STUDIO TEST POLICIES

There seems to be a trend occurring in the martial arts in this country which is breaking with the traditional and time honored methods of achieving success in the martial arts. Perhaps it is a reflection of our cultural identity of rugged individualism and our tradition of encouraging people to determine their own futures, but it does not mesh well with the proven methods of mentoring martial arts students.

There are many traditions in the martial arts. We wear a uniform, we recognize progress and achievement through a system of colored belts, we show respect to each other, we bow to our nation's flag...the list goes on. These traditions serve a purpose. Many of our traditions can easily be seen as fulfilling the "golden rule"...treating others as we would have them treat us. In addition, these traditions help instill discipline in our students. To what end do we desire this discipline? It is an essential element in the process of training and learning to respond to a situation. This discipline allows us to instill behavior patterns that may well one day save a student's life.

Another tradition in the martial arts, is the respect shown to the Master of the school. In a reputable school, the Master is a master in the true sense of the word. He or she has trained for years under other more senior masters and has been tested and tempered to a fine edge. He has learned from the best, and is now passing that knowledge on to his own students.

In the past, students often did not seek out the Master, but rather were invited by the master to enter into the master/student relationship. The young person interested in the Master's methods could be found observing training, perhaps offering to do work for the Master and in other ways making themselves available. It would have been considered extremely rude for such a person to presume to invite themselves to begin training. It was up to the Master to observe such a person, and when they felt them to be ready to begin training, to invite them to do so. In our modern times that would be rather impractical to follow this tradition. It is not impractical, however, to show the same respect for the judgment of the Master.

When a student first seeks to enter martial arts training, they must search out an instructor in whom they have confidence. During the first interview, there should be a rapport established. It should take only a few minute to determine if the student has made the right choice. Once the student has committed to the (Dojang) school, they must trust the Master to fairly and correctly make judgments concerning their progress. Pick up any introductory book on the martial arts, and you will read that the student must never question the Master concerning their progress. In a traditional (Dojang) school, a student should never question the instructor concerning belt promotions. If the student trusts the instructor enough to participate in the training program, they should trust the instructor enough to make the proper judgments as to when each student is ready to test for the next promotion.

This said, it should be apparent that as the Master instructor, it is my responsibility to determine when a student will test. Lately, I have had to spend valuable time in discussions with students and parents concerning when they should be testing. In this article, I will explain the testing policies at our (Dojang) school. There are three things which I assess when deciding when a student will test. All three are equally important, and a lack in any one of them will delay the time at which a student will test. It is not enough to show excellence in only one or two of these areas, all three must be fulfilled.

*attendance- attendance is mandatory. For color belts, students should attend class two times per week. In general, it takes a minimum of 3 months at some lower color belts before testing for the next belt, increasing up to six month for the higher color belt. Black belts may attend class three times per week with minimum attendance of twice weekly require. In general, it takes six months to confirm for 1st degree , and then an equal number of years to test for each dan. For example, two years as a first dan before testing for the second, three years as a second dan before testing for the third, etc. Testing for stars occurs at evenly space intervals between the degrees. This is not to say that students who cannot achieve this level of attendance have no place in our school, but it must be understood, that a less frequent training schedule will result in the testing being delayed for months or even years. These attendance requirements are important. There is simply no way for a student to master the techniques he must without the day to day work in class.

*mastery of material- This involves both physical and mental mastery. The student must show proficiency in all techniques required for their belt level including kicks, punches, jumps, etc., as well as mental mastery of things such as memorizing the forms, combinations, Korean terminology, theories of power, tenants, etc. In judging when the student has achieved the desired goals, I evaluate each student within his or her own ability and potential. I recognize that some students will face more challenges than others in certain areas. Students are not compared to each other, but rather compared to their own previous level of mastery and progress since their last test.

*attitude- The student's attitude is the final factor in the equation. Attitude is extremely important. A student could have attended enough classes, have mastered both the physical and mental challenges for the next belt test, but still be lacking in attitude. A student who is performing at the minimum level, but who is capable of a much higher performance, will not be deemed ready to test. The students must put forth consistent A+ effort in class. Another aspect of attitude is loyalty to the (Dojang) school, grandmaster, master and instructors. Students should maintaining the values of the school following rules and polices.

If you have concerns not addressed here, Master An is available for consultation, but please remember that he constantly evaluates students, and does not simply overlook students who may be ready to test. If you or your child is not scheduled to test, at least one of the three requirements above has not been met. Your instructors can only really influence the second factor, that of mastery. It is up to the student to be in class as often as they should be, and to have that A+ attitude!