Week Two: Belt Testing Qualification & Black Belt Binders
Happy Monday and welcome to week two of our January teaching cycle!
What to Expect This Week
Week two is when we start qualifying students for belt testing. We’ll be teaching new material, and students who have earned two green stripes on their belts (signifying completion of two previous teaching cycles) will receive their red stripe this week once they’ve learned the remaining material for their next belt.
Understanding the Red Stripe: When you see the red stripe on a belt (positioned above or next to the green ones), this means the student is now a belt test candidate. This gives students approximately two weeks to prepare for their upcoming test.
Not Sure If You’re Testing? Check the whiteboard by the water fountain at the school—all test candidates’ names are posted there for easy reference.
Bringing Back Black Belt Binders
As we start the new year, I’m excited to reintroduce something we’ve been working to restore since COVID: our Black Belt Binders.
What Are Black Belt Binders?
These three-ring binders serve as your personal curriculum guide and learning portfolio, keeping everything organized in one place. Your binder can include:
- Belt test forms and grading sheets – Track your progress and identify patterns in your performance
- Powerful words – Our character development lessons
- Technique notes – Step-by-step curriculum breakdowns and terminology
- Written tests – I’ve just completed a 20-page written test for Phase One students covering everything you should know by purple belt, including technique code words (like “hammer” for hammer fist or “wing” for elbow), stances, and all the material we cover in class
- Announcements and flyers – Keep all school communications together
Phase Three and Four students are currently doing a dry run with the written tests before we distribute them to lower belts.
Need a binder? I have them available behind the counter and can walk you through setting yours up.
Powerful Word: Vision (Week 2)
This week we’re diving deeper into visualization—or more accurately, sensualization.
The Power of Mental Rehearsal
When imagining yourself achieving a goal, engage all five senses. The more vivid you can make the experience—seeing it, hearing it, feeling it, smelling it, tasting it—the more powerful the visualization becomes.
My Personal Example: When I was training for my black belt, I would lie in bed and mentally walk through my entire martial arts school experience. I’d imagine:
- Walking onto the mat
- Going through every technique with specific partners
- The people watching
- Executing moves with speed, power, and focus
- Passing my black belt test
- The instructors and students present
- Receiving the belt and how that felt
I can still recreate that visualization today, and it was instrumental in helping me succeed.
Practical Visualization Tips
- Hear the details – The gi should pop when striking with power
- Feel the contact – Imagine the physical sensation of techniques with a partner
- See yourself flawlessly – Watch yourself perform perfectly in your mind
This type of mental rehearsal is crucial for success in any physical discipline—martial arts, sports, gymnastics, and more. It’s one of the key differences between high performers and everyone else.
Special Event: Glow Saber Night
When: Friday, January 30th (during belt test week)
Important Notice: I need to order glow sabers based on exact attendance, and delivery takes 1.5–2 weeks. If you want to participate, please sign up as soon as possible!
Pricing:
- $49 if you need a glow saber (includes the saber and evening session)
- $29 if you already have a glow saber
A signup sheet is available at the school today. The crossed glow sabers on display in the front lobby show what they look like!
See you on the mat this week!