Testing in Karate (what is wrong with today’s testing effort?)

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t comes down to the persons conducting such tests being tainted by modern social conditioning where their realities are colored by media fictionalization of reality itself, making things that are not real, don’t fit in a wheelbarrow, making their views, perceptions and perspectives with skewed distinctions subjective while being influenced by their emotions, their biochemistry, their personal belief systems, their assumptions based on all of these things, their experiences often skewed by the social bubble of comfort they live in, and the interpretations that come from an emotional level rather than the human brain logic system necessary to achieve a true, unbiased and reality based mind-set and mind-state that alleviates agenda driven development of said testing processes.  

For purpose of article, not meant to represent right or wrong
with this particular grade/test matrix. Picked at random
from Google Images. Click for Larger Veiw!!!

Example: when testing I often see requirements set down as, “Requirements should be done with correct power, speed, form, focus, stances, and spirit.” 

So, my question is always, “How does one see, perceive and evaluate things like “Power and Spirit, etc.?” I also ask how one can test, evaluate and grade an individual since each individual is absolutely unique in both mind and body, i.e., a person of small stature will move as speed that may seem faster than a person of a larger stature simply because the smaller persons body, type, etc. due to its size and other factors can appear to be faster, etc. 

Power is something that tends to be perceived through the strength of the person where their appearance influences the testing agent, i.e., a person who has a lean athletic body type with a musculature similar to a body builder will automatically be seen as strong and therefore any application demonstrated unless grossly bad will be perceived as powerful. 

Then I wonder how speed is tested and evaluated when speed is relative and does contribute but does not indicate power so how does one evaluate the two as a whole? It isn’t like we have to test, evaluate and determine power by itself then speed, etc. but actually how they both work together then how does one evaluate and determine adequate proficiency other than by presentation, performance as if doing floor exercises in gymnastics or in dance and as to performance, i.e., is performance judged as to ascetics or with a distinction toward actual application in self-defense, etc.?

One reason why I feel strongly that such things are based on subject matter rigid criteria that does not often differentiate between the individuals testing so that results can be determined as to overall knowledge, understanding, limited experiences and possible applications. Subject matter type teaching tends to end up limiting the actual needs necessary to learn a martial art and karate. 

One reason why I now advocate a student teaching and learning model because it takes into effect the unique needs of that individual and adjusts all teaching, training and practice to bring out the very best in that individual and that cannot be done with a load of students in a large hall with one teacher and maybe a couple of assistants who are students themselves. 

When you look into what it takes individually according to those traits of learning and understanding for each person to achieve goals and effective results it is glaringly apparent that individualization of martial arts and karate training, etc., is the most efficient and proficient model. Testing at its very least is a subjective methodology that as already stated subjected to the very limitations indicated in the first paragraph and that by itself should be convincing enough to set a proper environment where everyone learns, grows and prospers. 

If you have not discerned it yet, I believe testing is not so hot. 

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