WADO-RYU: Testing Policies
BELT EXAMS
Ten Steps To Martial Arts Excellence Our black belt success system is designed to see everyone make gradual and steady progress towards physical and mental growth. We have a built-in goal system and incentive program with our structured belt levels. We term the ten levels to black belt as the Ten Steps To Martial Arts Excellence:
- WHITE
- GREEN
- GOLD
- BROWN 3
- ORANGE
- BROWN 2
- BLUE
- BROWN1
- PURPLE
- BLACK
In the beginning phases, the belts are short-term goals that are attained by following the general guidelines (listed in the following section, "Testing Policies"). As you gain knowledge, you will gain confidence in your ability to achieve your goals. Gradually, you will learn to set long term and more difficult goals. As you climb the ladder, your knowledge and skill increase as well as your capacity to learn and concentrate. It requires a stronger mind and a fit body along with regular practice and class attendance.
Once you achieve the advanced stages of your black belt training, you will be extremely dedicated to developing "knowledge in the mind, honesty in the heart, strength in the body and to having good character. All of this leads to building and maintaining a very positive attitude in life.
You have to prove to yourself that you are capable and able to wear the black belt with pride and live up to the standards and responsibilities of the qualified and respected black belt. It requires a lot of dedication and hard work, all done at each individual's pace and abilities. In the end, you will have achieved a very important goal and will have gained skill and knowledge that can help you defend yourself and loved ones. You will increase your confidence, your self-discipline and your ability to concentrate on specific areas - not to mention the physical fitness, flexibility and coordination you will gain.
Testing Policies
Each belt level has a minimum number of hours and months needed before the student can test for that particular rank. These numbers are listed with the requirements for that belt level. Having the minimum number of hours on your student card is by no means a guarantee that the student will be put up for the belt exam. More important than the number of hours on the card is knowing the material and being able to perform it correctly. The minimum hours are to be used only as a guide. Actually, after a student attains his minimum number of hours, he will probably go over the minimum by quite a few hours before the next testing cycle.
For children under the age of 16, they will be awarded tips or stripes as a progress check. If the student is progressing nicely, the first tip is usually awarded when the student has approximately half their minimum hours. These presentations are made in class. The second tip is awarded when the student is very near his/her minimum hours and is expected to test for their next rank at the next testing cycle. Two tips on a student's belt are a sure sign of an upcoming belt exam.
Junior students will be given an Intent to Promote Letter and a Teacher Letter before testing. These both need to be signed and returned to the head instructor before testing. The date and time of the exam will be on both letters for the parents benefit.
Testing Requirements
- Attendance record card must be completed on time, achieve this by attending 2 classes per week.
- Be able to perform all material for belt level trying to achieve and notify the instructors of any difficulties in the material prior to the test.
- Wear a clean, pressed uniform to the exam (you will be sent home).
- Bring parents to the test (if 15 years old or younger).
- Ensure tuition account is current at the time of the test.
- Turn in all necessary paper work to the head instructor before the exam (may include Intent to Promote Letter, and Written exam which must be passed by at least 70%).
Additional requirements for Black Belt
- Needs at least 24 Brown and Black Saturday classes per Brown Belt level. Show a high proficiency with all techniques and kata. A 1 hour physical examination.
BELT CURRICULUM
- (KU-KYU) WHITE BELT (9TH KYU)
- (HACHI-KYU) GOLD BELT (8TH KYU)
- (SHICHI-KYU) ORANGE BELT (7TH KYU)
- (ROKU-KYU) BLUE BELT (6TH KYU)
- (GO-KYU) PURPLE BELT (5TH KYU)
- (YON-KYU) GREEN BELT (4TH KYU)
- (SAN-KYU) 1ST BROWN BELT (3RD KYU)
- (NI-KYU) 2ND BROWN BELT (2ND KYU)
- (IK-KYU) 3RD BROWN BELT (1ST KYU)
WHITE BELT (KU-KYU)
- How to bow
- Why do we bow?
