Black belt testing expectations & requirements

                                                                                                                By Sensei James Oberschlake

Instructor Permission:

     As with kyu testing, no one tests for black belt without permission.  Testing is not a right; it is a privilege granted by those in authority recognizing the results of diligent effort.  Youth need permission from parental unit.  Youth and adults need permission from their instructor.  Instructor permission is a type of pledge or promise to the examiners.  It says this student has been training faithfully, that they may not be ready to pass, but they are ready to test.  If a student fails a black belt test and is eligible to test again at a later date, the student cannot do so unless they once again get permission from the instructor.  The ISKF and Mid-America Karate Region recognize the authority of instructor permission.
 

Mandatory Waiting Periods:

At Brown County Shotokan Karate Club, a student must wait at least one year after receiving the rank of 1st Kyu before they are eligible to take a black belt test.  Students taking higher level black belt tests must follow mandatory waiting periods as prescribed by the ISKF Technical Committee.  This information is available at the official ISKF website.

Mid-America Pretests:

     The Mid-America pretest requirement is a great blessing.  Before this requirement 80 to 90% of students failed their black belt test.  After instituting this requirement, 80 to 90% of students now pass their black belt test.  During the waiting period the student secures instructor permission to pretest.  There is no fee charged for pretesting.  The student preforms their testing kata in front of the Mid-America Technical Committee and other licensed ISKF examiners.  These examiners are looking for problems that could cause students to fail their black belt test.  Students will either be given the OK to test at a future date or be required to pretest again.  A pretest is good practice for the actual test.  Also, a black belt test is not cheap; the pretest is free.  It is best to experience disappointment and frustration before the actual black belt test.  Passing the pretest is part of the challenge of becoming a black belt.

The Test Itself:

A black belt test is made up of 3 parts: Kihon, Kata, and Kumite.  Consult the official ISKF website.  Go to Information.  Then scroll down to Examination Guidelines and click on Dan PDF.  Here the contents of black belt tests are described.  Check with your instructor to see where Mid-America black belt tests may vary slightly from the ISKF template.  During the test expect the unexpected.  Be ready to do whatever the examiner asks you to do.

Bassai Dai:

     Most everyone does Bassai Dai for their first black belt test.  Bassai Dai utilizes big hip movement and strong stances to bring the power of the middle and lower body to the upper body techniques.  Skidding feet and wobbly knees indicate weak stances and a lack of power.  These are serious flaws that must be fixed.  Mastering the correct movement of Bassai Dai is crucial to passing a black belt test.   

Climbing Black Belt Mountain:

     Being a black belt means you have reasonably mastered basic techniques.  Becoming 1st Kyu means you successfully climbed to the top of “Black Belt Mountain”.  You reached the top, but you are not yet a black belt.  To become a black belt, you must return to the bottom and reclimb Black Belt Mountain again.  Don’t think go up.  Go back and get whatever it was you did not quite get the first time up.    Was it round house kick?  Back stance?  Kime?  Whatever it was, you must go back and master it now.

Becoming a Black Belt:

     It is not a gift.  It is more than an accomplishment earned with sweat.  A black belt is something you become.  The process is challenging and life changing.  Don’t short change yourself by putting forth anything less than maximum effort.  Especially during the 6 months prior to your test, you need to make a special push:  more class time, more self-training, more attendance at special events.  You need to prepare and train so hard that even on your worse day, you would still pass.   
     On that day, you will no longer be the same person.  You now are neither average or normal.  You have become something more.  You are now and forever will be a Black Belt.