How long was your BB Grading? How long should be bb grading be?

Thoughts?

 

How long? 3 days.

How long should it be? Long enough!

 

I never actually had a set 'grading' for BB per se. We have a training period over a set time period and when it's thought that you've learnt enough and had enough experience you're awarded your Sho Dan.

 

the actual testing took about 3 hours.

 

------------------------------ this long. Exactly this long.

Mine was about 25 mins long, my teacher had been teaching me for long enough to know that i was good enough to get my blackbelt, else he wouldnt have said i should go for my bb test. Doing a 3 hour grading, for all this information, would have been for nobodies benefit. The only thing we did was sparred all the current blackbelts and higher grades to prove to ourselves and everyone else we deserved our bb's (me my bro and a friend took it at the same time). Whipped everyone (well, nearly ) went home and got presented a BB next lesson. Nothing really changed, just a black cotton belt around my waist is all.

 

i can understand your type of bb test helm, but at our school our instructor brings you past your physical and mental limit, he wants you to truly prove you have the mental to keep going after you have nothing left to give and thus you are worthy of your blackbelt. that takes a little time. Plus it was a big test that month. We also get awarded our belts at the end of the test, not the next class, that usually ended up taking about a half and hour because there was i believe 25 students testing for different belts.

 

Enjoyed your post flyingblackbelt.
I get invited to do belt test in various schools.
The instructors know for advanced testing, I
take the student to what they think is their limit
to show them they are capable of defending themselves
when exhausted. This concept can't be done in just a few minutes. The first part of the test is skill and knowledge,
second half is guts and determination. Never had a student afterwards not thank me for taking them to that next level.

 

thats exactly what my school does cruiser, you do your forms do display your knowledge, then you get run up and down the floor, you start off slow to display you know your skills and warm up for about 10 minutes, then you get run ragged for anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes depending on the student (my fellow instructors also know when to stop so the student doesnt pass out lol), then you spar usually 2 to 3 2 minute rounds vs the black belts (and we do try our best to completely exhaust the students). The final thing is breaking, 4 2 board techniques if your under 16 and 4 three board techniques if your over 16 (this is last so if you should happen to hurt yourself your test is over anyways) but you break these boards, no matter how many times you have to hit them, you will break them. Then we finish off with the belt distribution ceremony

 

hmmm, my test was similar...


the skill test then exuastion, took about 4 hours....


and we do a little section vs the rest of the BB's where you spar 1 on 1, 2 on 1, 3 on 1..... 6 on 1....


definitely a mental stressor!!


at my current gym it isn't as curriculum based. You can go for your black in the Lameco system, which really isn't even belt based... and we don't have belts for our BJJ or Thai Boxing classes, or Tai Chi...


however we are putting together a cirriculum which will take the most dedicated 2 -3 years to go through, I'm going to be one of the first people to attempt it, and I'm very interested to see the final result. I don't think it'll be the same type of test, but i'm more than willing to see what I am unprepared for.



congrats to everyone who has made it to the BB level and accomplished an excellent martial goal -

 

Osu,

For myself it was a 5 hour grading plus a further hour of non-stop full-contact fights at one minute each, no breaks in between. Before that, the students are completing a full one week training at a special camp, the camp is to bring them to the very peek and the very last day is the grading. The grading takes into account of what you have learned from the start of your martial arts career, in other words you have to know all the stuff from the beginning ie white belt right upto where you are and for the belt that you are going for. There is NO easy way and it takes blood, sweat and many tears. So for Dan grades it will be 5 hours of the basics with breaking thrown in and then the fighting. For those who want to know what its like for the 30 or more man kumite then see the Kyokushinkai or read Traditional Karate Magazine.

How long should it be? Well how long is a piece of string...

It should never be a turn up and pass and it should never be a fee for the belt and pass.

Osu.
Paul Paterson.

 

Its nice i suppose to push students to earn their belt, but my school has always been one of upholding that bb mentality. Why should the grading be any easier than a normal lesson? Whats stopping a bb from slacking off? (apart from the bb mentality of not wanting too).

Im not trying to put down long grading sessions. Its just like...when i turned 18, people asked "how does it feel to be 18 then?" i said "exactly the same", only i could get served legally for alcahol, and with my grading i could wear a belt that is black.

I know im trying to make a point, or say something. Only i cant quite figure how to say it.....

 

Okay guys,
how did you feel knowing in your mind you were capable
of defending yourself even though you thought you were exhausted?
I'm glad to hear some schools hold true to the old time traditions.
It didn't hurt me in 1973 when I got my bb and it won't hurt today.
Did you earn your belt or was it an honor?

 

Both.

 

it was an honor to earn my belt, especially after my test, i felt like i was going to pass out during it(of course i was about 60 pounds heaviier and 5 inches shorter so that probably had a lot to do with it) and it was probably the greatest moment of my life, so far, when i was handed my belt and know that the black belts had thought i earned it.

 

flyingblackbelt,
that is the way it should be felt.
Believe me it tells when you read some
posts from bb's that think ma's was orchestrated
around them.
Not only do my students honor me, but I honor them
with the best conditioning and training I can give them.
It's about honor more so than pride.

 

Test length is more than just "one test"

I just took my 3rd dan TKD test last night... and I am exhausted today!

