Exams

Belt tests can be a pain.

I don't mean the exams themselves, I mean getting them organized. A club needs to have them every 3 months or so.

Even then, that's a bare bones thing. Suppose you are having exams every 3 months like clockwork. A wonderfully skilled student is ready to test, but can't come on exam day. Their next chance will be in 3 months.

Easy to say, "Be patient", but why not have exams more often?

Wouldn't monthly be better? Students would still have to have 3 months in, but if they miss an exam, they get it the next month.

The problem is logistics. Exams require an examiner. I believe we have one in the province, although I could be mistaken. A Dojo has to book the examiner, and set up a time and place, collect test fees, make sure association fees are paid.

Logistics.

I had to deal with all this in my club up north. To make it worth while, exams were always part of a weekend-long seminar event. Had to cough up air fare, hotel and food costs, as well as 3 days of the guest instructor's honorarium.

The club I used to run in Sechelt was better. We used to go do gradings in Vancouver. Somebody else did all the figuring out.

Of course, I did always have one big advantage over the present system. In my old association, every Dojo's instructor had the power to do exams for kids as far as Green Belt. That simplified things greatly. I used to do exams every month.

Near the end of my time in the old association, the decision was made to allow Dojo instructors to do low-level adult exams, too. I forget how high, but at least to Orange, maybe Green. I never took advantage of this, as by then the trips to Vancouver had been an accepted and appreciated part of club life. Never had a situation that required me to bend our unspoken club rule.

Often I did adult exams, anyhow, even before the rule changed. Sometimes a student would fail, but not severely enough that the examiner wanted them to wait until the next exam opportunity. These would often be 3 or 4 months off. I would be told what parts of the test to re-administer, and exactly what I was to focus on. I was told when to do the re-test.

In this way, I have done exams clear up to Black Belt. Not including Black, of course. That's a different kettle of fish.

It was also my honour to sit at the exam table many, many times. The examiners always told me exactly what they were doing, and seeing, and expecting. I tested my kids to this standard, and trained my adults to meet it. I suppose that was exactly what the examiners wanted me to get out of being at the table with them.

ISKF seems to have no provision for Dojo-level examinations. I have no problem with this in principal.

It does make things harder to set up.