Taekwondo : What's there to know..

Every school has a different way of testing/grading. In some schools, being invited to the test means you've already earned the next belt and the test is just a formality. In others, they're deciding during the test whether or not you've earned your next rank. One school may have a set order of events during a test and another may vary on the instructor's whim.

Hydration

It's a rookie mistake – during your first test, since you don't always need a drink during the brief break in class, you don't bother to bring a bottle of water. This can wind up not being serious, if you have access to a water fountain or a bathroom sink. However, if you don't, it can quickly become a major problem.

During a test, you will be working doubly as hard as you did during any class. This isn't because you were lazy during class, this is because a test will send massive amounts of adrenaline racing through your body. While this is wonderful for snapping off those extra-high kicks, it can be very troubling for your body if you don't introduce adequate water. If you start to feel woozy, don't be embarrassed to quickly get the attention of your instructor and ask if you can stop for a water break. Chances are good that you aren't the only person out there who's desperate for a brief sit-down.

Your Forms
Image by David Reber's Hammer Photography via Flickr
This seems to be a fairly obvious expectation, but the amount of people who arrive to a test presuming they can just “wing it” during their forms is staggering. Most tests have an audience, and they're all going to be cringing as you start-and-stop your way through your form. Running through it once or twice every day the week leading up to the test will completely negate this issue. Even if you get stage fright, your body will remember what to do as long as you don't try too hard to think.

How to Put on Your Belt

I'm serious. In the excitement of receiving the new colour of belt, you will find you've suddenly completely forgotten how to put it on. You don't want to be a brown belt who's trying to figure out how to do something a white belt mastered their first night, so take a breath before you start trying to remove the previous belt and apply the new one, and take it slow.

Your Gear

Your instructor is likely to call you out for a lack of safety if you forget to bring your mouth guard, and it's the easiest thing to forget. You not only don't want to receive a lecture, you don't want a white belt testing for their yellow to pop you in the mouth and subtract a few teeth. It's also terribly embarrassing to realize you pulled one of your gloves out of your bag for some reason and forgot to put it back. So always, before walking out the door, take a look inside of your gear bag to ensure that everything is in there. It's easier to remember your mouth guard if you keep it in a case, that way it's not as tiny as it would be left free. A note on mouth guards – they will change shape if heated. So, if you leave your bag in the car in between classes, check periodically to be sure you don't need to reshape your mouth guard or you'll be very surprised when you try to pop it in for the test and it doesn't fit.

Posted in: Taekwondo Belt