Martial arts and testing.?

I owned my own dojo for many years. From the beginning I made it clear that asking if you can test is not something that anyone should do. It is rude, and is like saying that the instructor does not know who should be tested and who shouldn't. If that is a persons belief then he should go somewhere else to train. Any good instructor not only teaches he is fully aware of each students abilities and level or understanding and application. Any student that questions that has no place in any decent dojo.

As for the comments about this student or that student not being tested in a long time. So what. I know at least five guys that have been serious martial artists in various styles for 20,30, or more years that have not been tested in over ten years. Several of them are brown belts that are very good. They understand that it is what you know and can do that is important, not the belt you wear. I have never seen a belt rank defend a person. Anyone that thinks that it can is seriously lacking in reality.

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well-

i kind of come from a school now, that has tested once in over a decade. and quite frankly i think the only reason he held the test was to formally recognize his old group of senior students (the equivalent of a black belt- we have no belts) and separate us from the influx of new faces that joined the school in the two years immediately prior.

quite frankly i think that my example is insanely extreme i have been to schools with other arts that tested once a year but the one thing in common- and my point is that the testing is and really should be a "formality" that just recognizes the ability you have and teacher has recognized whether you test or not.

i admit my outlook is based on my early ma experiences that are based on more sportative martial arts (boxing, wrestling) and this is how i tended to approach advancement and testing.

basically, i think the focus should be in asking your teacher not if "i should have tested" but to assess your current skill and ability.

basically i think your teachers mindset is "you dont test unless you are asked, when i think you are ready- you are ready".

i don't know the dynamics of your school, but the focus should be on development, not testing.

if you NEVER EVER tested, but you trained and knew you held your own against the top students in your class in sparring, do you give a ****?

I point at the calendar in the dojo and say the next testing date is posted on there, or you can check out our online calendar on the dojo website, or you can find it on Facebook. I am not here to babysit parents nor my students. The tools for them to be informed are outlined in the new student book and reiterated in the dojo each week. Now if a parent comes and tells me their child is going to test next time and I do not feel they are ready I outline what must be fixed and worked on or no test.

asking for when it is testing is not disrespectful at all people just cant drop everything because the teacher decides to test on some random on some random time testing should be planed so the student can train prepare and make sure he/she doesn't have any other things going on that day or week