Hate Tests

My big exam to earn a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Purple Belt is coming up in about a month.

All of my peers seem to think it's an exciting event; “Oh, boy. You get to go test for your Purple Belt!”

I think they're nuts.

Having spent decades in martial arts, I think I have a more realistic understanding of what is involved. The test will be demanding in itself, and there is a very strong possibility of failure.

In Karate, there were always people who fell short at every exam. The average failure rate was about 25%. Often, it was people who were clearly ready, but who underperformed on test day.

Many of my friends around here have also got experience with another martial art; Hapkido.

I have been training at our school for well over four years. About three times a year, the Hapkido class goes through testing. In all that time, every single student has passed every single exam. This is true not only in the colour belt ranks, but also for the Black Belts.

When they think “exam,” they consider it an event, where one demonstrates what they know, and are rewarded with promotion. Failure doesn't cross their minds.

When they think about Jiu-Jitsu exams, they realize that although failure is possible, it is only a theoretical kind of thing; not real.

So off I go next month to test. While I love training with the Gracies, I am certainly NOT looking forward to the exam.

I don't know where the standard lies, so I can't even guess at my odds of success.

Failure means doing the test over again at a future date. For me, it would be a full year before a possible return to LA for a second attempt. That would be rough.

Success means gaining the right to wear a snazzy Purple-coloured belt.