- It’s common practice for other dojos to charge testing fees. We don’t believe in charging for an achievement. We believe tests are earned. You’ve earned your test by showing up to class, practicing on your own, and good ol’ hard work.

- We offer a full week of review classes the week before testing. Make sure you attend review class.

- We tell you each of the skills required to test for all belts and stripes. Make sure you practice these particular skills at home.

- We encourage you to ask questions. Make sure you seek out extra help when you need it.

- You need a minimum of 8 attendances to be eligible to test on your 9th class. 

- You need to show all techniques (punches/kicks/blocks) and self-defense required for that stripe level. Each stripe has a different requirement.

- Half of your stripe is for doing the best you can with your karate skills: Technique, self-defense, and katas. (Katas only for purple and higher.) 

- The other half of your stripe is for being a good team mate and listener: Attitude, effort, and focus.

- You need to know all of the techniques and self defense for each stripe. 

- For example: If that belt has four stripes, there are four self-defense techniques and four sets of techniques.

- Attitude. Effort. Focus. Show us you can keep the proper stances. Show us you can keep your hands up. 

- We can teach you new skills, but only you can choose to put in a full effort and try your best. (Hard work pays off!)

- If you are white belt or yellow belt (or any grasshopper belt), you get a second chance to try the test again that week. 

- If you are orange belt or higher, you must wait until the next testing cycle to try again. 

- If you are white belt or yellow belt, you are able to test again that week. 

- If you are orange belt and higher, you need to wait until the next test week to test again.

- We start with old school karate testing. You line up to work on solo skills and individual striking. 

- The test then switches to firing lines working on combos. 

- After combos, we test your self-defense skills, while you show some freestyle skills on the bags. 

- If you are testing for a belt, we will check your self-defense skills 1-on-1, and then you are required to do one minute of padwork and, if you’re an orange belt or higher, break a board to finish.

Getting a stripe or belt in BJJ is a combination of attendance, consistency, and technique development.

We have spring and winter promotions ceremonies and give out stripes every 6 weeks, along with the karate testing.

Kids jiu jitsu requires a minimum of 15 attendances per stripe at white belt.

Adult jiu jitsu requires a minimum of 25 attendances per stripe at white belt, although this does not guarantee you a stripe.

Just like the kids, getting a stripe or belt in BJJ is a combination of attendance, consistency, and technique development.

It sounds nebulous, but your instructors can feel when you’re ready to level up.