I tested for my 4th Dan this past summer at the Ko Dan Ja Shim Sa in Ramona, California.  I’ve been looking all over the place for a company that specializes in custom embroidery for master belts.  It’s not easy to find brands that make midnight blue belts rather than the more common black belt.  It’s even harder to find midnight blue belts with a solid red stripe like the ones used in Soo Bahk Do to denote a master.   For example, http://awma.com has the belts but doesn’t do embroidery.  After a lot of searching, I finally found this website:  http://www.eosinpanther.com/.

Not only does this website sell midnight blue belts with solid red stripes, but also does custom embroidery and translation of Korean, Japanese, and Chinese.  There’s even examples of Soo Bahk Do master belts.  Everyone who is promoted to 4th dan in Soo Bahk Do should be able to find this site, even though I had never heard of it!  The formats are exactly what I was looking for!

The belt I ordered was close to $100, but the quality can’t be topped!  All belts are handmade right here in the USA.  Even the embroidery is done by hand rather than by a computer, giving your belt a real craftsmanship to it.

The next Gup Shim Sa (color belt test) will be held April 1st.  The kids test will be at 4:00 pm and the adults at 6:00 pm.  This will be a very important test for many of you who will be changing color belts.  It is imperative that you practice at home and seriously prepare for this test.  I will be holding a pre-evaluation on March 25 and 26.  If you need an essay (all green belt and red belt candidates only), it is due on March 25 or 26.  You will know that day whether or not you will be testing.

You have a few resources at your disposal to prepare you for your test:

• Instructional Guide DVDs (if you don’t have one, you can still order one)
• Visit my website and review your testing requirements:  http://wasatchmartialarts.com/pages/view/examination
• Come to all of the classes
• Ask your seniors for help
• Ask me to set up a private class with you

Here are the expectations for a passing grade:

• Memorize the required forms, one steps, and wrist grabs (where applicable)
• Green belt candidates and above successfully break their board on the FIRST attempt
• Demonstrate through words and ACTION, our moo do philosophy.  This testing cycle we discussed ACTION PHILOSOPHY.  Each student should be able to explain and demonstrate the meaning of action philosophy.
• Demonstrate a proper understanding of discipline, respect, and effort.

Beyond the general expectations, here is the performance level I anticipate for each level:

White Belt Expectations:

• Complete Ki Cho Hyung Il Bu.
• Understands proper hand positioning on blocks and punches.

Orange Belt Expectations:

• Demonstrates proper fist, elbow, hip, knee, foot, and eye awareness in all hand and foot techniques
• Proper stances
• Proper protocol in class (bowing, etc)

Green Belt Expectations:

• Utilizes proper huri (use of  hip) in all techniques.
• Understands proper weapon and weapon to target

Red Belt Expectations:

• Demonstrates proper distance and speed control.
• Utilizes proper huri (with good snap)
• Understands neh gong techniques

I hope this list helps.  For specific requirements, please see the testing requirements list on  my website.  If any student or parent has a question about expectation or would like some additional help, don’t hesitate to contact me.  I will do everything in my power to empower you for success!

In closing, I want to address something.  I know we often emphasize testing and rank advancement and I believe that progress is very important in life.  If we are not progressing we are regressing.  Nothing in the universe is stationary.  With that in mind, I hope you will try and focus on the journey rather than the destination.  The journey of learning and progressing is the real treat, not the prize at the end (the test).  Whether you test on April 1st or not is irrelevant as long as you are working towards improvement, which  I know you all are doing.  We are all unique individuals with unique circumstances.  So let’s do our best, but realize we will all get there at our own pace.