We held gradings in May for our junior members ( 5 – 12 year olds) and for our colts (13 – 16 year olds.) A good number of the students passed successfully and a few didn’t quite meet the required level. In my opinion this is normal in a test, as in life, sometimes you win sometimes you lose. This is not a bad thing, it mirrors the real world as life has it’s ups and downs.
Setting goals is an important life skill, that everyone at some time in their life will do. If we were ask most students to train diligently for five years for their black belt, this could be a daunting prospect. However by breaking the journey down into a number of smaller achievable steps, the challenge becomes manageable. This is a real value in the coloured belt system.
Congratulations to all those that passed their tests. To those who were unsuccessful: use the experience positively, use small acheivable goals to help you through until the next grading in November.