Testing?

[korleone1911]

Ok, so I've been hearing of people who actually "test" for ranks, as I would think a karateka would. Our school does not do this and it has been my knowledge (although I'm fairly new) that, traditionally, rank is given when your instructor "feels" you're ready to be promoted.

Is this "testing" the same as I am thinking (as in a karateka's test for knowing certain katas and techniques before promotion)? And is this common to you guys' experience(s) and/or knowledge?

 

[Bruce Calavera]

Karatekas don't spar nealry as hard as BJJokus(WTF?) so there isn't as clear of a division between belts. If a white belt is tapping blues left and right chances are he's at the blue level. That's the test.

 

[Balto]

Karatekas don't spar nealry as hard as BJJokus(WTF?) so there isn't as clear of a division between belts. If a white belt is tapping blues left and right chances are he's at the blue level. That's the test.

In some ways, Karate guys spar even harder than BJJ guys. It is a little bit subjective and depends on the type of Karate being trained, but something like Kyokushin or another full contact style usually qualifies as hard sparring by almost any definition.

I haven't found the BJJ belts to have very clear divisions either. Especially when you start training with guys from other schools, it's not that uncommon to see a blue belt beat a brown belt, etc. Almost all BJJ instructors I've encountered heavily factor in additional criteria other than pure competitive performance.

 

[Bruce Calavera]

In some ways, Karate guys spar even harder than BJJ guys. It is a little bit subjective and depends on the type of Karate being trained, but something like Kyokushin or another full contact style usually qualifies as hard sparring by almost any definition.

I haven't found the BJJ belts to have very clear divisions either. Especially when you start training with guys from other schools, it's not that uncommon to see a blue belt beat a brown belt, etc. Almost all BJJ instructors I've encountered heavily factor in additional criteria other than pure competitive performance.

I guess I was assuming we were talking about point sparring. I do agree that there is alot more to it that competition. I was just over simplifying.

Also TS, sorry about being a dick. It's a really shitty day at work.

 

[korleone1911]

Karatekas don't spar nealry as hard as BJJokus(WTF?) so there isn't as clear of a division between belts. If a white belt is tapping blues left and right chances are he's at the blue level. That's the test.

ok... maybe I was not clear. I'm not sure what you were responding to, but I'm not making a case that either Karate or BJJ spars harder than the other or that there isn't a clear way to rank either. I'm just wondering about people actually taking a TEST for belts in BJJ. I hadn't heard of this, yet people talk about it within this forum and other places, as well. This is what I'm trying to figure out... is this common and why would it be this way, when, traditionally, it's at the discretion of your trusted instructor?

 

[Jagcorps_esq]

There are those that have tests out there, where you show certain moves to demonstrate technique and you do some rolling.

Largely, these tests are nothing more than a right of passage, meaning that the instructor already considers the person ready for the belt and the test is more of just a public profession, if you will, of that fact.

 

[keynote]

There are those that have tests out there, where you show certain moves to demonstrate technique and you do some rolling.

Largely, these tests are nothing more than a right of passage, meaning that the instructor already considers the person ready for the belt and the test is more of just a public profession, if you will, of that fact.

Exactly. This is how our instructor does it. I asked him about it after the testing and he said "I can pretty much tell within the first move or two whether or not they're at the level."

 

[korleone1911]

There are those that have tests out there, where you show certain moves to demonstrate technique and you do some rolling.

Largely, these tests are nothing more than a right of passage, meaning that the instructor already considers the person ready for the belt and the test is more of just a public profession, if you will, of that fact.

Hmmm... THANK YOU! good insight here

 

[SuperSuperRambo]

We have testing where I train, but it's more of a formality. My instructor has a deep history in the traditional martial arts, so I think he likes the formality of it. But you're not up for testing until he feels you're ready, so it's not like you attend a certain number of classes, test, and get promoted. He does, however, test the children's classes based on time and attendance, but then again he doesn't always pass them on the test. I have seen some of the students not pass and have to try again at a later date, so he does hold them to high standards as well.

Basically a testing day will be comprised of the person (or usually multiple people) demonstrating/teaching some techniques, along with a brutally hard class which everyone must go through, not just those who are testing. At the end, there will be a stripe awarded to a couple of people who have earned it, 2 stripes on rare occasions (i.e. you earned it already, plus won some competitions), and on the rare occasion a belt.

 

[Red Harvest]

In the system I've come through, you're constantly being tested. There is no formal test for promotion. It's when your professor feels you're ready.