- Front punch from horse stance - Seiken- Zuki
- Knee Kick - Hiza- Geri
- High Block - Jodan-Uke
- Kiba Dachi - Horse Stance
"Enjoy Your Journey To Black Belt"
GOLD BELT (Hachi-Kyu) - (40 hrs, 4 months minimum)
Punches (Zuki)
- Jun-Zuki Punch moving forward
- Oui-Zuki Front punch (jab)
- Gyaku-Zuki Reverse punch
Kicks (Geri)
- Hiza-geri Knee kick
- Mae-Geri Front kick
Blocks (Uke)
- Gedan-Uke Low block
- Soto-Uke Middle block
- Jodan-Uke High block
- Tae-Uke Arm across chest in defensive ready position
Kata
- First basic kata
- Start first 8 moves of Omotto
Stances (Dachi)
- Musubi-Dachi Attention stance
- Heiko-Dachi Ready stance
- Kiba-Dachi Horse stance
- Zenkutsu-Dachi Front facing fighting stance
- Seisan-Dachi A wide, short stance (used for gyaku-zuki)
- Heisoku-Dachi Heels and toes together
"If You Are Interested Only In Physical Improvement And Fighting, There Are Sports That Fill This Need Better Than Does Karate." Master Hironori Otsuka
ORANGE BELT (Shichi-Kyu) (40 hrs, 4 months minimum)
Floor Techniques (Waza)
- Kette Jun-Zuki Front kick and punch
- Yohan-Nukite Spear hand
Kicks (Geri)
- Mawashi-Geri Roundhouse kick
Stances (Dachi)
- Shiko-Dachi Horse stance w/toes out
- Mahanmi-No-Neko Ashi-Dachi-- Side viewing cat stance
Block (Dachi)
- Tetsui-Uke Hammer fist block
Kata
- Second basic
- Pinan Ni-Dan
- Omotto Finished
"Exhaustive Karate Training Will Help You Gain The Patience, The Physical And Mental Strength That Will Help You Overcome Any Difficulty You Might Encounter In Your Life." Master Hironori Otsuka
BLUE BELT (Roku-Kyu) (Adults-40 hrs, 4 months minimum) (Kids-60 hrs, 6 months minimum)
Floor Techniques (Waza)
- Jun-Zuki-No-Tsekomi Lunge punch
- Skip-In Mae-Geri
- Yoko-Geri Side kick
- Ushiro-Geri Step-in-back kick
- Kette-Gyaku-Zuki Kick and reverse punch
Hand techniques (Waza-Te)
- Shuto Knife hand strike
- Tetsui Hammer fist
- Tate Vertical punch
- Shote Heel of hand strike
- Ippon-Nukite 1 finger spear hand
- Uraken Back fist
- Ippon-Ken 1 knuckle strike
Blocks (Uke)
- Shuto-Uke Knife hand blocks
Stances (Dachi)
- Jun-Zuki-No-Tsekomi-Dachi Lunge punch stance
Kata
- Pinan Sho-dan
- 12 Ippon katas
Breakfalls
- Front-Side (left and right)-Backword
- Front Role--Backword Role
"An Accumulation Of Years Of Training Will Enable You To Develop Your Reflexes, Quick Judgment and The Ability To React Almost Simultaneously." Master Hironori Otsuka
PURPLE BELT (Go-Kyu) (Adults-40 hrs, 4 months minimum) (Kids-60 hrs, 6 months minimum)
Floor Techniques (Waza)
- Kakato GeriHook kick
- Haito Ridge hand
- Empi Elbow strike
- Attack Gyaku-Zuki Double jab, reverse punch
- Kette-Jun-Zuki-No-Tsekomi Kick & lunge punch
- Morote-Zuki Double punch
- Blocks (Uke)
- Empi Uke Elbow block
- Ude-Uke Back Forearm block
Stances (Dachi)
- Mashomen-No-Neko Ashi-Dachi Short front viewing cat stance
Kata
- Pinan San-Dan
- Omotto (second half)
- Kiso Kumite
Bo Waza
- Side Strikes: head, ribs, and knees
- Upward Strikes: chin and groin
- Spear Strikes: head and ribs
- Overhead Strike
