GRADING  

Lil' Dragons gradings follow a slightly different format to the rest of the Academy, please use the Lil' Dragons link provided to find out more.

A grading is a traditional way for us to examine our students and determine their standard of Martial Arts.  We look at areas such as technical standard and understanding, also how much effort is put in and the attitude each student presents.  We mark this by awarding a belt.

We ask to see different techniques to pass each belt.  All graded techniques are detailed in a syllabus that can be obtained from the Academy.  Each style of Martial Arts we teach has its own unique syllabus.  If you train in more than one of our graded styles you will be given an option of which Martial Art you would like to be graded in.

There are 9 belts that can be achieved on the way to black belt.  The first belt you have is white - this is an entry grade.  Junior Warriors through to Adults all follow the same belt system.  You can learn more about belts through the Price List and Grades link.

A grading is a very formal affair for us, we ask that students turn up smart and clean in full uniform.  Gradings are very physical and can take up to five hours (four hours for Juniors) depending upong the number of students grading and the grades being attempted.  Although we grade groups of students together, we like to assess each student individually and this does take time.

All gradings are held at the Academy and take place three times a year.  Grading notice and deadline dates will generally be provided 2-4 weeks beforehand.

Grading eligibility depends upon a number of factors.  First we look at attendance - have students been training regularly, how many lessons have they attended since their last grading.  Then we look at skill and effort - if students have graded before did they pass well or just scrape through, do we think you can pass this time.  At Attitude, we are not in the habit of setting students up to fail, and we will only enter students into a grading if we believe that they can get through it.

All students will find out on the day of the grading whether they have passed or not and will be awarded their belt straight away.  Certificates are given in class at a later date.  Pass or Fail, all students will also receive a full grading evaluation.  This is a breakdown of their performance on the grading day and includes a relevant mark, a critique of their standard and suggestions for future practice.  All grading evaluations are unique and personal to each student and are produced from the notes made by the grading examiners during the exam.

We do not offer an easy or fast-track Grading route at Attitude.  All exams require physical and mental endurance and will challenge students on many levels.  Each grade must be taken in turn; students may not jump grades in one exam.  We cannot offer you a Black Belt in 12 months; our grading scale is tough and we challenge students to a high standard.  To climb up the grades at our Academy requires perserverance and time, not just a technical ability. 

Please use the links below to find out more

Gradings are not compulsary; students do not have to ever attend a grading if they do not want to.

The study of a Martial Art is a very personal pursuit and grading is a individual challenge.