Post Test Class Attendance?

I have an upcoming kyu test tomorrow (Saturday). I've been training very hard for it, and I mentioned to one of my senpai that I was looking forward to finally being able to take a day off come Sunday, and he told me that it was expected that you always come to class the day following your test. No one had ever mentioned it to me before, so I was curious whether this was a rule of etiquette I hadn't encountered.

Never heard of it. You train when you want to train.

Sarah Caughey wrote: I have an upcoming kyu test tomorrow (Saturday). I've been training very hard for it, and I mentioned to one of my senpai that I was looking forward to finally being able to take a day off come Sunday, and he told me that it was expected that you always come to class the day following your test. No one had ever mentioned it to me before, so I was curious whether this was a rule of etiquette I hadn't encountered.

Well, being somewhat familiar with your dojo and your teacher - if they say you should train on Sunday then you should try to be there. Probably sensei will spend some of the class time on the techniques shown during testing and clarify what he wants to see.

Besides, it's a great feeling to train after a test when the stress of testing has been lifted off your shoulders. Enjoy it!

Should? What Janet said.

That is our practice. Part of it is to thank all the other students who helped prepare you for your test, while part of it is to focus on the strong and weak points of your test performance as a study issue for all. Lastly, you should be there to accept the congratulations from your sensei and fellow students. Personally, I think it is refreshing to be able to relax and not be the center of attention that you were during your test preparation. Good luck with your test!

Janet Rosen wrote: Never heard of it. You train when you want to train.

Me either. I think a chain is being yanked. or someone is being pious or pompous.

That being said it IS a neat feeling to go to the next class after the promotion, assuming a passing rating....

That's my old dojo. I would go to class Sunday, were I in your position. Take next Sunday off, if you feel like you need to.

Disappearing immediately after a test leaves the impression that the rank was all you cared about, not the things that you learned, and not the people who helped you prepare. It's kind of rude.

Do you *have* to go? Well, no, no one is going to kick you out of the dojo, or revoke the rank you just earned, or anything like that. There aren't likely to be any tangible long term repercussions at all. But it will affect how other people in the dojo feel about you, and not in a positive way.

Incidentally, it's usually pretty safe to assume that people actually training at a dojo know more about the cultural expectations *at that dojo* than random people on the internet.

Katherine

Katherine Derbyshire wrote: Incidentally, it's usually pretty safe to assume that people actually training at a dojo know more about the cultural expectations *at that dojo* than random people on the internet.

Well yes, but there was no class today at my dojo, and so I figured asking here was a good place to start...

Michael Hackett wrote: Good luck with your test!

Thank you!

So, how did it go?

Michael Hackett wrote: So, how did it go?

I passed my test! And then I dragged myself out of bed the next day, and limped to class.

Sarah Caughey wrote: I passed my test! And then I dragged myself out of bed the next day, and limped to class.

Congratulations!!!

Good stuff! Congratulations!

Well done! Congratulations! -- Katherine

Sarah Caughey wrote: I passed my test! And then I dragged myself out of bed the next day, and limped to class.

Congratulations on your test!

Although I have to be honest, the original question surprised me. If one of our students trained regularly up to a test, and then immediately skipped the next class, I would perceive it as the student saying that the only reason to train is for an upcoming test, or worse, that the students feels there is nothing else to learn.

--Ashley

Ashley Hemsath wrote: Congratulations on your test! Although I have to be honest, the original question surprised me. If one of our students trained regularly up to a test, and then immediately skipped the next class, I would perceive it as the student saying that the only reason to train is for an upcoming test, or worse, that the students feels there is nothing else to learn. --Ashley

Thank you.

The next day's class is not one I regularly attend; it's Sunday morning and it's a hard one for me to get to. I would have been back on the mat the day after that.

Sarah Caughey wrote: The next day's class is not one I regularly attend; it's Sunday morning and it's a hard one for me to get to. I would have been back on the mat the day after that.

Eh, it ain't that big a deal. What people are talking about is not going to a class that you normally do not attend, but the all too frequent case of someone testing and then vanishing.

As a teacher it is a nice "thank you" if the student attends the next regular class after testing.

Many times I have had students from other dojos who will train with me regularly up until (usually) a Dan grading who I don't then see at my class until they are preparing for their next test.I try not to let it affect my view of them but it does make you wonder!

So as I said attendance after a successful test is much appreciated.

Glad you made it to class the next day. Our dojo does all of it's dan testing at seminars and it is expected that the test candidate will show up and train for the entire seminar. Testing typically being on Saturday afternoon. I recently took my shodan test at such an event. After training vigorously Friday night and Saturday morning and afternoon for a total of 6 hours, I was nicely warmed up for the test. (and maybe just a little.. okay a lot...nervous... umm okay so I had an anxiety attack right before I was called to the mat ) I have no idea just how long the actual test went on. Maybe 20 minutes? Back on the mat on Sunday morning for another 3 hours before the long drive home. Was right back on the mat at our next class on Tuesday night.I felt like I forgot all of aikido for a few classes after ward but now I am seeing some really cool progress.

You don't just do this for yourself. You do it for your teachers and for your fellow students. Remember that without its members a dojo cannot exist. Without people to train with there is no practice. So when you miss a class you might be keeping not only yourself but someone else from being able to train.

It has been a few months now since your test. Have you started to notice all of the changes in your aikido that resulted from the intense preparations prior to your test? The part where you begin to grow into your new rank can really be interesting times in your training.

For me, coming up through the ranks, I would always have a question after the testing. The classes following the testing, Sensei was always generous enough to show a new insight, or teach something that was ultimately feedback. We once had a two hour session on Tanto Dori the day after three Ikkyu students had tested for example. I really value those memories.

Philip Smith wrote: As a teacher it is a nice "thank you" if the student attends the next regular class after testing. Many times I have had students from other dojos who will train with me regularly up until (usually) a Dan grading who I don't then see at my class until they are preparing for their next test.I try not to let it affect my view of them but it does make you wonder! So as I said attendance after a successful test is much appreciated.

Agree with this....If you have a class where everyone works towards a grading....and a bunch take the next class off then its not much of a thank-you to the teacher - you can bet they'll be there.

I try not to let it affect my view either...but I do make a mental note and if I get the feeling that someone values the grading more than the training then they may find me unsupportive when next grading comes around.

Each to their own though.

I find the day after the grading is when I can finally see the progress I've made. Before that, I'm too wound up in test preparation to be objective.

Katherine

Testing is just another day of training. Go or don't go. In the long run it will make no difference.

In my experience I have never heard of that. Life happens and sometimes you are not able to make it to class. I am sure your instructors want you there to praise your accomplishment in front of those who may not have been there. If you trained really hard for your test, then by all means take a day off and rest your body.

our chief instructor, had saying that he used pretty often. plus + minus = 0

the frequency of which he said that would go up as testing, or a big seminar would come closer.

basically, he meant that you put in alot of effort either in preparing for a test, or really training hard during a seminar. just because the test is over, or the seminar is finished, don't just be done. try to keep up that intensity and practice the next day. and the next. and the next.

relatively speaking...