IT’S TESTING WEEK!
Testing week is here! As a reminder, here is the testing schedule. Please remember testing days and times are set by CURRENT belt ranks (not the rank they are testing for).
Early Skillz (4 year olds) – Monday, April 9, 5:30 p.m.
Basic Skillz (5 & 6 year olds) — Wednesday, April 11, 5:30 p.m.
Kids, Teens, Adults — White, Yellow, Orange, Sr. Orange, Green, Sr. Green, Purple, Sr. Purple Belts — Monday, April 9, 6:30 p.m.
Kids, Teens, Adults — Blue, Sr. Blue, Brown, Sr. Brown, Red, Sr. Red Belts — Tuesday, April 10, 5:30 p.m
Kids, Teens, Adults — Black Belts — Tuesday, April 10, 6:30 p.m.
Make Up Testing – Wednesday, April 11, 6:30 p.m.
REMEMBER – NO CLASSES APRIL 9 – 14
How Does Testing Work?
Here’s a quick summary:
For Early Skillz and Basic Skillz students:
Testing consists of taking each student through all 6 skills they’ve worked on throughout classes. As they perform each skill, these students are given a score between 0 and 5 points. A perfect testing yields 30 points (6 skills x 5 points). A student must have 15 points to pass.
For taekwondo students:
All students must perform their form correctly and appropriately for their belt rank level. What that means is we don’t expect white belts to perform like black belts, and vice versa. Age and physical ability is also taken into consideration for forms. Students who leave a move out, add a move in, mix up the order of the moves, or don’t perform to their rank expectations will be asked to perform their form again. White through Sr. Red Belts have 3 attempts to pass on their form. Black Belts have 2 attempts.
White through Sr. Orange Belts will also perform their one-steps to the same requirements as the form. They also have 3 attempts at these as well. All forms can be found on our student website, fortbendtaekwondo.com/videos. White, Yellow and Orange belts can also find videos of their one-steps here as well. Remember that these videos are meant to supplement in-class learning, not take the place of it.
Sr. Orange Belts and higher ranks spar at testing. Sr. Orange belts spar one round, Green through Red belts spar 2 rounds, Sr. Red Belts spar 3 rounds, and all Black Belts spar 4 rounds. Second degree decided students spar an additional 5th round, which is a 2-on-1 sparring round. Students are expected to use their knowledge of taekwondo to not get hit. This includes defensive and offensive moves.
Brown belts and higher ranks must also break wood boards at testing. The techniques required/allowed are outlined by Taekwondo America national standards. Students have 3 attempts at each board breaking station. Failure to break their wood at any one station means students receive a “no-change” (they don’t change rank; i.e., don’t pass). After testing is completed, we have all students who don’t break their boards take the time to break them so they can be coached through the process. This does not negate the testing results – but it provides encouragement that they can break their boards.
If you need to reschedule you’re testing to the make-up testing on Wednesday, April 11 at 6:30 p.m. and you’re NOT testing for a black belt rank, please let us know ASAP. We know that life happens, and you may have to switch your testing date. 🙂
BELT AWARD CEREMONY AND ANNIVERSARY PARTY APRIL 12
It’s our 8-year anniversary! Woohoo! We’ll be celebrating on Thursday, April 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. at George Bush Park, Pavilion Number 3.
The pavilion provides picnic-table seating, so if you’d like something a little more comfortable, please bring your own!
The belt award ceremony will begin at 6 p.m.
Our rain location will be at the school.
We hope that everybody can join us!
Here’s a map to the Pavilion: https://goo.gl/maps/uUGHhBgjLTJ2
Google will tell you the address is on Westheimer Parkway, but its located off of Barker-Cypress Road.
SCHEDULE CHANGE BEGINNING APRIL 16
Our class schedule on Fridays will be changing effective the week of April 16! Please note the changes, which are in bold:
Basic Skillz: 4:30 to 5 p.m.
All Kids and Teen Beginners: 5 to 5:30 p.m.
STORM Team: 5:30 to 6:00 p.m.
All kid and teen Intermediates AND Advanced Belts: 6 to 6:45 p.m.
Black Belts: 6:45 to 7:30 p.m.
2018 TESTING DATES
April 9 – 11
June 4 – 6
August 6 – 8
October 8 – 10
December 3 – 5
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 5 – Parent’s Night Out
May 19 – Texas Taekwondo America Spring Regional Tournament, Lewisville, TX – more info out soon!
May 25 – 28 – Taekwondo America Black Belt Conference, Jacksonville, FL
July 20 -22 – Texas Taekwondo America Regional Summer Camp, Navarro College, Coriscana, TX – for orange belts & higher ranks 9 and older (8 year olds may attend with parent chaperone and permission from Mrs. Chapman)
September 21 – 22 – Taekwondo America Fall National Tournament – Plano, TX – You DON’T want to miss this one – details available in May!