10 SIGNS THAT YOU'RE BEING A "GRADING JERK"

​​Ok, so I'm going to be honest, originally this article was titled "10 tips for grading success" and the first draft was filled with a lot of positive spin on how to "best approach" your grading goals with your instructor to achieve those grading milestones etc etc....but let's be honest - sometimes gradings just bring out the worst in us and I think it's time we addressed this.

First up I want to confess that I've been guilty of some of these things as much as the next karate student, so I'm not on a mission to shame you if you're guilty of any of these things too. I just think it's time we we're honest about some of the bad habits we can fall into when our excitement to grade takes over, and perhaps with the right insight we can avoid some of these traps in the future....

JERK HABIT NUMBER 1 SHOPPING FOR A NEW SENSEI WHEN THINGS DON'T GO YOUR WAY A lot of students are happy to support their Instructor when their Sensei is telling them how good they are, but much less interested when that same Instructor is telling them that they have a little more work to do before they're ready for grading. It can sometimes be tempting to seek a second opinion, especially if we think it will advance our chances to grade faster, but avoid shopping around for a new Sensei if it's only because you didn't get the answers you wanted from your current one. I understand no-one likes to feel disappointed but try to remember that sending students to grade is one of the biggest perks of being an Instructor, so your Sensei would not hold you up without a good reason.

JERK HABIT NUMBER 2 COUNTING CLASSES It's OK for white and yellow belts to count how many classes they have attended before they're ready for the next tip or belt, but by the time we are attempting green belt we need to realize that there are specific skills we must fulfill in order to progress, and regardless of how many classes we have done,your Sensei will not send you to grade until you have fulfilled these requirements.

JERK HABIT NUMBER 3

BEING INCONSISTENT IN YOUR ATTENDANCE ( WITH AN EXPECTATION TO GRADE ) I see a lot of students who train on and off for long periods of time and then suddenly cram in a bunch of classes for a few weeks when they have decided that their time is up and they want to grade now. It's disappointing, but these same students are often the ones who are most frustrated when they are not sent to grade. Karate is largely built around developing muscle memory, it takes consistent training over a set period of time to develop the correct skills expected for each level. For best results students should aim to develop a consistent routine of of training each week.​

JERK HABIT NUMBER 4 THINKING THAT TOURNAMENT SUCCESS MEANS YOU'RE READY FOR GRADING Tournaments are a great way for students to motivate themselves to become better and reach new heights, but sometimes students forget that the things being judged at Tournaments are not the same as what is judged at a grading. Tournament success does not gaurantee that you are ready for the next grade, so keep listening to the feedback that your Sensei gives you even if you have a treasure chest full of tournament booty.​

JERK HABIT NUMBER 5 THINKING YOU ARE IN A POSITION TO ASSESS YOURSELF I see a lot of students that bug their Instructor with questions like "when will I be sent to grading", applying pressure and dropping hints about upcoming gradings, but this sort of thing only makes things awkward and uncomfortable for everyone. If we're being honest with ourselves, this is often driven by our own belief that to some degree we think we've already met the requirements to grade and now we want what is owed to us. We need to remember to respect our Instructor and their experience enough to realize that there might be things missing from our performance that we aren't at a level to recognize yet - but if you're sincerely interested in knowing what to improve to get ready for the next grade, just ask your Sensei what you need to work on and listen in class (and avoid "spacing out" - see next point).​

JERK HABIT NUMBER 6 SPACING OUT IN CLASS It is amazing how many times I get asked after training "What do I need to work on ?" when I have already given that person feedback during class. Make sure you listen to feedback in class and practice it at home if you need to. If you don't take ownership of the things you need to improve, your progress will come to a stand still. This is also the case when your instructor gives corrections to the entire class - people often make the mistake of thinking "Sensei isn't talking about me".

JERK HABIT NUMBER 7 THINKING GRADINGS ARE JUST ABOUT YOUR PHYSICAL ABILITY Just as gradings are not all about minimum time, they're also not just about your physical performance - Our character must constantly be growing and maintained as well ( discipline, respect, humility etc...). Some of my students have been delayed in their advancement because they may have displayed arrogance and cockiness to their peers in the way they spoke and acted in the dojo. In other cases students showed a lack of respect for their opponents by how recklessly and dangerously they sparred in kumite and were also held up until they could demonstrate more self control.​

JERK HABIT NUMBER 8 WORRYING TOO MUCH ABOUT OTHER PEOPLES GRADINGS I often see students getting caught up in other peoples gradings. The topic of who has graded quickly, who they think didn't work as hard as someone else etc... All this type of speculation will set you down the wrong path when it comes to your own expectations. Karate is a personal journey and the expectations we put on a young 20 year old are different to the expectations we have for people in their 70's. We're all different and we will all excel at different paces as well. ​

JERK HABIT NUMBER 9 9. ATTENDING THE WRONG CLASSES So this one is not so much a "Jerk Habit" as much as it is something that can lead to "Jerk Habits" in the long run. While all students are welcome to attend any of our public classes, they should also realize that as they progress through the grades they should aim to attend classes appropriate for their level. If you're not, then you will find it harder to move at a steady pace and then some of the other bad habits we've mentioned might creep in. For example a blue belt adult is going to find it hard to progress steadily if they only attend classes aimed at beginners and young children. Of course families are always welcome to train together in these classes, but those seeking to advance their training at a faster pace would benefit by adding a more advanced class to their routine as well. ​

​ MORE ON THAT... WHAT CLASSES SHOULD YOU BE ATTENDING? If you are a White to Green belt Any public class will be effective training for students within this grade bracket If you are a Blue or Red Once a student reaches blue belt they should think about stepping up their training. This might mean attending a class that runs at a later timeslot and attracts more senior level students for you to train with (you could also consider attending the senior class - see more about this below) If you are a Brown or Black belt By this stage a student should have begun incorporating Senior Class into their routine, as the public classes that are listed on our timetable are mainly targeted towards lower and mid grade students. More advanced students should try to train under the Regional instructor as often as they can. Senior Class? Senior Classes are the advanced classes of the region, they are run by the Regional Instructor: Sensei Francis (Hey, that's me :-P). Childrens Senior class runs from 6 - 7pm on Thursdays at Cameron park Dojo. Adults Open Senior Class runs from 7.30 - 9pm Tuesdays at West Wallsend Dojo. (Both of these sessions are open to students who have obtained a green belt or higher)​

JERK HABIT NUMBER 10 THINKING ABOUT GRADINGS TOO MUCH This one may seem fairly innocent at first, but obsessing over gradings can create tension between you and your Instructor and will take all the fun out of your training. The best advice I can give anyone is to forget about gradings and just enjoy your training - take pleasure in learning new things in each class. Train hard because you're having fun and then gradings will happen naturally. The less you stress about them, the more you will enjoy your whole martial arts journey. ​