What a great belt test we had today!
This was one of those especially rewarding days for us as instructors. We had four students testing, and they each made us proud of them. There was never a question in our minds during the test as to whether or not they were going to pass.
One of the things we tell our students who are preparing to test is, "Impress us with your attitude, skill, technique, and knowledge. Convince us that you are ready to wear that next belt."
That's exactly what our students did today. They arrived for the belt test ready to do their best, each of them having done last minute review and practice during open gym the night before.
Our tests are cumulative, so each student had to test on all the material for each belt up to and including the one they were testing for.
Trevor Kraft was testing to upgrade his junior orange belt to a full-fledged orange belt. He was also the "uke" for Philip Wahl, who was testing for brown belt. Trevor has been impressing us lately with his good attitude, his hard work, and his awesome side kicks. He proved that he definitely has what it takes to be an orange belt.
James King tested for green belt. He came to us as an orange belt from Soke's dojo, and he not only knew his stuff, but has always had good, clean technique. He's truly a delight to teach. He did a great job on his test, just like we expected he would. Darrick Kraft was his capable "uke".
Philip White, also known as "Big Philip", tested for his purple belt. (My favorite color!) He's been somewhat at a disadvantage at times because he's not always had a training partner close to his size. Today Chris Chaney bravely took on the role of "uke" even though, as a yellow belt, he didn't always quite know what he was getting himself into! (At one point, I told him, "Just charge Philip and get ready for anything.") After the test, his mother commented that "Big Philip" looked kinda scary. He sure did. He proved that no one better mess with him!
Philip Wahl tested for Sankyu. He is the second student of ours that we've promoted all the way up to brown belt, and the first that we've tested at our own dojo. We had warned him that the test for brown belt is harder than the tests he'd done so far. In fact, we'd been making jokingly vague "threats" every time we announced the upcoming belt test.
His test lasted about three hours, and they were pretty much three solid hours. Somewhere in the middle of the test, we took a break from the judo and self-defense requirements and had people gear up for the sparring portion of the test. We had Philip do continuous sparring, with no breaks between rounds. First he fought Trevor, then Darrick, and then Big Philip. And, for good measure, he then had to fend off Trevor and Darrick together.
After that, he got a short rest, while we awarded belts to Trevor and James. Then, to make up for their idle time, the two Philips were warmed back up with push-ups and some review of the basics. Then it was back to requirements and kata.
Once "Big Philip" was done, Philip Wahl was just left with a few Sankyu requirements and a final surprise: "scrappling". We joked that he would have to beat Mr. Benjamin in order to earn his brown belt. After two long, tiring rounds, we decided Philip was wiped out enough and had more than proven that he was brown belt caliber.
We were so proud of him. He arrived not feeling his best, but he gave the test his all. Philip looked sharp the entire time and did everything with a great attitude. His kata was truly impressive, and he did wonderfully on his other material as well. As I watched him go through the test with determination and such a good spirit, I thought that all of our students had shown true Keichu dedication today. Naturally, since Philip's test was for brown belt, it required the most dedication, but he proved that he was more than up for the challenge.
What a great day! These four students truly deserve congratulations for what they have accomplished. We're really excited to see each one of them progress all the way to black belt and beyond.
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