black sash test requirements??

[KungfuJeremy]

Okay so im supposed to be testing for my black sash within a month.. I take Shaolin Kungfu by the way..
Just wondering if anyone has taken a black sash test.. just wondering what you had to go through, stuff you had to know/perform.. Teahcer has hinted an given me a little bit.. but im kinda clueless at the moment. I know its going to be super long.. he said its going to be a two part process.. about 4 hours each test. Part of the test is i have to fend off and successfully defend myself from 4 opponents at the same time. Other than that though, im kinda lost on what i need to do.. I know my conditioning is kinda crappy at the moment and i need to make a tremendous change fast.. but any ideas or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[npk9]

How long have you been studying?? Is this an advanced rank? From the looks of your questions it sounds like you really don't know what you are doing. I don't mean to be harsh or sound like an ass but if this black sash = black belt or equilevant maybe you should reconsider taking the exam. . .

[KungfuJeremy]

none taken.. but no, im not recondsidering.. i was just trying to see if anyone else had any experiences of what they had to do.. Im the first.. well me and two other guys that are testing are the first to test for a blacksash at my school, that is why i dont know much about it, and my teacher just recently gave us a criteria so now i know what i need to do. I know my stuff.. dont get me wrong. Ive been studying for about 10-11 years now.. i was out give or take a few years due to injuries and other things.. but im ready for it. Im not outta shape either, its just i havent been able to practice as much thats why i said my conditioning was kinda lacking.. i work a full time job and im a full time student at college.

[Red Rum]

We have a test in Kamon before we enter senior grade (Green 2). Its called a pressure test and lasts for 2-3 hours

It is basically constant circuit training (burpees, press ups, sit ups, squat thrusts etc) for around two hours, and then milling

The idea is that you don't give up and you keep on going, even if you are barely moving in a press up - it is effort. You can't train for it - the fitter you are, the more you are expected to do.

Your black sash grading sounds similar - by the time you do it you should be ready. If you have any doubts, you should definately not do it.

Also, your instructor should be looking at you in class and judging you through what you do on a regular basis, rather than what you do in one grading

I know students who are generally terrible at fighting or general training, but when a grading comes up they train these specific drills and ace it. Personally I think that is a bad way to train someone

[jonbey]

I agree. Training specifically for a grade seems to defy the point a little. I think that the ideal (that I have never seen or heard of..) is that an instructor would subtley award each student when they feel that they have achieved the next level. Organised gradings are always a little problematic. Some people train just to pass them, others get away with copying others, some just perform poorly but still make the grade. Really a good instructor should know the grade of the student before the test. Your grade should represent your average ability at any given time.

[Hardball]

It's probably cumulative of every thing you have ever done in class plus a test of physical will. My Black Belt test lasted 6 hours and they required push ups and situps inbetween all of the techniques, demonstrations, rolling and sparring. I did pushups and situps all damn day. They may want to take you to the point of exhaustion then spring the 4 sparring partners on you. They want to see you have an outer body experience and just spar on sheer guts.

[KungfuJeremy]

thanks for all the feedback, part one is done.. i did pretty damn good.

[KungfuJeremy]

ok so part 2 is done now as well.. and i passed. It was hard as hell.. but im glad i had the experience. Not the funnest thing in the world to do standing meditation directly in the sun, next to a train, with traffic buzzing by an pedestrians making fun of you.. while not being allowed to budge much at all.. holding for over an hour.. now that is a lil bit hard.

[Hardball]

Sounds like a fraternal pledge routine.

[Cathain]

What style of Shaolin Kung Fu?
Is it official modern "Shaolin" Wushu or a traditional Kung Fu style derived from the Shaolin temple?

[KungfuJeremy]

I'd say its more traditional... its hard to describe becuase a lot is changed and modified pretty consitently. It traces back to lineage that of Cheng Man Ching.. sp is horrible im sure.. but my instructor learned yang style tai chi, qi gong, and shaolin kungfu, and it was based off of a grandmaster in Chicago, who learned from cheng man ching
But my instructor implented all of his training from other arts as well as what kungfu and tai chi he has learned. So in a sense its become a mixed martial art, but not the one most typically think of. Its not extremely flashy or full of many high kicks, so its not wushu. Right now we are learning xingyi, and he is learning pre-heaven ( fajing release). So we learn alot, adapt alot.. so its kind of hard to say what it truely is.