first grading

[Aefibird]

How long did you train before you took your first grade?

Was that first test difficult or was it pretty much a 'given' that everyone would pass?

[RigsVille]

My 1st Karate grading (I did Chow Gar before Karate) was when in 1984 when I was 14 and I remember being very nervous and worried that I was going to fail and embarrass myself, but as it turned out I passed no problem.

Looking back, I think that as long as you didn't fall asleep you passed and that the grading (10th KYU) was really more of a form of encouragement to reward new starters who had been training for the last 3 months.

[andym]

I trained for 5 months before I first graded. I wasn't nervous because I did Wado-Ryu 10 years ago and kinda knew what to expect.

[random]

Way back in the 1980s (can anyone else hear the violins) I trained for 3 months before I took my first grading. I was a wreck then convinced I would fall over or forget the kata, although I passed we were never given the impression that it was ever a given, although it might have been. The ones after that certainly had to be earned.

[trevor35]

It took me 6 month to gain my Yellow belt. I started at the beginning of January of this year. I wasn't nervous until i actually stood in front of the desk and was explained what was going to happen. I didn't fall to pieces but i did become very tense. Once i started and started to relax I was ok.

[Aefibird]

I'd only been training for about 3 or so weeks when Sensei put me in for my first grade.

I was a complete nervous wreck and I can't actually remember much about the grading apart from the fact that I was soooo nervous. It must have been such a horrendous expereince that I blanked it from my mind.... I just remember shaking with relief when the Chief Instructor shook my hand and told me I'd passed.

Oh, and I also remember bowing like an idiot at anyone or anything who moved. I also did the excessive bowing thing in my first competition too. It must be a nervous reflex. I'm OK with competitions now, but I still hate gradings. I've graded in other styles too and having previous grading experience from karate didn't actually make it any easier. In one way it made it harder as I basically knew what was going to happen.

I don't *think* it was a given that you'd pass 10th kyu. I passed, but I've seen other students get temporary gradings (an idea that I hate with a passion, but that's for another topic) and I've even seen the odd one or two fail outright. I think that 99.99% pass, though. You have to be spectacularly bad to fail or get temp.

Just as a side note, did everyone find out straight away that they passed/failed/whatever? Or did you have to wait til the end of the exam or wait until next lesson to find out?

[miffersy]

I trrained for nearly 12 months before grading for 9th Kyu, in the S.K.I. back in the 70's ( more violins ) it cost nearly a weeks wage to grade and I could not afford to fail

[Aefibird]

I'd always heard that the SKI charged/charges astronomical amounts to grade - is that true?

[nkudahc]

i keep seeing you guys say SKI, what is that? anyway my frist test was after about 6 months and i was the only one from my club that passed (er um just squeaked by). there were 3 of us that tested, the others didn't stick around much longer. i'm sure we were all nervous, i think the only thing that saved me is a was a little more used to being infront of people, but other than nerves i don't think the frist test was any harder than regular class.