Tell me about your belt testing experience.

[andytaro]

My shodan testing was like 5 hours long with one 5 min break.
started with 2 hours cardio including 300 push-ups,300 situps and 200 jumping squats..... then did crazy wheel barell for who knows how long. Then hand standing for crazy mins.... jump kicking balls hanging from roof.
Then we kicked/punched kickshields for an hour.
This was the worst part of 5 hours. I don't remember exactly what we did because I was only half conscious　at that time.

Yah we had 5-min break.

Then 2 hours of basics/moving basics/kata.
Last hour we spent notorious 10/20 men kumite.

Mine lasted 2minx10 + extra 2 with punches to face. Then I had to jump in fighting against other blackbelts who is advancing next rank for 3 or 4 rounds.

Next day, I could not get up. My legs were swollen badly.

[Groucho]

mine was pretty standard...the fitness tests, kihon, kata...all that fun stuff...

our kumite was 20 rounds...I was doing REALLY well and had scored some knockouts...and then number 16 bowed in...

my dojo's sparring style allowed feints to the face, and hand attacks to the sides of the head (strictest application of "no face punches" ever...)...now, opponent 16 was only an occasional trainee with our group (even in Japan, it would seem you have to scare up some extra yudansha for exams...)...he's seen the head feints, etc., and launches (I'm pretty sure) mawashi tetsui at the side of my head, and landed it flush in my right eye...

so I finish that fight, and my eye is already swelling up...by #18, it's swollen shut...I fought my last 3 fights with one eye...

Sensei said "Osu!!"...note the second exclamation point, I'm very proud of it...

[BigAl]

I'm only a yellow belt so mine was basically doing a lot of kihon, stance changes, the two basic kata we needed to know several times apiece, and then answering a bunch of questions.

I'm testing for blue soon though which includes all of the above plus breaking and fighting for 10 minutes straight in kumite, where they switch out opponents every couple minutes. Shouldn't be a problem for me, since last Gashuku I was in about six kumite bouts and still wasn't too tired by the end of it. Also have to show off some of the basic groundfighting we learned (mostly comes from Judo newaza, primarily escapes and counters). My sempai just got his nidan last year, his was 50 straight minutes of kumite which is pretty badass.

[pnul]

Originally Posted by BigAl

I'm only a yellow belt so mine was basically doing a lot of kihon, stance changes, the two basic kata we needed to know several times apiece, and then answering a bunch of questions.

I'm testing for blue soon though which includes all of the above plus breaking and fighting for 10 minutes straight in kumite, where they switch out opponents every couple minutes. Shouldn't be a problem for me, since last Gashuku I was in about six kumite bouts and still wasn't too tired by the end of it. Also have to show off some of the basic groundfighting we learned (mostly comes from Judo newaza, primarily escapes and counters). My sempai just got his nidan last year, his was 50 straight minutes of kumite which is pretty badass.

Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho

[pnul]

oh-ho-ho-ho-ho

[chiller]

Well my Shodan grading was quite a while ago now 1989 to be precise and it was taken under Hanshi Arneil so i knew it was going to be a very long day lol and it was. So basicly We were last to be graded so as well as our own grading we also had to do all the lower grades also so when the white belts were finished their grading they dropped out and the same for blue,Yellow,Green,Brown you get the picture.

So of course by the time it is our grading we blackbelt candidates feel like we have went ten rounds with Hanshi lol but he is so inspirational to be around you just find some sort of inner strength. Ok so we go through all our black belt kihon and Kata then with a wry smile Hanshi says ok guys as you have done so well i want you to do the kihon and kata in ura again to see if you understand the principles involed.

hanshi had hinted that our grading would be twice as hard as usual at the previous days training sesion with him but we didnt think that we would have to do it in Ura as well lol, Ok so another two hours of blood and sweat and we come to Hanshi's bit of fun lol He wanted to test our muscle strength while doing Sanchin no Kata and he chose a Shinai to test our upper body strengh. And for our lower body strengh he got us to move in Kiba dachi whilst he stood on our upper thighs. i am sure if i can remember we did fifty or so and boy after ten or so the burn kicked in big time but all the time you had hanshi on your thighs he was whispering keep going son keep going you are kyokushin and you just knew you were going to make it .

Now for the stamana tests we did the usual sit ups crunches etc three hundred or so also at that time we also did push ups on your knuckles fifty also fifty five finger pushups and twenty koken pushups ouch. And also we did fifty standing jumps over our belts held at waist height. and also twenty double front kicks at a heavy bag. doesnt sound much but standing jumps over a waist high belt is stamina sapping .

Now onto our Kumite we did ten rounds clicker style and twenty rounds full knockdown and you had to win at least 90% of fights. After all that Hanshi asked us to demonstrate a Kata that we believed most inspired us so i chose Kanku dai even though it isnt a favorite of mine i find it very calming and thought provoking.

Anyway that was one of the most intense gradings i have ever taken and an expierience i will never forget mainly because i new i had earned my shodan and also because their is something about hanshi arneil that makes you want to go that bit further when you train with him or are graded by him and boy have i had some times under him trully one of a kind.
Osu

[Shokei Marcsui]

A great teacher will motivate a student past his breaking point to succeed. OSU! and wonderful story!

[kyofighter]

Big Al - ,,I'm only a yellow belt so mine was basically doing a lot of kihon, stance changes, the two basic kata we needed to know several times apiece, and then answering a bunch of questions.

I'm testing for blue soon though which includes all of the above plus breaking and fighting for 10 minutes straight in kumite, where they switch out opponents every couple minutes. Shouldn't be a problem for me, since last Gashuku I was in about six kumite bouts and still wasn't too tired by the end of it. Also have to show off some of the basic groundfighting we learned (mostly comes from Judo newaza, primarily escapes and counters). My sempai just got his nidan last year, his was 50 straight minutes of kumite which is pretty badass. ,,

...so you guys have different belt collors - most of the organizations have the green after the yellow.

[BigAl]

I'm with Phoenix Karatedo, ours goes white-yellow-blue-green-purple-brown-brown-brown-black.

[Shaolin Bushido]

I'm just a white belt but my stories are good too ... not too impressive though to guys who would spot my rookie lies, hehheh ... jk ...

Great stories, men.

[RASor]

Osu Senseis & Senpais,

Our belt heirarchy begins with white - orange - orange stripe - blue - blue stripe - yellow - yellow stipe - green - green stripe - brown - brown stripe - shodan.

Although kumite is required at blue, the orange belts engage in kumite especially when there is a shortage of black belt fighters. Basic limbering exercises/strikes/blocks/stances, kihon and kata (from Taikyoku to covered Kata based on belt/rank) are required. Promotions are very tough. BTW, promotions are done in Japanese Language (Nipponggo?). Average completion time 3 hours (single person).

Osu.