Why Is Testing Mandatory
by Grandmaster Bob Chaney
It’s easy to give into and allow for double standards, which temporarily provides happiness for individuals while sourcing grave consequences for others. As children, we hated many of the rules and regulations which were imposed on us by our parents. But experience and wisdom teaches us the importance of policies and procedures that create order.
Our Upland Studio was extremely successful for eleven years. Successful enough that my manager expressed an interest in buying the business that had an eleven year track record of success. He managed every aspect of the daily operations of running the business for nearly three years. He solicited investors and they came up with $500,000 in investment capital and purchased the studio. He almost immediately abandoned the system that was responsible for the businesses success and barely lasted 9 months.
The testing and ranking system is the heart and soul of the Martial Arts, yet it is the hardest over which to maintain control and order. Any student or students that see little or no value and are allowed to disrespect the testing system or order in our schools are like a form of cancer or deadly virus that, if allowed, infects the entire system and compromises the integrity of the structure. An unhealthy system needs to be reformed. When those in authority become corrupted then those who are faithful to its principles should make every attempt to restore the leaders before rising up against them. Every leader struggles with their own ego needs. It is this struggle which ultimately weakens leaders to entertain the idea of compromise.
If the system is upheld it will weed out the students who cannot conform. Of even more danger to our schools are those individuals who give the appearance of conformity while subtly undermining the system and those responsible for preserving its integrity. These students truly believe they are the reformers. They believe they know a better way. This level of arrogance reveals the motivations and intentions of their hearts and will ultimately lead to their demise if the system holds them responsible. However, it will lead to the demise of the system if those in authority compromise its integrity as is the case with my former manager. He later remarked to several students and friends that his mistake was listening too and trying to accommodate individual needs of students and parents.
To elude mandatory quarterly testing can be motivated by fear of failure, rebellion, misunderstandings, or perhaps the results of financial hardship. One of the very purposes of testing is to help students discover and measure growth in the qualities and characteristics which the martial arts system teaches. Without the test one student would presumptuously rank himself higher than his training would allow, while another student would perceive his achievements as failures. The test levels the playing field for both students. Both are validated by rank which is commensurate to their training. Both may eventually hold the rank of black belt or black sash and earn the same level of respect and honor, providing both are loyal to the system which molded them. Therefore, this presupposition being true, it is possible for the student with lesser skills and athleticism to be worthy of higher honor because the student is measured by their conformity to the system. They embody and propagate the system as long as they continue to be loyal to it and those who are responsible to preserve it.
Not showing up for classes a week or so before or after testing does not provide a student with an excuse. Whether the reason is fear of failure, rebellion or financial hardship, the chief instructor is the only one that can excuse a student from mandatory testing. Fulfilling the terms of your contract is an expression of the character qualities that we try to cultivate in each student. Our job is to help the student overcome either situation. Missing testing does not relieve the financial responsibility. Testing is part of the program just as learning to punch or kick is a part of the program. Testing is not determined by or left up to the discretion or individual needs of students or parents.
An exceptional freshman college student who has to take English Composition 101 must take the same final exam as the freshman who struggles to get passing grades. The test is necessary to not only document the fulfilled requirements, it validates the student’s placement, or in our case, rank.
One major reason for the high attrition rate which ultimately causes the closing of Studios is the lack of or breaking down of civil order. Students generally understand, respect and accept the ranking system which accompanies traditional Karate and Tae Kwon Do. But the new generation is unfamiliar with the purpose of testing in a Muay Thai System that, in the past, had no ranking system. Muay Thai, if it is going to survive must also provide the necessary structure with integrity that instills morals and values in a system that teaches combat techniques.
Muay Thai’s country of origin, Thailand, is fighting a battle with Tae Kwon Do. The Korean national sport is sweeping the country of Thailand because Tae Kwon Do is concentrating on teaching life-values and making the training fun. Muay Thai is taught only for fighting while life-values take a back seat to combat techniques.
If traditional Martial Artists are required to conform to a system that regulates and monitors its practitioners how important is it that the practitioners of Muay Thai are subject to the same rules and conditions? This will help insure that they are learning discipline, restraint, leadership skills and self-control in order to advance through the ranks. Ultimately this will provide safety measures for the protection of citizens who could be potential targets of Martial Arts techniques ending up in the hands of the wrong people. Aren’t we just as responsible for policing Muay Thai practitioners to insure they are taught to be responsible individuals who will be just as accountable with their potentially deadly techniques as the Karate and Tae Kwon Do practitioners? I firmly believe we instructors are responsible for the attitudes we instill in our students no matter which Martial Art we teach.
If a student is not excused from testing by the chief instructor they cannot return to class until they take a private make up test and pay a late private testing fee.
