Alex's Test

Today was going to be a good, but perfectly normal, Open-Mat session.

The official start time is 4pm, but I normally show up an hour early, as does Cosme. He said he wants to work to together on the BBS2 exam. Cool.

Then his private-session student showed up, and they took over the far side of the mat. Tawha arrived as well, and we got down to work on the Side-Mount section of the big test. We worked on that for about an hour-and-a-half.

Alex showed up, looking uncharacteristicly nervous for her own exam. Cosme and his student finished off, left, and we formed a new configuration.

Alex was there to perform part of her exam, with Cosme as her partner. I ran the camera, and Tawha was to read out the technique sequence.

There are five sections to the entire test. We were going to video her Mount section. It is one of the harder ones, but not horribly so. Ready, set, go....

It was good, really good; outstandingly good. I bet it felt good to get one of the tough test sections done so smoothly.

Before she could really relax, Cosme announced she would do another test section. Alex seemed unsure, but as a weak attempt can be repeated if things don't go well, she was willing to try.

They lined up, and dove into the Side-Mount section. A move or two in, she got confused with the sequence, and I called a stop. She knew exactly what had gone wrong and why, and they restarted. This time it all went perfectly.

Then they lined up yet again, and banged out the Standing section of the exam.

At that point, we were totally out of time. The next class was arriving and needed the mat.

Alex got three of her test sections completed in one, intense burst. She is 60% finished.

I fully expect her to bang out the last two sections at the very next opportunity.

After that, the five videos all get uploaded to Gracie HQ for evaluation. The results come back in a week or two. She will pass, and will have an outstanding score.

That will make her the very first student we've ever had to earn what is called a Combatives Belt. The same exam used to get students all the way to earning a Blue Belt. About half a year ago this was changed.

The old way had the system producing well-trained beginners, who didn't have any experience at free-rolling. It was decided to put in an interim level between White Belt and Blue Belt to indicate this trained-but-inexperienced status. They would receive a Combatives Belt instead which is white in colour, and has a single blue stripe running along its entire length.

They join the advanced class, and roll with everybody there. After 6 months the students are promoted without a further exam at the discretion of their own, local instructor to the status of Blue Belt.

Anyhow, Alex will soon be our very first Combatives Belt student.