about the techniques, those you know but getting to know how far you are willing to put your body though is the real test, physically and emotionally.

Terry

 

[Hand Sword]

I'd go with my yellow test for the one that I remember best and the one most proud of. This was because I just wanted to get my next belt. When I got it, it was like, I'm on my way now. I could start learning some stuff!

I winced on my BB test, not because of it's toughness,but, because of how it went down. I came up in the old school, and finally took it during the new school times. Ego driven BB's, barking orders. Young kids geting their BB's, and people receiving "master" rank (5th degree) on the same test as the rest of us.

I learned on the BB test that I can't stand the way things have gone. It felt like it was fake rank.

 

[stickarts]

I remember my blackbelt test best because of the intensity, but also because I had to perform everything not facing the mirror! I had made the mistake of getting used to always facing the same way when i practiced everything. It almost threw me for a loop when i had to perform all of my katas facing away from the mirrors. I did ok but I made sure never to make that mistake again. I started practicing facing all different directions and even with my eyes closed!

 

[SFC JeffJ]

Both the same for me. My Ikkyu testing. Here are some of the things that happened. About 1/2 an hour into the testing me big toe got broken, I kneed one of the testing board in the groin and found he wasn't wearing a cup, I broke the glasses of the same board member. I think it was karma, cause that board member was the one who broke my toe. Other than that, the testing went well.

Jeff

 

[Kacey]

For many years, my best test was for 5th gup high green - I felt it was the testing at which I performed best against the ultimate standard for my rank rank. Now, I would have a hard time choosing between III and IV Dan... both were very difficult tests, in front of very demanding audiences - III Dan was in front of a board comprised of 4 VIII Dan black belts, including GM (then Master) Choi Jung Hwa; IV Dan was the first time, since I Dan, that I had the opportunity to test in front of my students (and also with one of my students, who was testing to I Dan).

Worst was I Dan - I was horribly sick with a head cold, and the medication I took to be able to breathe made me light-headed, so I didn't perform nearly as well as I wanted to.

 

[still learning]

Hello, In our Kempo schools, our Professor gives two Black belts test a year. One at our annual Seminar in Las Legas, (testing done at the end of seminar training day-approx 4 hours long at night).

...and once during the August. This is the one I will always remember! We had to hike up a mountain dirt road, about two miles. Never been there before. There is a clearing of tall grass,foot high and a incline hill.

Our physical part we had to crap walk, crawl, shrimp,back push up the hill approx 40' long. Jump rope,push-ups in the grass.

Then the techniques and drills. It turn out to be the hottest day ever for testing too. No bathrooms, walk into the bushes.

The last thing is breaking bricks and boards, which you had to carry by yourself. Your could choose the amount you wanted to break (except boards-4)

When the testing is done: If you pass..than your new ranks are presented from the Professor to you. (up there in the grass kneeling) My first Student Black belt.

My next two ranks 1st and 2nd degree was done in Las Vegas in the ball rooms. So much nicer,cooler, and no hiking.

Testing above Pearl Harbor in the hills, with the hike is an experience. When it was over everyone went to the Professor home to a very nice dinner gathering. This experience is something most of who were there will never forget. ............Aloha

 

[tshadowchaser]

I remember a few that made an impression on me

1. My first bb test in tKD I thought I was testing dor 1st gup and the tester thought i was testing for 1st dan. i failled the test because my instructor told me that i was in no way allowed to make contact (sparing) with the tester. The tester told me I had passd with flying colors but I need to learn to make contact I think my instructor did it on pupose so I would not pass

2. My first test in Sikaran I tested for yellow after climbing Mt. Washington. I had learned Sanchin the night befor and was told to do it during the test. My instructor also told his black Belts to test me on it ( yes they knew I had learned it the night befor), Scarry is all I'm going to say

#. My gen belt test in Sikaran i did all the forms an all th ighting then fights wihopponets with diffeent weapons then I had to face 3 gentlmen with night sticks and they where told not tolet me get the wapons. WellI found out after the fights that all 3 where MP's in the milatary. Oh by the way i took all the weapons in under 45 sec.( dont think i could do it today and dont know if I would have then if i knew they where mp's. the mind plays it own games at times)

 

[karatekid1975]

Both (the best and for wincing) is for 1st gup. The first time I took that test .... bad day. First off, I knew I wasn't ready, but I was talked into testing. I totally blew my forms. I had a major brain fart or something. I didn't know a portion of the self defense, and I barely knew my bo form (hence, the fact that I knew I wasn't ready). I had 5 breaks (two boards each station ... two hand breaks, two foot, one jump kick) to do. I only completed 3, two stations and my hand Man that hurt like a ....... The only thing I did good on was the sparring, despite a broken hand.

The second time, I drilled everything for two months before the test. I had time to do so this time. I also competed in a tourny the week before the test. This is how I knew I was ready (I got 2nd place out of 8, and 6 were BB's). Anyways, my mom was at the test (came up from NJ to see it), and a good friend of mine. I passed with flying colors. I even "toyed" with the people I sparred. I was just having a good time this time around.

What I learned from both tests? Well, don't let people talk me into testing when I KNOW that I'm not ready. Go at my own pace. Oh and treat a test like class, instead of getting all worked up. Just go in there and do my thing.

 

[stone_dragone]

I look back at the second hardest test I ever took...my 5th kyu/yellow belt. It was an obscenely long test and I had no idea what to expect. I survived and had proven to myself that I could go much farther than I thought possible.

The hardest was my original blackbelt test. I honestly don't remember too much...it's almost as if I was watching it from the sidelines. I was so focused and in the moment that my mind was never enywhere else but the punch or kick or whatever I was doing at that exact time...very zanshin. That made it the most memorable.

 

[Aikikitty]

This is an old thread, but I think the topic is a fun one to bump back up.

 

[xfighter88]

sorry, but this is aimed more at folk who've been at it a while...

if your art tests,

which test do you remember best?

which test are you proudest of?

which test still makes you wince to remember?

what did you learn from testing?

story time, boys and girls. i'll get the fire lit....

I remember my Black Belt test probably because it was 2 weeks ago.

I am aslo the proudest of my Black Belt test. It was really hard and I got to try out some new breaks. Also 3 on 1 sparring is super fun.

Once again my Black Belt Test makes me wince a bit. I had to restart Chung Moo. Which still ticks me off because I love that form.

That you should not feel a ton of pressure because it will mess you up. You are testing because you are ready not because the instructor wants to get paid.