The Importance of Belt Testing
Our Testing Process Helps Your Child Become Stronger Emotionally, Socially, Physically and Intellectually
Often, parents ask me why we push our students to do their belt testing every time we have one. Why are we so excited to have students go through the difficult testing process and what are the reasons.
Usually, I hear parents say something like:
It puts stress onto my child.
My child is scared of not passing.
My child doesn’t want to get embarrassed in front of everybody.
I don’t think my child is ready.
I have to pay for it?
I don’t want my child to experience failure.
We are too busy.
My child is too tired.
And a few others…
So I wanted to take a couple of moments to shed some light into our rank testing process.
Next to the obvious benefits as MOTIVATION, RECOGNITION, AND RESPONSIBILITY by being higher on the ladder of rank success, our testing process will teach your child:
GOAL SETTING
A goal without a plan is just a wish.
Every parents that signs their child up for our program wants them to improve in areas like:
CONFIDENCE
SELF-ESTEEM
ATTENTION SPAN
DISCIPLINE
FOCUS
BULLY DEFENSE AND PREVENTION
MENTAL AWARENESS
IMPROVED PHYSICAL ABILITIES
BE AROUND POSITIVE ROLE MODELS
Every child that starts training in our martial arts program has a dream of becoming a black belt or a “karate master”. It’s because they understand that people with black belt embody physical and mental strength.
Our goal is to help instill these qualities into your child, and also help them achieve their dream.
However, it is a journey, not a small path.
The best way for us to help your child grow is regular, consistent class attendance and the Belt Testings. It teaches your child to SET GOALS, COMMIT, PERSEVERE, and develop GRIT.
It is important that you bring your child consistently every week so they won’t fall behind. Having a consistent and healthy weekly routine helps your child with better performance and development of strong, healthy habits. Set and explain to your child that certain days will be KARATE DAYS and no matter how tired they are they will go to class (unless they are sick or the studio is closed).
It takes approximately 3-5 years to reach the first level of black belt. It means that it will take that much time of thinking, planning and ACTION. This is what all leaders and successful people do!
By breaking the long term goal into smaller, achievable, 8-week-long steps, we are teaching your child the habit of successful leaders - TAKING ACTION.
GOAL SETTING = LEARNING TO BE PROACTIVE VS PROCRASTINATING!
Allowing your child to skip tests causes them to regress in these values they have worked so hard to learn. Over the last decade of working with thousands of children we know that when a child tests consistently every time they get a chance, they achieve their goals.
Mastering the goal setting skill rewards our students later in life when they will face difficult job tasks or life decisions; it also puts them above their peers on the ladder of success.
Make your child stick things out because mastery, even at a child’s level, takes time and repetition.
MENTAL TOUGHNESS
To conquer fear you must become fear.
The best way for your child to overcome their fears is to face it.
Example:
If your child is afraid of bullies the best way is to equip your child with tools to deal with it like martial arts training.
If your child is not sure if they can pass their Fit Test the best way is to have them attend as many classes as possible to build up their physical abilities.
If your child is afraid of sparring the best way to help them get better is to let them spar.
If your child is shy to do things in front of other people the best way it to let them practice in front of other people.
I could go on, but I believe you get the point. It’s okay if your child goofs up, if they lose, if they get embarrassed. These are also important events to learn how to handle.
Most successful people experience many losses and embarrassments before achieving success. The reason is that they didn’t make excuses, they didn’t stop working on their goals, they didn’t give up when facing their fears.
I’m a parent myself. I have two boys, five and seven years old. I know it’s tempting to just give them a hug and say something like:
“It’s okay, honey, the other boy/girl was bigger.”
“The other kid was a higher belt than you.”
“I know you are having a bad day.”
It might make you feel better or make them feel better but it is not beneficial in the long run.
Instead, ask your child if they tried to do their best! If they tell you they did, but just goofed up or lost simply reply that you are PROUD OF THEM FOR GIVING IT THEIR BEST SHOT AND LET’S DO IT AGAIN NEXT TIME. That’s it, and add a hug :-)
Then bring them to class or schedule a private lesson so we can help you put them back on track right away and resume the road to success.
The worst thing is to not give your child a way to fix what they messed up on and pull them out of the activity because you think that it will protect your child.
