Judo Black Belt testing criteria

**Mtripp** · Posted On: 7/02/2009 7:30pm

This is what my Uncle and I insisted people do....

**Ka-Bar** · Posted On: 7/02/2009 8:01pm

This is how we do promotions at my club. Is this the exception rather than the rule?

**El Neko** · Posted On: 7/02/2009 8:07pm

I just did that test for my Shodan in February, I'm curious too, Is this the exception rather than the rule?

**Tom Kagan** · Posted On: 7/02/2009 8:16pm

Thread title changed.

Mark,

Do you think you have it within you to create at least one thread a day where the title is descriptive enough to actually mean something as to what the thread is supposed to contain? This is getting tedious.

**Kilbourn** · Posted On: 7/02/2009 8:20pm

That is exam is a beast, but I would expect nothing less. I have only been a part of Judo for a short time but I would expect my teacher to know all the things listed with small exceptions to questions like “Which American was the first to win a gold medal at the Women’s World Games in judo?” Personally I’m bad with remembering names.

Myself coming from Taekwondo where I saw a man test for 3rd dan black belt that consisted of him giving a presentation on how TKD changed his life then him preforming a kata (or poomse in TKD). That was it. No sparing not even a board break. I couldn't help but think "He should be showing us all the awesome skill he has" not rambling on about how his son punched some guy, who tried to rob him, in the stomach.

But back to the point yes that test should be the standard and dare I say minimum for those ranks imho.

**Lu Tze** · Posted On: 7/02/2009 8:38pm

The BJA's requirements can be found here (from the BJA website. Right click, save as).

It's something I want to start working towards next year. There's no vocabulary component AFAIK (is that usual in the U.S?), there is a competition one though.

**kbits** · Posted On: 7/02/2009 9:20pm

MTripp

Damn man...just...damn.

Do your guys also need to satisfy 'minimum competition points' (ie: 100, gained via shiai, ref work, assistant coaching etc) and time in service? Do they also need to fight a line up etc?

PS: No love NNK / KNK ?

**datdamnmachine** · Posted On: 7/02/2009 9:26pm

Holy sweet mother...Oh Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn!

Ouch, I would fail fantastically with the Japanese terms I'm sure. This truly make me realize how much I suck at Judo...:(

**BKR** · Posted On: 7/02/2009 9:48pm

Originally Posted by Ka-Bar

This is how we do promotions at my club. Is this the exception rather than the rule?

That is the USJA promotion exam. USJF and USA Judo have different procedures and exams. So it should be the rule at USJA clubs.

The state governing bodies of USA Judo have standards they get approved by USA Judo.

Not sure how USJF works.

Regards,

Ben Reinhard

**FictionPimp** · Posted On: 7/02/2009 9:58pm

I have never had to do vocab. I had to count to 10, know the rules (a stretch I know), know the names of the techniques of my belt in japanese and english, and be able to do the techniques as well as compete.

I have been pursing my shodan for the last year and I recently gave up trying. There just isn't enough judo around here to find a kata partner, and the requirements are just too much work at this point. I'm happy enough with being a ikkyu. My instructor is retiring this year, so my judo days are just about over. Unofficially I'll keep running the takedown class at my bjj school. It's judo without bowing or belts. We use the judo names of the throws however. We just got two new students who are shodans from the EU. I'm hoping they will maybe be willing to take over the teaching responsibilities from me. I dont' feel qualified and I hate doing it. without a black belt.

But when my judo instructor retires there will be no judo anywhere near me. I'll have to drive from south bend, IN to Portage, MI if I want to train. So I'm just going to quit. The funny thing is this area has 3 or 4 good black belts, but none of them have any interest in starting a school. There is probably 10 good serious judo students in the area that are fragmented, but none of us are qualified to run a real judo club.

It's a sad time for this area really. If I had a kata partner and a real judo class that met more than once a week I might seriously consider trying to keep judo alive here. I also found out my coach doesn't certify our ranks with the USJI until Shodan. So I have 100% 0 proof of my last 4 and 1/2 years of training. Besides owning a gi, a brown belt, and being able to sometimes throw people.