Last night when we arrived at Tae Kwon Do, our instructor held out a list and said, "If your name is on this list you will be testing for your belt. Next to your name is the belt you will be testing for." I looked at the list and all five of us were on it. Kerry, Ben and I would all be testing for a yellow belt. Emily and Katie would be testing for a half yellow belt.
I wondered if the test was going to be right then, during class. We hadn't been given any warning. I thought we'd be told ahead of time that tests were coming up. Our instructor held several nice new yellow belts in his hand and set them down by the list. Then we had our usual class, and nothing else was said about it. I started thinking that at the end of class, he would tell us more about it.
About 20 minutes before class should end, our instructor called up his helper and told her to take over. He put his arm around Emily and pulled her to the rear of the class and started running her through Taeguk One. I could only see them when we were turned to the side because they were behind us, but I could tell he had her do the form several times. Then he sent Emily back to her place and pulled me to the back of the room to do Tae Guk One. I totally botched it. I know it, but doing it all by yourself with the instructor staring at you is different from doing it with the entire class. He had me do the form three times, correcting me on the things I was doing wrong, then sent me back to my spot. He pulled Kerry to the back of the room, same routine - except - he then sent Kerry off to the side to practice some more, pulled another student to the back and ran her through the form, then brought Kerry back again to do the form some more. He never took Katie to the back.
The assistant teacher leaned over and asked Emily, "Did you pass?" Emily said, "I don't know." The assistant teacher said, "He didn't tell you?" Emily shook her head no.
Then class was over, and we left.
Was that the test? Was that a pre-test to get us ready for the test?
I have no idea. We are all baffled. We all agreed that we each messed up royally during our turns. We all know the form (except Katie but she didn't have to do it) but we all were nervous and made mistakes. But our teacher knows how much we know because he sees us do this every week. I'm sure he's used to people being nervous when put on the spot like that.
But was it an actual test? No one was presented with a belt. But the assistant asking Emily if she passed makes it seem as thought the assistant thought it was a test. And she should know.
Was it a test?
I wondered if the test was going to be right then, during class. We hadn't been given any warning. I thought we'd be told ahead of time that tests were coming up. Our instructor held several nice new yellow belts in his hand and set them down by the list. Then we had our usual class, and nothing else was said about it. I started thinking that at the end of class, he would tell us more about it.
About 20 minutes before class should end, our instructor called up his helper and told her to take over. He put his arm around Emily and pulled her to the rear of the class and started running her through Taeguk One. I could only see them when we were turned to the side because they were behind us, but I could tell he had her do the form several times. Then he sent Emily back to her place and pulled me to the back of the room to do Tae Guk One. I totally botched it. I know it, but doing it all by yourself with the instructor staring at you is different from doing it with the entire class. He had me do the form three times, correcting me on the things I was doing wrong, then sent me back to my spot. He pulled Kerry to the back of the room, same routine - except - he then sent Kerry off to the side to practice some more, pulled another student to the back and ran her through the form, then brought Kerry back again to do the form some more. He never took Katie to the back.
The assistant teacher leaned over and asked Emily, "Did you pass?" Emily said, "I don't know." The assistant teacher said, "He didn't tell you?" Emily shook her head no.
Then class was over, and we left.
Was that the test? Was that a pre-test to get us ready for the test?
I have no idea. We are all baffled. We all agreed that we each messed up royally during our turns. We all know the form (except Katie but she didn't have to do it) but we all were nervous and made mistakes. But our teacher knows how much we know because he sees us do this every week. I'm sure he's used to people being nervous when put on the spot like that.
But was it an actual test? No one was presented with a belt. But the assistant asking Emily if she passed makes it seem as thought the assistant thought it was a test. And she should know.
Was it a test?
Well...? Patiently waiting...
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