Your friend has some interesting associative tendencies. As a former student of Seagal Sensei's, I can repeat a few of the things we heard often...

3. It is interesting that you mention a student's poor attitude when not receiving his shodan. Seagal Sensei failed just about everyone that I ever saw take the test, usually more than once, some even four and five times over several years. The most deserving seemed to never get it at all. Somehow he just new that is what would make each of them stronger. Almost everyone made it, and only those too week to stick it out left before reaching shodan, many years later.

...."