Rank Testing: What's The Big Deal?

Traditional karate has long been known for helping youth and adult practitioners to learn about goal setting as well as self - discipline while improving physical fitness, decreasing stress, and teaching valuable self defense skills along the way. All of these benefits are important but today let's discuss why rank tests are important and how they play into the overall success of the martial arts individual.

Setting Goals:

Everyone knows that setting goals is an important part of living a successful life. Zig Ziglar once said, "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time" and he isn't wrong. Having a goal set helps keep us focused on why we are dedicating time, effort, and energy to an action; but all too often, we fail to acheive the goal and there's a very clear reason why that is the case.

A goal isn't much without a plan, and in karate the plan is clearly laid out within the curriculum. At Ingram's, our curriculum is centered around consistent class attendance, which is key to allowing a student to develop the skills and strength to be able to accomplish the goal. That's just the beginning though; the second factor in the plan is the small acheivements along that way that reinforce to the student that even the smallest effort makes a difference when it comes to goal setting. Not because the small effort creates huge gains, but because the small effort (especially when the student doesn't feel motivated to make that effort) leads to a dopamine rush in the brain which feels good. This leads the student to remember that good feeling when the time comes for the next set of expected effort comes due.

This creates a continuous cycle which reinforces itself and helps create an effort-reward feedback loop which makes a student more likely to want to try again in the future.

It's just a belt, right?

Technically, yes. The belt in and of itself doesn't really mean much, it's a simple piece of colored fabric designed to help instructors easily identify what skills each student likely knows or is in process of learning. What the belt signifies is far more important though. Every time a student achieves a new belt, they realize they are capable of facing the unknown, overcoming challenges, and dedicating themselves to something bigger than they once thought possible. This is why rank testing matters so much, and why instructors encourage so heavily that a student attend at least two classes per week on a long term basis. The discouraging effects of failing to stay consistent isn't just something that can derail a belt test, for some it creates a pattern of complacency which leads to "giving up" which can last long into adulthood.

Test Procedures At Ingram's

When a student in our youth program has been showing consistent effort, and has demonstrated a proficiency in skillset the instructor will invite them to test. This testing invitation is not based solely on performance inside the karate class. Respect for others (especially parents), hard work at school, honesty and integrity, as well as treating the dojo with respect are all factors in when a sensei will invite a student to test.

Once the invitation has been received, a family can decide if the student has been exhibiting those very important relational factors mentioned above. If there is an issue, our instructors would want to know that so we can help play a part in helping the student understand why their behavior at home and school matters.

Once the family has decided the student will test, registration for testing day is the next step and can be done through our Ingram's Karate app. Please remember that it's important to register as early as possible so your sensei has time to prepare a belt and certificate for you in the event you have a successful test and are promoted to the next level.

Teen students follow the same procedures as above because we feel that teens are beginning to branch out in the world and we want to remind them that their attitudes and behaviors matter so much to who they are learning to become as they grow into adulthood.

There's so much psychology involved in karate

As you can see, there's so much more to karate that punching and kicking. Your instructors aren't just trying to teach you self defense; we want to not only help you realize your goals, but also help you develop a pattern of behaviors that will serve you well throuout your life.

We'll see you on the mats!

~Sensei Jen Davenport