At the risk of overgeneralizing, I think our children have so many choices of ways to enrich their lives that sometimes kids quit an activity as an easy response to frustration or boredom.
Competence breeds confidence, but success and accomplishment breed self-esteem and social well-being.
PREPARATION
Pressure comes from a lack of preparation.
Our belt testing forces students to mentally prepare. All students know and understand they can test and advance every 8 weeks. Every class your child attends puts them closer to the testing day.
This mental preparation might be the most valuable thing our process offers.
Preparation is sometimes overlooked. And it should NOT be, because preparation is essential to progress in life.
As instructors our duty is to prepare your child for the testing day. Class after class we work with your child together to help them get ready.
The benefits of preparation are:
It helps your child start strong:
When you prepare well, you have a foundation in place to then build on.
It helps in understanding things you need to do:
When you prepare well, you have an understanding of what is required to achieve your goal.
It helps in knowing your strengths and weaknesses:
When you prepare well for something, you have an understanding of some of the strengths and weaknesses of what you are preparing for and how to adjust and correct for those.
Going through our Belt Test process and preparing for it consistently week after week teaches your child how to prepare for and deal with anything that life will throw at them later.
SERIOUSNESS AND VALUE
Seriousness is the deepest pleasure we have.
Ranking up is very important for your child. With every new belt they start taking training more seriously because they EARNED THEMSELVES A HIGHER SPOT on the ladder of success. They will also enjoy increased responsibility and recognition among their peers.
Parents often say they would like their child to act more mature, try harder in classes and be more responsible.
Our Belt Test teaches your child just that.
Every time they put on a new belt they understand they leveled up. It’s a huge visual tool that your child puts on several times a week. And they understand, that in order to reach the next one, they will have to work a little harder than before.
As this process repeats every 8 weeks you will see your child set higher and more difficult goals. At the same time you will start to see their attitude change as well. As your child gets higher belts they will become more important examples for other students.
Training grit, self-awareness and self-correction habits will start taking roots.
No child wants to be a “forever yellow belt”, and our Belt Test gives parents a great opportunity to talk to their children about the value of things.
Using the testing process gives parents leverage to have kids do chores, get better grades in school, play nicely with siblings and more.
FINANCIALLY SOUND AND PRODUCTIVE
Stability, security, and progress toward a goal.
Quite often we get a question from parents why is there cost associated with rank advancement (Belt Test event).
As with all other sports there are extra expenses for equipment and events such as dance recitals, swim meets, gymnastics meet, soccer meets, baseball games, hockey games, sports tournaments and others.
Martial Arts are no different. Majority of martial arts studios in the country are charging equipment, events and rank advancement dues.
In addition to supporting Reveal studios to be financially sound the cost associated with rank advancement is teaching your child VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF MONEY.
Financially sound exhibits strength in three financial areas:
Stability
Security
Progress toward a goal
Every family has discussions what they can spend or cannot spend money on. To us it is important that parents sit down with their children and explain there are costs associated with their karate training such as equipment and events.
Many parents make their children to participate in the cost by having kids use their own money, do chores and participate in work around the household.
This gives our testing event a whole different feeling and perspective for the child. They will try harder, their effort will increase and they will learn that “money doesn’t grow on trees.”
We also recommend you use our events to have your child do chores or other work to earn the registration.
When you’re teaching your kids about money, it’s important to teach them where it comes from. Money does not just come from mom and dad’s wallet. When you work, you get paid. When you don’t, you don’t get paid.
In the case of money matters, ignorance is not bliss, and what you don’t know can hurt you. Research shows that children benefit from learning about how money works, beginning at a very young age.
In the last 20 years we have seen many martial arts businesses come and go in the area. Studios pop up on the corner with big bangs just to close down couple of years later because they become financially insolvent, abandoning their students.
At Reveal our goal is to be here for our students, to have the best martial arts program, to have safe and modern equipment in good repair, and to have business and financial stability for our employees and students for many years to come.
How could we teach our students and junior or teen instructors to have DISCIPLINE, GOAL SETTING, SUCCESS and be ROLE MODELS if our business would be in shambles?
I hope you enjoyed this article. As always, feel free to talk to us about how we can help your child on the road to success.
Adam Spicar, master instructor
Owner
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