Intent to Promote

Notice of Intent to Promote: Orange Belt

This is what you receive when you're invited to test for your next belt. It's handed out at the end of class. Everyone cheers for you. You take it home and fill it out and return it.

There is "testing" on the first Wednesday of every month at our dojeng. It's amusing that everyone refers to it as "testing." You're not really being tested. No one fails or isn't promoted.
Rather than being tested, it's when you demonstrate what you've learned to this point. It can still incite nerves, but there's no pressure or fear of failure.
There's a whole ritual involved.
After you demonstrate what Master Turnhout asks you to do, all of the students sit down. You're asked to close your eyes in meditation. At this time another instructor comes around and places your new belt in front of you.

It's a little magical. It reminds me of Shabbat: you light the candles and then you close your eyes while you're saying the prayer. Since you're not supposed to do any work on the sabbath, and because lighting the candles would be considered work, you sort of pretend like you don't know how the candles were lit. When you open your eyes it's a supposed to be a surprise.

I'm a big fan of ritual. It's another aspect of the martial arts that I truly appreciate and enjoy.