The formal test last night was just over two hours. We did all of our froms from white belt to current, 1, 2, and 3 step sparring, tons of self defence, intense sparring, and I did a 5 station break, one of which was a power break. Basically the master tested all of the material and applications from white belt up.

The night prior we had a two hour pre-test, in which we covered everything for the test except for the breaking (although we did have time to arrange our set up).

As for evaluation, the master has been evaluating me since I returned and re-joined the school. He has assigned me tasks such as teaching individuals, small group, and class warm ups. As his confidence in me grew, he assigned me portions of the class and some whole classes, eventually leading to being appointed as an instructor.

Throughout the past two years, he has evaluated my character, abilities (under stress and not), and my appitude for instructing. Last night's test was physically demanding, but only a small part of how I have been evaluated and judged ready for promotion. I was very honored that a master that I respect so much deemed me ready to test and that he provided a challenging test that took me to my limits.

 

Congratulations on the promotion Thomas.
Some how it makes you feel worthy when you get
exhausted. I also picked up your appreciation for
the instructors and system.
Your experience will definately be a blessing to
others down the road.

 

Congrats to you Thomas ..!!!!!

Any pics you can post for us in here?

 

Thank you to those people offering congratulations. No pictures yet, but I am hoping to get some pictures up in the near future, if not of testing then maybe of some class stuff.

The master has appointed me and another person as "full instructors" based on our tests. To me, it is very sobering because it shifts the idea of "individual accomplishment" away to "how can I give back to everyone who has supported me and helped me"? Also, it clearly shows me that I have so much more to learn, practice and perfect in this next stage of my martial arts training.

I think my favorite thing about testing and promotions at the school is that we don't dwell a lot on it. Last night, we had a hour before the test of hardcore Hapkido training. Next class we will jump back into full hard training. When the certificate/belts and such arrive, we don't "take a class off" to celebrate ... we get into hard training.... usually based on things the master saw as needing improvement during the test.

 

-Congrats Thomas,
-In fact ,I want to offer congradulations to both you and your instructor. To help guide and motivate a student to become the kind of person you have grown into is one of the most rewarding moments in any instructor's life. I know you have made your's very proud. You also seem to be entering this new phase with the right attitude. You will learn and grow so much by teaching others. This is where the greatest progress really begins in my experience.
-For our black belt exams (1st-3rd dan), candidates go through 12-16 weeks of intense prep including not only the extra training and classes, but are on a nutrition program, cardio program and for the adults, weight training program as well. Our goal is to make this one of the most empowering moments of theri lives and to force them to grow beyond what they thought was possible. This is their own personal Olympics. Not only does this put them in the best physical condition of their lives, but it requires them to go beyond their comfort zones and develop a discipline on all levels.
-The actual testing is done in two phases. One is a pre-test with their own instructor. The other is the actual assn. test in front of a panel of masters both from our assn. and often guests. The test is broken down into three segments:1) Technical-this is a 4-5 hour exam on basics, forms, one-steps, sparring(1-1, 2-1, 3-1), grappling, weapons(arnis/escrima), kickboxing(padwork & drills for 1st, full contact for 2nd & 3rd), NHB (for 3rd), breaking, ect.
-Day two is the public testing. It is a show for friends and families, as well as classmates. This is about 3 hours and it highlights the students accomplishments and gives them an oppurtunity to shine. Also, if there are injuries that happen in the more hardcore first day, it is not seen by the public (can't scare Grandma on the stuff we do to her darling baby).
-The third day of testing is from 6-9:30 am. It is the conditioning phase. It includes the running, PT, teamwork drills, ect. to take the candidates mentally, physically, and spititually past their previous limits (Unless they have a particularly gung ho/psychotic master instructor who pushed them at least this hard on the pre-test, so they would be confident coming in and know they were more than ready.)
-Mastery test is for those 4th-6th dan and it is to take the candidates to the next level and to destroy all comfort zones and to bypass the ego. It is five days and nights set to the format of the NAVY SEALS BUDS hellweek. We are shipped aroud to different events going pretty much non-stop with very little food or sleep for that week. Every test is different (they are given every 3-5 years), but there are some constants. There is going to be a native American sweatlodge. There will be tactical training, the time before last was with some of the SEAL team instructors, the last time we trained with a police SWAT team. There will be a firewalk. There will be something WAY up high in the air (I HATE heights); from tandem paracute jumps to jumping out of redwood trees. The test before last, we did a breathing drill that saturated our bloodstreams with oxygen so much that our hearts and lungs did not need to function for 10 minutes. We bring in a lot of top instructors from outside our assn. to test us as well. From kenpo, Masters John Sepulveda and Jeff Speakman. From Muay Thai, the instructors at the Fairtex camp and the late Alex Gong; from escrima, Master Jimmy Tacosca: Master Frank Cucchi (the SEAL who developed the standardized cole quarters combat system for all teams) and some of the senior SEAL instructors(the last test we worked w/ marine Forced Recon due to schedule conflicts); TKD Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee; Hapkido Grandmaster Kim; NHB with Frank Shamrock: Judo w/ Mike Swain's assistant(Mike was booked for this test, but this guy is on the Olympic team): and firewalking and other unusual stuff with Tully Burkan among many other notable masters to find new ways to torture us, err, I mean make us grow.