More Belt Nonsense

I never liked belt exams, but Karate is kind of like old -time school. Don't pass the first grade, and you get to stay behind while your friends go on and learn new stuff.

Did my belt tests whenever I had my time in, and an opportunity presented itself.

Getting my Brown Belt felt very cool. I think it took me two years. Tell somebody you are a belt of some brighter colour and they usually don't know what that means. People seem to know what Brown Belt is.

In Shotokan, there are three levels of Brown. You can settle down for a year or more wearing Brown. You keep the same belt. It becomes an old friend. There is nothing that indicates which level of Brown you are. I liked that.

I would have liked taking a little extra time at Brown to get happy with my own technique. My Sensei left, and I became the instructor. I felt I owed it to the club to try and progress as quickly as possible, so no slower pace for me. I passed the two Brown tests on schedule.

For those two exams I had no feedback during the months of training as to how I was doing. Sensei was gone. I guess I was doing OK, as I kept passing. I really hated those tests, and expected to fail each time.

While walking off the floor for one of those tests after completing the basics component, I was positive I'd failed. My Kata and Kumite saved me.

The examiner on my other Brown exam decided to have me free spar, which wasn't part of the normal test procedure. They can do that, or pretty much whatever they want. I fought the other Brown Belts one after the other. I'd made it through 4 or 5 of them, when the last guy cracked my melon really hard. There was blood, but I passed.

The only failure I had was for my Black Belt. Nothing dramatic or noteworthy. Just didn't pass. Passed on my next attempt. I hated both of those.

In my new club, the other two Black Belts are keen to go for their Second Dan exams. They have been told they may do so in the summer that is a little over a year away. They really want me to test, too, though I don't know why.

Unlike coloured belts, different Dan Black Belts do not get you access to a higher level of training.

Some people use exams as motivators to their training. I already train 3 times a week, plus the odd Vancouver visit. I am already motivated.

There are also dangers to such exams. No biggie if I fail, or if we all fail. What if I'm the only one to pass? How would it make sense to lower belts if the highest Black Belt is not the instructor?

I like my rank, Shodan. I like my role, guy in the line who happens to have a Black Belt.

And I don't like tests.