Im going to post my schools BB test take a look and tell me what you think, the soonist you can test for it is two years the longest it takes is three most are testing for it around two and a half. Strikes. Jab,cross,hook,uppercut,spearhand,palmheel,backfist,hammerfist,elbow,tiger claw,spinning back fist. Kicks.Knee,front snap,side snap,traditional round house,round house,back kick,spinning back kick. Blocks.Cover up,outside perry,inside perry, riseing block,palm heel block,downward block,X block. Stances.Attention, natural, fighting. Shadow boxing 2min. combat fit test. pull upsx5 situpsx40 under two min. combat endurance test. strikeing set. lead jabx25 rear crossx25 lead outside perryx25 rear palm heelx25 lead down blockx25 rear risinf blockx25 lead spear handx25 kicking set lead kneex25 rear front snap kickx25 lead side snapx25 rear round housex25 lead traditional round housex25 switch step lead back kickx25 rear spinning back kickx10 repeat above seats with strong and weak side. push upsx10 shadow boxx2 min med ball dropx15 repeat above set five times.
There's no combat. It's like going to basketball division one selections but you don't actually play any basketball, just practice shooting from a stand still.
In my opinion it doesn't sound great. Aside from the fact that 2-3 years is quite a short time-frame to get a black-belt, the test seems a bit on the easy side. However, what is really important is how you view it. If you feel that the test is a useful measure of mastery in the art you are training, then passing it would be meaningful to you. Rank generally only means something within the gym or organisation that ranks you, and the value it has is directly proportional to how difficult it is to achieve that rank. Some gyms give out belts like candy, some gyms it takes well over a decade of consistent hard work to gain a significant rank. In some a black belt is considered the pinnacle of your journey, in others it signifies the beginning of your journey. Many gyms that compete in sporting contests don't bother with rank at all, preferring to let results speak for themselves. If you are happy with the test then that is what is important.
Right on Kave thanks for the support its appreciated. The first time I saw it I was like awww cmon man this cant be it right. But after sticking around for a year I get the whole process now. The style itself has much more technique but its not tested on, we clinch we throw and we have a few chokes as well as some of the positions they use in Jujitsu but truth be told theres no serious joint manipulation mostly strikeing.
Those are both fitness tests (general fitness tests at that) I'm saying that there is nothing mentionned where you have to fight anyone - why is that?
I actually questioned that myself about a year ago actually, whenI first started. What it boils down to is that sparring takes place bi weekly in class, so we dont test on it. It makes sense to me considering its a pass fail event and all it might measure is how well you handle range control timeing etc. and since the head instructor already watches that during class its not a test requirement.
Oh no no no, its graded. let me just say from experience, the shadow boxing portion is graded tightly and you better show alot of movement, lunge, pivot, bob/weave, spin, show multi attackers all that jaz and it has to look controlled you cant just flail around lols. The hardest part is the combat fit and combat endurance test, thats a pass fail event its not graded so if you fail then you failed the test. Also your required to workout at home and log your workouts so if you dont do that you cant even submit a request to test.
I asked the same question when I joined and Im sure the ansewer is still the same lols, you gotta meet the time in grade requirements for all ranks which is four months per belt. So no. white orange green purple-me blue brown senior student black asist instructor IIblack instructor IIIblack instructor
So...the black belt test is graded...but only available to those who realistically have a good chance at passing it anyway? And the shadow sparring part screams of basically just about showing a variety of movement and technique out of context and without application. Not that I'm against shadow sparring mind. Also, the no combat thing during a BB test bugs me. I know you mentioned it was bi-weekly and he watches over it anyway and if you're happy with that then fair enough. But you're doing "combat fitness" and "combat endurance" but absolutely no "combat pressure". If it works for you though then fair enough. Not my cup of tea though.
Have you questioned why? Time in grade doesn't always have any bearing on a person's skill, therefore it seems odd to make that the main requirement to grade. Most people here, black belt or otherwise, could likely complete the test requirements listed given a month or two of additional training to cover off the missing techniques, so it seems the time requirements are just an artificial means of making the black belt seem worthwhile. At least that's how it looks at first glance.
No you cant flail arround during shadow boxing, and you cant just throw random/mixed range techniques you have to visualize your attacker and fight him/them at that range, its hard to do it right at firs but it gets easier and looks better and better as you go, I visualize everything from Manny Paquio to a gang of enemy soldiers or thugs. Its not that it isnt offered to people who will pass only, remember I dont train at a mma gym and yes Ive seen people fail these tests.
