GRADING, AN EXAMINERS POINT OF VIEW

To achieve something significant in life, it’s helpful to set yourself goals, small steps towards the ultimate target. In martial arts that target is a black belt and the goals are a progression of coloured belts awarded at gradings. Starting at white, belts are awarded through orange, yellow, green, blue, red and black with half colours between, a total of ten gradings to the ultimate Black Belt. From then on Dans/Degree are awarded, with Second Dan, Third Dan, etc.

With any exam, you are bound to feel apprehensive and a little nervous at the start. This is a positive feeling as it shows that you care and want to do well and be successful. Often, the anticipation is worse than the actual grading. Try not to panic; control your breathing with steady breaths in through the nose and taken down so the diaphragm inflates, not just the upper the chest, hold for a second or two and breath out again through the mouth, and repeat. A grading is a formal procedure, and putting you under pressure is an intentional part of the grading. A street encounter is a stressful situation so you need to learn to deal with stress, for the grading and other aspects of life.

To ease you into the grading it will generally start with warm-up exercises followed by some simple line-work. It’s important to know that although each grading works to a syllabus, the grading is assessed on the overall performance. The examining officer and your instructor want you to pass, and will give you every opportunity to do so.

So, what is the grading examiner looking for? These are the main areas.

ATTITUDE

As with any exam, it’s necessary to approach a grading with seriousness and a willing to do your best. You should be capable of working hard to your full potential and not give in to fatigue or your own lack of confidence in how you are performing.

Conduct yourself in a manner fitting for the occasion, it’s not a time for wise-cracks or casual behaviour. Be polite and show respect for fellow students, your instructor and the examining office wether one examiner or several. Answer all questions with a ‘Sir’ at the end.

FOCUS

Focus, is paying attention, concentrating on instructions given, keeping your stance, looking forward at all times, not fidgeting or fiddling with your uniform, not being distracted when the instructor is talking to another student. Again, it’s about doing your best and taking the grading seriously.

TECHNIQUE

To avoid bad habits becoming established, it’s important to learn the correct techniques early on. We all learn in different ways at different speeds, you are not expected to know and do everything correct right from the outset. Fitness and flexibility of individuals starting in Taekwondo will vary enormously and this has to be taken into account. But, as you progress, there should be a noticeable improvement, you will need to work to gain more flexibility and improve techniques. If the grading officer sees little improvement on the previous grading he may ask the instructor, hold back on future gradings until suitable progress has been made.

Common errors in technique are:

•Not chambering with backs of wrist together for inner and outer forearm blocks.

•Rising blocks too low.

•Not turning the lead foot with hook punch.

•Hook punches travelling too far.

•‘L’ stance not long enough.

•Chamber hand not going back to the hip far enough.

•Punches not being full facing.

•Not half facing with hooking block.

•Incorrect twin outer forearm block.

Generally techniques should be relaxed but sharp and powerful on execution. Because we are a school that specialises in pressure points, any part of the chamber and block may be used as a strike. But for grading purposes the last part of the block is the strike and should be performed with a twist of the wrist in a snap action.

PATTERNS

Each grading has a different pattern, these are rotated so that they are all covered.

Patterns are an important part of the grading, demonstrating knowledge of technique and transition between moves. For the lower belt colours some latitude is allowed in the pattern performance, as long as a reasonable effort has been made, as the body needs to learn the muscle memory of the moves and transitions. From green belt onwards you are  expected to know your grading pattern, the meaning and number of moves, your promotion to the next grade depends on it.

QUESTIONS

Generally you will be asked questions throughout the grading and again towards the end of the grading.

You should know:

•Stance distance and weight distribution.

•Parts of the foot used for strikes.

•The number of moves and the Meaning of your grading pattern.

•What the belt colour represents that you are grading for.

•Names of blocks, stances and strikes in the grading pattern.

•How you feel your training is helping to improve yourself.

•Life skills, What they mean, and how they can be used.

You will be asked other questions, but you should know an understanding of those above.

KIHAP

Students are often reluctant to shout a kihap  (shout) on the final strike of a movement. It makes a tremendous difference to the energy of the technique and helps within your grading class, creating a real buzz. Get into the habit of kihaping in class, and then it will come naturally in a grading.

A common mistake is to complete the move and then kihap, it should coincide with the final strike of the movement in line-work, and at the end of a pattern.

YOUR BLACK BELT

Finally, when you receive your black belt, the first time you tie it on for class is a memorable moment , and in class other students will shake your hand and congratulate you. You will feel proud, and that’s OK, because you have set yourself a goal and over the three to four years worked hard to achieve your goal, and that needs to be both acknowledged and celebrated. But remember, the black belt signifies you have all the tools, knowledge and ability to be a black belt. Now you need to make it your own, those things you are good at, improve on, techniques that don’t work for you, adapt them, make them work. All the time you will gain in ability and confidence. And in two to three years time, you will be ready for your next grading.

Good Luck

Mr. Paul Jackson  

Grading Examiner