Promoting & Rank

This is not a formal rank, and it is not based on a formal test. It is an acknowledgment that a beginner has moved beyond being a complete newbie, and is starting to look and feel comfortable in class. It indicates that the student has trained diligently during their first few months with us, has learned to execute some basic techniques without help, and can take basic ukemi safely.

On a yellow belt test, the student is asked to do defenses from over a dozen different attacks, including wrist grabs, lapel grabs, grabs from behind, punches, and basic knife and club attacks. The student is told what each attack will be, and the attacker is instructed to attack in a neutral manner – not helping, but not resisting. The student can choose which defense to use for each attack and is expected to use basics they have learned with us, including finishing each technique with a ground lock or strike.

This test has a wider variety of attacks and may include a couple of turns where the nature of the attack is not announced. The important difference between the yellow belt test and the green belt test is that the attackers will present more difficulty, and the student is expected to be able to respond when the technique they try does not work, by using a strike or switching up to a different technique. It measures the student’s ability to put techniques together and think on their feet.

The first level of brown belt is a very significant test, and most students who take it find it a memorable experience even many years later. It is pretty much an “anything goes” test, with the student expected to respond to whatever attacks are offered, even some that they have not specifically trained for, and to do whatever it takes (within the limits of safety) to control the attacker. This is preparation for real life self defense. The test includes defenses against live knife attacks, situations with multiple attackers, and some free fighting. It is a long, tough test, and it is sometimes not pretty, but it is a test of spirit and self defense which leaves our new brown belts feeling very proud indeed.

Similar to the sankyu test, a wide variety of attacks are covered, and the attackers are not particularly cooperative, but this test is less intense. The student is expected to be able to demonstrate command of all the basics, not just defending themselves, but doing some clean technique in the process.

Here we ask the student to put it all together. We turn up the pressure again, pushing the student to their limit, and we look for poise and grace under pressure. A person taking this test should be ready to show both technical expertise and a willingness to rumble if necessary.

As Shihan Felix Berrios always said, “the black belt test is not a test; it is a demonstration.” Prior to testing for black belt, a student trains once or twice a week with an instructor for three to six months, in addition to regular classes. During the private classes, they practice a sequence of Eizan Ryu basics and learn how to apply each basic to many different attacks. This can be challenging, as not every technique is easy to get from every attack, but it gives one a sense of comfort with and ownership of the work, allowing one to be able to naturally move into a basic technique from whatever position one finds oneself in. A black belt candidate will work with different partners in these private lessons, which emphasizes the idea that a black belt test is a matter of pride for everyone in the dojo; no one walks that road on their own. On test day, the student will run through this sequence repeatedly, under various conditions, for two hours, showing that they have made the techniques part of themselves.