Outline of a Possible Level 1 Rank Test
Prior to the Physical Exam
Parents are required to turn in parent permission slips with the box marked, “Yes, my child is behaving at home and at school in a way that I feel qualifies him or her to test for their next belt rank.” Students should arrive for the exam in clean and pressed uniforms with their belts properly tied and school patches in place. Students also have gym bags containing their personal items such as clothes, shoes, water bottles and any materials instructor requires for their participation in regular classes.
Physical Exam Requirements
Students must be able to quickly and efficiently line up in straight lines and properly utilize the available floor space. Students must be able to perform the procedures for beginning a class as a unit (bow in and other formalities) with unity, confidence and enthusiasm.
Students must be able to then recite the “Three Rules of Concentration” and demonstrate to members of the audience and or to each other the “polite greeting.” The instructor then chooses one child to role play the polite greeting to emphasize its importance and to point out to the audience the benefits and value of refined social skills. Students then perform the step-by-step the exercise of Form #1.
Next, the instructor calls two or more children out of the testing group to “compete” against each other in intensity, speed and precision. The instructor briefly addresses the children and audience about the power and value of healthy competition.
Students move into lines for a line drill where assistant instructors challenge students to defend themselves against padded “blockers” using the four-corner blocking technique. The instructor then asks at least two students to demonstrate the same skill in a “spotlight performance.”
Next, the instructor inquires whether each participant’s bedroom is clean (if the student’s room isn’t clean, they can get their new belt, but they can’t wear it until they’ve cleaned their room thoroughly). The instructor congratulates the students, awards their belts and dismisses the group.
Approximate Test Timeline
5 Minutes Students line up, bow in, and recite the “Three Rules of Concentration.”
3 Minutes Polite Greeting
5 Minutes Form #1
5 Minutes Line Drills and Highlights
2 Minutes Wrap up
Total time: 20 Minutes.