Belt Test

My students made me proud. There is no better way to put it. The "two Philips" and Matthew managed to impress the whole black belt panel, especially Soke...or maybe Soke was just the most verbal about how well they did during the belt test.

We had a fairly good sized group testing, with students from both the Santa Maria and Grover Beach dojos. There were five people testing for orange belt, one for green, three for purple, and one for nikyu brown belt. Since our tests are cumulative, everyone pretty much tested together up to the level they were testing for.

Belt tests tell a lot about a student. Some tend to do better under pressure than others. Some students will shine in the dojo, but will freeze up during tests, blanking out, and struggling with trying to present what they do remember. None of Saturday's students were like that, although there was some nervousness. What belt tests often reveal is the level of dedication of the student. How much work went into preparing for the test? How much effort is the student making during the test?

To anyone who might have me on their testing panel, I would offer this advice: Impress me. Convince me that you are already at the level you're testing for. Don't just do the techniques well and at the proper skill level, but make them real. Convince me that you could really defend yourself, that you are a force to be reckoned with, that no one with a lick of sense would mess with you. Try to scare me with your intensity. Make me take you seriously, even if you're tiny and young or supposedly past your prime.

Make your attitude shine. Show me your dedication to being the best you can be. Arrive early to ready yourself for the test. Wear your tournament gi, neatly pressed. Let your respectful attitude outshine even your appearance. Be focused. Prove to me that you really want this promotion, that you are hungry to do your best, that you are confident but humble, that your heart is in the right place.

Show me your passion for Keichu-Do. Give it your all. You should be tired at the end of your test: emotionally, physically, and mentally spent from your intense focus and effort.

Belt tests are not the place to walk through your kata, looking bored and boring. They are not the place for sloppiness, for disrespect, for not paying attention, for complaining, for dramatic sighs, or for rolling your eyes in disgust when asked to do something by a member of the testing panel. If you don't have it in you to put forth the effort to do your best, if your goal in testing appears to be to avoid breaking a sweat at all costs, please don't waste my time. Test when you are ready to do what it takes. If I am left wondering whether or not you really want the promotion, if I think you only went through the motions, I will not pass you. It's that simple.

There were students there on Saturday who impressed me. One little girl just exuded quiet confidence. She knew her stuff; she knew she knew it; she proved she knew it. During her whole test for orange belt, I kept thinking to myself, "She really looks like a good orange belt. She's already there." I didn't have to ask her if she really wanted her orange belt. I knew. It was obvious.

One young man's passion for Keichu was so apparent to me that I had to comment on it. I felt privilged to sit on his testing panel. I know he---and the other students who tested for purple belt with him---will make awesome Keichu black belts. Their dedication was inspiring.

I can't say enough about how proud I was of my own students, and how they warmed my hearts with their attitudes and their performance. They truly tested just as I had hoped they would---and they have proven once again that they have what it takes, that these three guys (Philip Wahl, Philip White, and Matthew Miller) are a cut above the rest. It's an honor to have them as my students.