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Our End of Spring Belt Test
June 2010
There are lots of pictures here (and video clips at the bottom of the page) and we'll let the pictures do the talking, except to say that we have "belt tests" every three months, 4 times per year, at which students have an opportunity to show what they've learned and earn a new belt color. Of course a new belt doesn't change who a student is on the inside, but, certainly in terms of the kids, it can be a very strong motivating factor, and they all leave feeling proud of their progress. Adult students should remember that, in a certain sense, nobody cares about a belt; after all, in a self defense situation, are your attackers going to care what color your belt is? There's no question, however, that in the dojo, the belt color is very important because it provides a framework for the sempai-koohai (senior-junior) system in which all students must provide a strong role model for thier juniors.
Video Clips of the Fights All students at Ligo Dojo participate in one one-minute round of hard fighting, once every three months at their belt promotion test. All matches (i.e. who fights who) are made in order to make the experience as safe as possible, i.e. paired students are the same size and level. Headgear (and other padding) is used in any case where we feel like the match might not be safe. Please watch the video clips of the fights below, but please note! These are men, women, teens, and children participating, and they're just like you! We don't engage in this intensity of sparring everyday, but these students (i.e. the ones who don't opt to fight in tournaments) spend three months training to get stronger between tests, and at the tests they're giving a REAL chance to test what they've learned. Watch the video clips and notice how the students walk away from their mataches smiling and unhurt. Again, counter-intuitive, but our RESULTS proove the method. These students are learning real Karate, real self-defense, and DEVELOPING REAL CHARACTER that will help them to be more successful in life beyond the dojo. Come watch a class!! See for yourself. |
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