Should I test for Karate green belt 1st degree because my instructor thinks I should?

Question

I think I am not ready for the test for the next level in Karate. The head instructor thinks I am. I feel that I need to perfect my technique and should not test for at least another month. I think I need more experience.

Answer 1

do what you want, but if the instructor is encouraging you, why not.

Answer 2

You should go with what the instructor says, in heart. I had the same issue in my Hapkido class for my test into green belt, and was extremely nervous because I had tostudy 160 techniques. When the day of the test arrived I had actually passed the test! When I had asked my Instructor about it he replied" I knew you could do it." I agree that your instructor knows far more about your abilities than yourself. If you do decide to take the test I wish you the best of luck!

Answer 3

If your instructor thinks you're ready, you should take the test, even if you don't think you're ready. You may surprise yourself. You may fail the test, but the important thing is that you should follow your instructor's lead on the issue; there may be a reason that you're being urged to take th test before your feel ready.

Answer 4

Your instructor probably knows what your abilities are better than you do.

If the instructor thinks that you are ready, you probably are.

The only thing that might hold you back is self confidence.

Then again... if there are TESTING FEES involved, you might want to find a different school

Answer 5

always trust your sensi

Answer 6

If your instructor says so, do it, you can always try again if you fail. Your instructor is  the best judge when it comes to your technique.

Good luck with your test, I have faith in you

Answer 7

always trust what you think and feel mybe you should wait another month and see how thing are

Answer 8

I'd trust the head instructor.  Could be that he's trying to push you a little beyond your limits to see what you are capable of.  That's not a bad thing.  I'm betting you'll pass.

Answer 9

That's an attitude I have seen many times. And it isn't a good one.

By not accepting his judgement you are being disrespectful to your instructor, in fact you are indicating that you know more than he does.

I suggest that in this regard this play at humility is actually a bit of ego.

Respect your teacher's experience and wisdom.

Answer 10

Do you know what is involved in the testing?

If so, ask for a honest critique from a more experienced student on your mock test performance.

You instructor thinks your ready, then most likely your ready.

Answer 11

your instructor should know exactly what you need for your grading so if he/she thinks you are ready you probably are.

Answer 12

I would have faith in your instructor... Unless you have only been at your current rank for under six months. If that's the case, go to a new school. Otherwise take the test, you are an unfair judge of yourself anyway.

Answer 13

to move on to the next level is to learn new techniques, new skills, and to compete with students of the next level. sometimes the instructor knows what is best for us, by observing our progress, that is what a good instructor does (unless he just wants to make money through grading fee). Sometimes, we can be perfectionist, so we want to get these techniques perfect before we move on. However another advantage is that on the next level, we will gain a better understand of the current techniques as well. With more knowledges, you get better trainings.

There must be a balance between perfecting techniques and moving forward, because moving to fast forward without basic foundations is like a build lacking is basic structural foundation. Yet, moving forward too slow is like a fish who feel so comfortable with this little pond that it miss out on what is great and wonderful out there.

There trick is to learn all you can in the current level, train as much as possible, at least 1000 times for any new techniques (50 times per day, and you are ready in 20 days.) , then, move on to the next level. Once you are on the next level, you can still perfect techniques of the previous level. It is about in two years time, how good do you want to be and what is the  best way for  you to get there.

That is why it is important to do homework, where you practice you old techniques as we as your new techniques.

30 minutes for your first year. 60 minutes of homework on your 2nd year, and 90 minutes on 3rd. and 120 on 4th. (just a rough guidelines, depending on your progress. Don't train more than two hours)

As for your situation, since instructor think you are ready, i believe that technically you are ready. However, you may lack a bit of confidence, so, you just believe in yourself, go over your grading requirement a few times every night. After a few weeks of polishing your techniques, your confidence will grow and you should be mentally ready.. Sometimes, it is like going for exams, you never feel that you are going to be ready..

A martial artist needs to gain new knowledge every times he trains, go to class. You want to be hungry for knowledges. You can learn things from your instructors, your sparring partners, yourself during your training like how your body moves. Knowledges enhance your training, the quality of your training today is much better than 3 months ago, because you have more informations about the techniques or training methods. That is why it is important to more up to the next level, and yet not rushing it, or move up when you are not ready. Trust me on the 1000 times technique repetition. There is a theory that once you perform a technique for 1000 times, with each day, trying to be better than the previous.. Once you have reach that number, you are ready to use it. Not perfect by no means, but it is ready to be use in sparring. Your body start to move naturally with that particular techniques as if, it is 2nd nature.