- Begginer Bo Kata
- Overhead Otoshi Strike
- Spear: abdomen, face, and groin
- Overhead Spinningstrikes- knee, head, and ribs
"Have No Regard For Martial (war-like) Aspects When Training, But Rather Adhere To The Way Of Peace, Harmony And Tranquility." Master Hironori Otsuka
GREEN BELT (Yon-Kyu) (Adults-60 hrs, 6 months minimum) (Kids-90 hrs, 9 months minimum)
Floor Techniques (Waza)
- Spinning Ushiro-Geri Spinning back kick
- Mae-Tobi-Geri Double flying front kick
- Haeshu--Haku-Geri Back hand & crescent kick
- Gyaku-Zuki-No-Tsekomi Deep reverse punch
- Tobi-Komi-Zuki Sliding lunge punch
- Nihon Nukite 2 finger spear hand
- Yohan-Ken 4 knuckle strike
Blocks (Uke)
- Uchi-Uke Inside front forearm block
- Kakae Hook block
- Otoshi-Shote-Uke Dropping heel of palm block
Stance (Dachi)
- Gyaku-Zuki-No-Tsekomi-Dachi Lunge punch stance (out to the side, instead of to the front)
Kata
- Pinan-Yondon
- Kiso-Kumite (moves 1-10)
- 3rd & 4th Basic Katas
"The Ways Of Martial Arts Must Not Be Mere Fighting Technique, But The Way Of Peace And Harmony. The Goal Of The Practice Of This Style Is To Bring About Peace And Harmony, Which Is More Difficult To Be Attained Than The Victory By Violence." Master Hironori Otsuka
1ST LEVEL BROWN BELT (San-Kyu) (Adults-60 hrs, 6 months minimum) (Kids-90 hrs, 9 months minimum)
Floor Techniques (Waza)
- Foot sweep
- Spinning Kakato-Geri Spinning heel kick
- Mae-Mawashi Geri Front and Round House kick w/same leg
Blocks (Uke)
- Juji-Uke Cross (X) block
- Otoshi-Uraken-Uke Dropping back fist
Stance (Dachi)
- Naihanchi-Dachi Kiba-Dachi w/ toes pointed inward
Kata
- Pinan Go-Dan
- Naihanchi
- Kihon Kata #1
- Advanced Bo Kata
"If The Pinan Series Are Not Practiced Regularly, There Is No Point In Moving On To The Other Kata Since They Will Never Be Fully Understood." Master Hironori Otsuka II (Jiro Otsuka)
2ND LEVEL BROWN BELT (Ni-Kyu) (Adults-60 hrs, 6 months minimum) (Kids-90 hrs, 9 months minimum)
Floor Techniques (Waza)
- Nagashi-Zuki Side step counter punch
- Kin-Geri Groin kick
- Spinning Tobi-Ushiro-Geri Jump spinning back kick
Stances (Dachi)
- Gyaku-Neko Ashi-Dachi Reverse cat stance
- Shizen Hontai-Dachi Natural standing stance
Blocks (Uke)
- Sukui-Uke Scooping block
Kata
- Ku-San-Ku
- Kihon Kata #2
"When You Run Counter To The Laws Of Nature, You Run The Risk Of Losing Harmony." Master Hironori Otsuka "In Wado We Don't Block Like Other Styles" Master Hironori Otsuka "No Unnecessary Movements, No Unnecessary Use Of Energy, No Unnecessary Techniques" Master Hironori Otsuka II (Jiro Otsuka)
3RD LEVEL BROWN BELT (Ik-Kyu) (Adults-60 hrs, 6 months minimum) (Kids-90 hrs, 9 months minimum)
Floor Techniques (Waza)
- Kette-Gyaku-Zuki-No-Tsekomi Kick & deep reverse punch
- Yoko Tobi-Geri Flying side kick
- Triple kickSide kick, roundhouse kick, hook kick
- Fumi-Komi Stomping kick
- Kata Kihon Katas (2 & 3)
- 6th & 7th Basic Kata
Blocks
- High Block
- Low Block
- Vertical Block
"The Difference Between The Possible And Impossible Is One's Will." Master Hironori Otsuka