So come on then, why test yourself? OK here I am talking about the grading process that the students go through, that the instructors go through and are still going through, why do it?

Well with anything in life, how do you know if you are getting better, if you are improving or even if it works if you don’t test it?

Take a simple piece of DIY at home, shall we say putting a book shelf up? You don’t just put the shelf up and then drop the Encyclopedia Britannica onto it, you press down with your hand, then with a little more weight, then a little more, then you check that the fixings are still in place, then finally you put some books on it, stand back and admire your work……. hopefully if you have tested it properly it works and you books remain on the shelf….

The grading process is there to test you, to see if you are getting better, do you punch better, do you pivot on that round kick, like your instructor has been telling you to! It is a test, the instructors watch you, they make notes and then they grade and give you feedback on what you have done on the day, there is no place to hide, you have to step up and do it.

“But I don’t like exams/tests”, you say. So what are your options? Well you could give in and not grade, then you would never get a Black Belt, you would never achieve, is that what your life is like?

Or you could step onto the mat, suck it up and go for it, give 100% try your best and then at the end of it, sit at home and think “Wow that wasn’t so bad and I feel so good for going for it”….

Its your choice? Make the right one