Sandokai Karate Official Grading Examiners
At one time, it was enough that you were a black belt which automatically entitled you to examine students and pass them (when appropriate) to two belts below your own grade. Newly promoted black belts would then open clubs,
and grade their own students in their own clubs on a normal training night. This led to the sometimes unfortunate situation where a student would train to brown belt, passing (with flying colours) all their belts in their own club, and
then discover that to attain a 1st Kyu grade they had to take an examination in front of a panel of unknown black belts whose criteria were not quite the same as the criteria of their own instructor!
Many students found the hurdle from local club gradings with friendly faces to group gradings with unknown examiners not only daunting but insurmountable. Many people failed their senior gradings ... and gave up training.
In Sandokai, we hold all gradings with a panel of at least three qualified examiners from different clubs. All gradings are done by area - so you will be examined alongside students of the same grade from different clubs.
This ensures consistency across clubs.
All examiners are trained and have satisfied the Chief Instructor to their competence, and there is ongoing training to ensure that all examiners are looking for the same thing and marking the same way.
There are three levels of examiner:-
Official Examiner
The requirements to qualify as an Association examiner are :-
[1] you have been a Dan grade for a minimum of one year.
[2] you have sat on at least two grading panels as an observer.
[3] The Chief Instructor has been satisfied as to the your competence as an Official Examiner.
ALL examiners are, first and foremost, Official Examiners who sit on grading panels and decide on whether a student has qualified for promotion to their next belt. The "group"
or "area" grading examinations cover all gradings from a beginner taking their 8th Kyu white belt, through to a 2nd Dan being examined for promotion to 3rd Dan.
Current Official Examiners are
Awards of 4th Dan and above are not carried out via a physical examination of techniques, but are awarded for service, continuing personal growth and development, and work both within and without the dojo.
Awards Examiner
The three most senior grades form the Awards panel. The Awards Examiners met roughly every six months and discuss the development of all the Sensei in Sandokai. Those who are eligible (or will soon be eligible) for promotion
are discussed and the decision whether they are awarded their 4th/5th/6th Dan is made. It is not an automatic promotion when you have been around for enough years. The panel need a good reason to promote you. Merely turning up at
your local club once or twice a week and training on a regular basis is not enough. As a 3rd Dan or higher you have the formal title of Sensei and there is more to being a Sensei than just training for yourself!!!
It is acceptable to put a formal request to the panel for consideration for higher grade, stating reasons for your promotion, though it is not necessary to do so as the panel keep on top of who is eligible and when.
The current awards examiners are :-
Chief Examiner
The Chief Examiner has the thankless job of making sure all goes smoothly in group grading examinations - a task which begins weeks before the grading and ends weeks afterwards! He has the responsibility for all paperwork,
ensuring all certificates are correct, deciding on who sits on which panel, and has the final say in any area of disagreement.
The Chief Examiner's decision is final.
The current Chief Examiner is Sensei Terry Boughton.
|
