Sifu

[Hua Lin Laoshi]

That might be fine on a small scale but in a larger organization like WL it's difficult to organize individual testing like that. Much easier to have everyone in town at the same time, run through your stuff and have a seminar aftwards (MC teaches a seminar after testing while everyone is in town). Each evening there is a meeting to discuss school business and such.

It already takes 3 days with up to 30 people testing (don't know the current count). And how can you know "what material your student has and can perform" when they're spread all across the country.

As you can see things work a little different the larger it gets. It's hard to maintain that personal oversight when dealing with volume.

"Hard is not good enough, I want to walk away as a better Martial Artist. That is my reason for testing."

The purpose of WL Sifu certification is not to make you a better martial artist or to whip you into shape. The intent is to verify you have not forgotten the material and can teach it adequetely. There's more to teaching than looking good.

Anyone else in a large organization like WL? I'd like to hear how others work.

[sayloc]

Hua Lin

I can see where you are coming from.

If I were in a big system like that I think I would prefer that they tested 5 people every other month. That way you can make sure everyone knows there stuff and make some improvments.

My fear is that the big group testing will take its toll on the quality of a system. Just making sure everyone knows their material does not do much to bring the quality up.

But it sounds like your system has grown and this may be part of its growing pains.

I can see that testing your students and instructors at one time could be more efficient. Thats why the Tae kwan do guys do it.

Sounds like you are doing better than me, so who am I to say what is right or wrong.

[yu shan]

-N-

I have only taken one of these tests. Basically all we did was demonstrate our forms, hand & weapon in front of Chan Pui. My Teacher from Pong Lai told me just go and teach. He must have been comfortable with what he saw in me.

Hua Lin

Yep, `99 was the test with front and side tan tui standing on a soup can if I remember correctly. A Shifu did injure himself doing a split. I think he got to come back and test one on one after healing. I think the draining part of this testing WL does, atleast in `99, was the hours of waiting for your next turn. I will say this, there were a handful of testers there that I would not have let teach an entry level TKD pattern. Absolutely pitiful! But, there are many new bright and shining stars coming up also! As for me, I thank Shifu Art D`Agostino for drilling his movement into my muscles and the help of Shifu Leroy for getting me prepared... woops cannot forget Shifu Steve Ottavianno. Oh yea, how does Chan Pui figure that you can teach the material just by doing a form? And what about the quarter of those that I would have failed but he passed?!

Sayloc

It is not so bad sitting around airports, been doing it for years. Outside of the fact that there are plenty of ladys to look at, you can always kill time in some corner walking thru whatever you are going to teach or what you just learned. I stay away from the lounge, $6 beers suck!