Testing dates are posted one year in advance. Even so there are always a very few legitimate extenuating circumstances that may require and provide a reason to schedule a makeup test with the chief instructor.
Our Upland Studio was extremely successful for eleven years. Successful enough that my manager expressed an interest in buying the business that had an eleven year track record of success. He managed every aspect of the daily operations of running the business for nearly three years. He solicited investors and they came up with $500,000 in investment capital and purchased the studio. He almost immediately abandoned the system that was responsible for the businesses success and barely lasted 9 months.
The testing and ranking system is the heart and soul of the Martial Arts, yet it is the hardest over which to maintain control and order. Any student or students that see little or no value and are allowed to disrespect the testing system or order in our schools are like a form of cancer or deadly virus that, if allowed, infects the entire system and compromises the integrity of the structure. An unhealthy system needs to be reformed. When those in authority become corrupted then those who are faithful to its principles should make every attempt to restore the leaders before rising up against them. Every leader struggles with their own ego needs. It is this struggle which ultimately weakens leaders to entertain the idea of compromise.
If the system is upheld it will weed out the students who cannot conform. Of even more danger to our schools are those individuals who give the appearance of conformity while subtly undermining the system and those responsible for preserving its integrity. These students truly believe they are the reformers. They believe they know a better way. This level of arrogance reveals the motivations and intentions of their hearts and will ultimately lead to their demise if the system holds them responsible. However, it will lead to the demise of the system if those in authority compromise its integrity as is the case with my former manager. He later remarked to several students and friends that his mistake was listening too and trying to accommodate individual needs of students and parents.
To elude mandatory quarterly testing can be motivated by fear of failure, rebellion, misunderstandings, or perhaps the results of financial hardship. One of the very purposes of testing is to help students discover and measure growth in the qualities and characteristics which the martial arts system teaches. Without the test one student would presumptuously rank himself higher than his training would allow, while another student would perceive his achievements as failures. The test levels the playing field for both students. Both are validated by rank which is commensurate to their training. Both may eventually hold the rank of black belt or black sash and earn the same level of respect and honor, providing both are loyal to the system which molded them. Therefore, this presupposition being true, it is possible for the student with lesser skills and athleticism to be worthy of higher honor because the student is measured by their conformity to the system. They embody and propagate the system as long as they continue to be loyal to it and those who are responsible to preserve it.
Not showing up for classes a week or so before or after testing does not provide a student with an excuse. Whether the reason is fear of failure, rebellion or financial hardship, the chief instructor is the only one that can excuse a student from mandatory testing. Fulfilling the terms of your contract is an expression of the character qualities that we try to cultivate in each student. Our job is to help the student overcome either situation. Missing testing does not relieve the financial responsibility. Testing is part of the program just as learning to punch or kick is a part of the program. Testing is not determined by or left up to the discretion or individual needs of students or parents.
An exceptional freshman college student who has to take English Composition 101 must take the same final exam as the freshman who struggles to get passing grades. The test is necessary to not only document the fulfilled requirements, it validates the student’s placement, or in our case, rank.
One major reason for the high attrition rate which ultimately causes the closing of Studios is the lack of or breaking down of civil order. Students generally understand, respect and accept the ranking system which accompanies traditional Karate and Tae Kwon Do. But the new generation is unfamiliar with the purpose of testing in a Muay Thai System that, in the past, had no ranking system. Muay Thai, if it is going to survive must also provide the necessary structure with integrity that instills morals and values in a system that teaches combat techniques.
Muay Thai’s country of origin, Thailand, is fighting a battle with Tae Kwon Do. The Korean national sport is sweeping the country of Thailand because Tae Kwon Do is concentrating on teaching life-values and making the training fun. Muay Thai is taught only for fighting while life-values take a back seat to combat techniques.
If traditional Martial Artists are required to conform to a system that regulates and monitors its practitioners how important is it that the practitioners of Muay Thai are subject to the same rules and conditions? This will help insure that they are learning discipline, restraint, leadership skills and self-control in order to advance through the ranks. Ultimately this will provide safety measures for the protection of citizens who could be potential targets of Martial Arts techniques ending up in the hands of the wrong people. Aren’t we just as responsible for policing Muay Thai practitioners to insure they are taught to be responsible individuals who will be just as accountable with their potentially deadly techniques as the Karate and Tae Kwon Do practitioners? I firmly believe we instructors are responsible for the attitudes we instill in our students no matter which Martial Art we teach.
If a student is not excused from testing by the chief instructor they cannot return to class until they take a private make up test and pay a late private testing fee.
Testing dates are posted one year in advance. Even so there are always a very few legitimate extenuating circumstances that may require and provide a reason to schedule a makeup test with the chief instructor.