Great question Btw. No time in grade is just one pre test requirement you have to meet, the others include manditory attendance and for blue belt and up you cant miss a class, so to clear it up you have to spend four months time in grade and complete sixteen classes before you can test. The classes cover more material than the is ever tested for, we spar, we work clinch, sweeps takedowns and throws mainly the defense against those but also the takedowns themselves.
am i to take it that you are a blackbelt in your system? Why are the meeting time requirements so essential? and why does anything to do with MMA have any bearing? lemonsloth did not mention MMA
Pretty simple you have to make the class times because you have to receive the instruction in order to perform at the level your testing for. I am not a blackbelt in my current system, I am a purple belt.
I don't think I said you could flail around? But you did say: Which is why I said out of context and without application. To be fair, I was a bit careless with how I put it. I get that the form and "look" has to be there (which is fair enough) but with a lot of people, the form we use (including myself) when shadow boxing can look fairly different to how we move when we spar with an opponent. There's no "how do you react when you're caught out?" kind of pressure or anything similar. Again, I like and approve of shadow boxing. But for a BB test (which if I'm reading this right can qualify you to become an assistant instructor), I would expect a bit more contact is all. Especially when the gym you train at emphasis "combat fitness" and "combat endurance", the lack of testing of skills under sparring type pressure seems a bit odd is all. Fair enough. I'm pretty sure the point I was trying to make with this one was an irrelevant one so feel free to ignore it. I hadn't thought through my line of thinking properly (sorry about that). I'm a bit confused. I don't train in an MMA gym either, what point are you trying to make?
It's an interesting test, but without seeing a video it's hard to visualise how demanding or not it is, or what standard is expected. Here for comparison are two of my Dan grade syllabi. Without knowing what else is in the syllabus it's hard to gauge what they are asking. DART Karate Shodan Drills (kumite): All Drills Body Evasion against 2 opponents in a scenario simulation Basics (kihon): ‘Comb’ forearm strike Round forearm strike Straight punches Rear elbow strike Knee strikes Open handed strikes Heel kick Front ball of foot kick Shin kick Key punch Uppercut Hammer fist Natural Stance Rooted Stance Front Stance Back Stance Kata: Initiative Escape Use of the Voice: Verbal Aggression Verbal Control Theory: Theory exam as per previous gradings Professional standards Coaching Principles Risk Assessing Create a Sample Lesson Plan Minimum Time: 70 hours DART Karate classes & 6 months 1 x Sim Day since last grading Minimum Age: 18 Black Belts awarded before the age of 18 are considered Junior Dan grades and the grade will have to be retaken once the student is 18 years old (with time to the next grade restarting from a successful adult Dan grade award). Shotokan Karate Shodan Drills (kumite): All Drills Body Evasion against 2 opponents in a scenario simulation Basics (kihon): Gedan Barai (down sweep) Age Uke (upward receiver) Shuto Uke (knife hand receiver) Ude Uke (outside receiver) Gyaku Uchi Uke (inside receiver) Te Awase Uke (sweeping double hand receiver) Oi Zuki (stepping thrust) Gizami Zuki (jab) Gyaku Zuki (cross) Ura Zuki (uppercut) Kage Zuki (key punch) Age Empi (upward forearm strike) Maewashi Empi (round elbow strike) Mae Geri Keage (front snap kick) Hiza Geri (knee strike) Yoko Geri Kekomi (side thrust kick) Yoko Geri Keage (side snap kick) Mika Zuki Geri (crescent kick) Ushiro Geri (back kick) Maewashi Geri (roundhouse kick) Fudo Dachi (rooted stance) Zenkutsu Dachi (front stance) Kokutsu Dachi (back stance) Kiba Dachi (horse stance) Musubi Dachi (attention stance) Heisoku Dachi (informal attention stance) Kata: Hangetsu Kanku Dai Bassai Dai & any previous kata Theory: Theory exam as per previous gradings Professional standards Coaching Principles Risk Assessing Create a Sample Lesson Plan Minimum Time: 70 hours Shotokan Karate classes & 6 months 1 x Sim Day since last grading (over 15 years age only) Minimum Age: 18 Black Belts awarded before the age of 18 are considered Junior Dan grades and the grade will have to be retaken once the student is 18 years old (with time to the next grade restarting from a successful adult Dan grade award).
The MMA part was just to clear up the point that I dont do "MMA", thats all. The pressure I think comes from sparring every other week and the blackbelts trade pretty heavy shots, our instructor dosent lecture much but he drives the following points, range, rythym and timing and that its important to dominate all three.