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Voice of the Fox
The Newsletter of the Martial Arts Training Service

Advice and the Experience of a Belt Test
by Alex Jovanovic
Spring 1996

The day of my green belt test, I decided to skip work to prepare myself for the proper mind-set. Meditation, lots of fruit and vegetables, and bit of meat helped me feel great. However, the extreme amount of Mountain Dew I drank wasn't helpful. I do not recommend the mixture of three cans of Dew and the incredible rush of adrenaline you normally get during a test. My thinking was too jumpy, and my techniques were not precise during warm-up. I wasn't nervous, just hyper.

A short while before the test, I was thrown left-sided, which I'm used to. However, the way I landed was terrible. My right leg hit the edge of the mat, exactly halfway between the ankle and knee. I didn't feel it at first (due to the adrenaline rush) but I suffered either a bone bruise or a micro-fracture. Yet I still managed to get through a hyper yet enjoyable test.

The test advice I can give you is to enjoy your test but take it seriously. Pretend you are a samurai trainee, and you are trying to prove to your daimyo (our sensei) that you are worthy of the swords. Eat nothing but healthy foods on the few days before the test. Try not to get hurt before the test, Finally, for God's sake, stay away from caffeine. You can do without the hyperactivity during your test.

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