Testing is a time honored tradition within the martial arts. It serves as an important tool to help our students learn about planning, goal setting, adversity, and failure. Parents and students can use this structure to plan their journey from White Belt to Black Belt. You can work with your child on goal setting, showing them how to break up larger goals into smaller, manageable steps, and using consistent daily practice and the scripts to move through each step. On Test Day neither Sensei James nor Master Matt are nice. Students either know their material or they don’t. Students will learn to be confident in themselves by rising up to the challenge. While we never want to see it happen, some students do fail their tests. We put measures in place to prevent students from being put in that position, but it does happen from time to time for various reasons. The most common reason for failing a test is lack of consistent practice. Higher ranks may fail on a technique they know but was not demonstrated with confidence, speed, power, energy, and snap. When a student fails their test, we treat it as a learning opportunity and the student learns how to deal with failure.
We offer opportunities for stripe and belt tests on the first Saturday of the month, unless that day is a holiday or otherwise scheduled in advance. While we are always excited to see our students succeed, they are not required to test every month, and should only test when you and they feel that they are ready. Student’s are determined to be eligible for testing and promotions through several factors:
- Attendance
- Self Guided Practice
- Video Submissions
- Successfully Passing 4 Stripe Tests
- Successfully Passing a Belt Test
Attendance
Students are expected to attend a minimum of 1 class per week. We recommend students attend both the Monday and the Friday class but understand that these class times won’t fit into everyone’s schedule.
Self-Guided Practice
Self guided practice is essential to our students success in the Dojang (virtual or real) and in their lives at home and at school. Self guided practice can be used as a tool to help instill a sense of self discipline, especially in these trying times. We recommend students practice 5 to 30 minutes a day depending on their belt level. The great thing about self guided practice is that you can break it up. There’s no need to practice for 30 minutes straight. Got 5 minutes in the morning? Great, have another 10 minutes between online classes, awesome. Then take 10 minutes before dinner and another 5 before bed and you’ve got your 30 minutes in for the day!
- Self-Guided Practice time guidelines:
- White Belts 5 to 10 minutes a day
- Yellow/Orange Belts 10 to 15 minutes a day
- Purple/Blue/Green Belts 15 to 20 minutes a day
- Brown/Red/Black Belts 30 minutes a day
Video Submissions
Students are expected to record at least one video a week demonstrating their understanding of that week’s lessons. These videos are not intended to take the place of self guided practice, but can be recorded in conjunction with their practice time.
- You are encouraged to submit multiple videos demonstrating your different skills.
- Videos should be from 30 seconds up to 2 minutes long.
- You should introduce the skill you are demonstrating by speaking clearly and loud enough for the camera to hear you. Utilize any scripts that may have been taught to you in class.
- Submit Videos at least once a week on the day before class via the Video Submission Form.
“Basic Form Number One!”
“Left Hand to Right Shoulder, Stinky Sock…”
Stripe Tests
Students who meet the above criteria are invited to participate in Stripe Testing. These tests will be held on the first Saturday of each month unless otherwise stated. There is a $10 testing fee associated with each test.
There are four different Stripe Tests; Red Stripe for Forms, White Stripe for Self Defense, Blue Stripe for One Step Sparring, and Purple Stripe for Combinations. Students will need to successfully pass each Stripe Test before becoming eligible for their next Belt Test. Students are only permitted to participate in one test per month.
Stripe Tests will be held on the first Saturday of the month beginning at 11 am, unless that day is a holiday or otherwise scheduled in advance. Testing times will be announced in class and posted on the website based on registered participants.
Stripe tests will be broken up into the following groups. Groups may be combined or eliminated based on registered participants.
- Red Stripe Forms
- White Stripe Self Defense
- Blue Stripe One-Step Sparring
- Purple Stripe Combinations
Students who have successfully completed the four stripe tests will be eligible to test for their next rank during the following month’s belt test.
Student’s who are eligible for Stripe Tests need to register for testing on the Testing Registration Form.
Belt Test
Students who have successfully passed all four stripe tests while maintaining their attendance, self-guided practice, and video submissions are invited to participate in Belt Testing. These tests will be held on the first Saturday of the month, unless that day is a holiday or otherwise scheduled in advance. There is a $35 testing fee associated with the Belt Test.
There are 3 different Belt Testing groups, Tiger, Dragon, and Phoenix. These groups are comprised of the following ranks:
- Rabbit: White Belts
- Tiger: Yellow and Orange Belts
- Dragon: Purple, Blue, and Green Belts
- Phoenix: Brown and Red Belts
Testing times will be announced in class and posted on the website based on registered participants. Groups may be combined or eliminated based on registered participants.
Student’s who are eligible for their Belt Test need to register for testing on the Testing Registration Form.
Promotion
As part of your Stripe Testing Fee, students who successfully pass their Stripe Test will receive a digital certificate and the corresponding stripe on their digital belt. These digital items will be shared with you through a shared google drive folder.
As part of your Belt Testing Fee, students who successfully pass their Belt Test will receive a digital certificate and the corresponding digital belt. These digital items will be shared with you through a shared google drive folder. Additionally they will receive a Certificate of Rank and a NJKMA t-shirt the same color of the rank they earned in lieu of a belt.