I recently had a conversation with my Sifu, Master Scotty, about the merits of testing.
He doesn’t see the merit of traditional testing (complete X endurance tests, demonstrate Y forms, etc) in his clubs because he’s been our teacher for many years and is very familiar with our skill levels.
He prefers tests of character, and being personally familiar with his students.
Reasons to test:
- Competition, and hence fitness, are important parts of your art/sport. So fitness tests are important to move up the belt ranks and thus competition classes.
- Your school employs apprentices as teachers. If your students are trained by apprentice instructors, the head master would want to test students against some standards.
- Your school charges extra for grading, and so it is an important revenue stream. I’m not sure about this one. Most schools charge a healthy amount for classes. I realize it’s difficult to make a decent living as a martial arts instructor. But in my opinion the arts are about charging a fair sum for access to your knowledge, not about squeezing your students for money.
Reasons to consider not using formal testing:
- Regular training, not testing, is what will save your life in a self-defence cenario. If your students only train to reach the next belt, will they stick around after they’ve attained their black belt (or equivalent)?
- If you are engaged with your club’s students on a regular basis, you should be aware of their skill and fitness levels. Is it necessary to make them jump through hoops to demonstrate it under formal conditions?
- If your student fails, it simply means they are not ready to advance. It also means you engaged them in the grading process too soon. Especially if they’re paying extra for the grading. But, if you recognize they’re ready to grade, then what is there to gain from the grading process itself?
Traditionally, gradings in my club have been gruelling sparring sessions, where the student being graded spars the rest of the class continuously for a predetermined period of time. It’s a test of character, more than fitness. The student’s skill is also demonstrated, but no more than they demonstrate on a daily basis while training.
Again, these approaches work for Master Scotty’s club and his art because we are not a competitive style. There is merit for a competitor to be tested against a set of criteria for matching with a certain level of competitors.
What do you think? Is formal grading a necessary component to all martial arts?
3 comments
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August 5, 2010 at 1:16 am
Accidental Aikidoist
I think it’s necessary to have regular tests so that the student(s) have a physical line to cross; sort of a landmark so that they know where they are in their training. You don’t wanna go through a long physically and not know where you are.
On the other hand, if all the student(s) want is to be black belt (or equivalent) then it’s a paper test at best, ego trip at worst. I’ve been guilty of treating a test like a barrier before; just a line in the sand to cross. Boy was I wrong.
In the end, my two cents states that it depends on what the student(s) and the instructors want out of each other. What they truly want…not what they say they want.
This topic about belts and rankings is a popular one.
August 5, 2010 at 10:27 am
Rick
I agree that in the end it’s up to the instructor and student.
It feels good to set goals and reach them, and that’s probably the largest part of what a grading is.
Part of the reason my instructor is considering changing his grading methods is the challenge of organizing them. In the past, they involved pulling together a fair sized group of people, many of whom have become scattered, and many of those who have been around for some years now do their regular training independently – attending class when they’re able to.
August 6, 2010 at 1:42 am
Accidental Aikidoist
Yeah, regular attendance is hard to come by, especially in this economy. It seems that the only people who are able to attend regular are those with set schedules (rare) and those who are unemployed (myself).