For those who have not had the privilege or pain of going through one of these belt tests, let me tell you how it usually goes. The masters give order after order after order, trying to trip you up and catch you forgetting something they took great pains to teach you. You really have no idea what they are going to require, and often each group or pair is asked to do different basics, forms, combinations, and steps. The forms are done solo, so they can really critique you and take copious notes about everything you do wrong. They can stop you at any moment with a question or a correction. They have sour looks on their faces the entire time and may or may not give a command in Korean that you have only ever heard in English (thank goodness for your extra-smart son who has amazing logic skills and figured out what the command was before I had to go up there). From now on, any Korean word I have never heard before will send me into an immediate horseback riding stance. It worked once.
The old lady green belt testing with the young teen green belt. I hold my own, I tell you. I just don't ever want anyone to come watch me just in case I look as ridiculous as it seems.
Breaking a board with his jumping back kick
Taegeuk Sah Jang
Here is the questioning portion of the test. Basia tells me she was asked when Tae Kwon Do began. They have never mentioned that particular fact to us at all or led us to believe we needed to be doing historical research. We saw them laughing at one point, and I'm pretty sure it was because they decided to ask questions that they knew the kids couldn't answer. Basia just told them that she didn't know. I am very surprised that she didn't make up a day or date. "11-oh-hundred" or "8 years ago" or "Monday" all seem like possible answers coming from Basia.
This is how those nice masters, who are normally pretty cool and fun, like to look at you as you test. Then they scribble things on a piece of paper.
Here's how it all ended. We have no idea how we did. I watched my kids and thought they did well. They tell me I did OK. The main judge seemed to let on that we all did horribly. They will bring us into their office some time next week to let us know if we passed or what portion of the test we have to repeat next month.
*Basia was the photographer for the testing session of Brishen and I. I asked her to take pictures, but she decided to take video after video instead. That wouldn't be so horrible, except that each video was 3 seconds long and showed us just as we ended a task and went back to ready stance. Every single one. OK, that's an exaggeration. She did get 1 kick on film. Out of the hundreds we did. I can't really complain because I didn't do any better when trying to capture her test. Someday.
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