Belt testing is held during the last week of every month and are by invitation only. Students that are eligible to test will be notified by the academy 30 day prior to exam day to ensure that students have adequate amount of time to prepare and arrange their schedule.
- New and beginning students take their first stripe exam after 3 months of training and can expect to progress about every three months until they reach Blue Belt.
- Blue, Purple and Brown Belts test approximately every three months for
stripe tests, with belt promotions ever 12-18 months.
Time is not the most important element for promotion. Time requirements are established merely in general lengths of training time normally necessary to gain sufficient knowledge and skill to progress to the next level. If you have not trained regularly in class for the required length of time, you might not be eligible for testing. Many factors are weighed when considering a promotion. These include such things as your physical skill, self-control, self-discipline, respect, spirit, neatness, attendance, and attitude within the academy as well as in school ad at work. Each students potential is also taken into consideration. If a student has a physical or physiological handicap, for example, he or se may be promoted to a higher rank with less demonstrated skill than a student who has greater potential.
All instructors utilize a lesson plan, which specifies what should be taught each week. This is there to ensure you know what is required for each rank. There is no excuse for not being ready to test. If you do not know what your requirements are for your next stripe or belt then ask your instructor.
The promotion of students is considered a serious matter. It is highly improper to complain about not being allowed to test (which usually occurs because one has missed too many classes or because stripe testing requirements were not completed on time) or about not being promoted as high as one would like. All instructors are extremely sensitive to this issue and it is considered bad etiquette to complain about not being promoted.
