For all those who intend to grade, here's some important information you need to know.
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
1. Remember your GRADING BOOK. This is the book you got with your photo in it after you paid insurance. It will be signed to your new grade if and when you pass your grading.
2. Wear a clean (ironed) Dobok. It is extremely disrespectful to wear an unwashed or un-ironed dobok at the best of times, even more so when grading.
3. Men - cut your nails short if they are too long. Once again you should do this anyway for lessons, but it is all the more important for gradings.
HINTS/TIPS:
1. When in doubt, bow. It's best to be over courteous than not respectful enough.
2. Pay maximum attention to your instructor/examiner. Don't daydream, look at other people, or even worse - start talking during the grading. Resist the urge to smile or laugh at your friends if they are watching you from the side of the class.
3. Practice your patterns the night before, and during the day of your grading. Even if just for the odd 5 minutes here and there - when you're put on the spot at the grading you'll appreciate the extra memory jog of having done it a few times that day before the lesson.
4. Further to the point above: KNOW YOUR PATTERN. If you start following someone else in the grading and they've got it wrong - they've just failed you. Say thank you to them for making you fail.
Worst-case scenario: You must perform the pattern on your own, and then there's no one to follow.
5. If you are called to do your pattern all the way through, don't rush it. Go at the normal pace you're used to. When you finish, stay in the exact same position in the last move of the pattern until you are told to return to ready stance (chumbi). Don't look around, don't flinch, and don't talk. Only sweating and breathing heavily is allowed, and then - only if ABSOLUTELY necessary! ;)
6. Try Hard - much of grading involves your mental attitude as well as your physical skill. If you show that you're determined and willing to try 110% you're more likely to pass than someone who is slightly better than you but doesn't seem to be making the effort. Remember the club motto and that which is written on all our hoodys: INDOMITABLE SPIRIT - if you show this, you're halfway to passing your grading already.
7. Having said 'try hard' you must also 'relax'. Contradictory? Very... You should put your whole effort into everything you do, but do not worry if you can't quite kick properly or punch properly on the day. No doubt your nerves and the pressure of the spot light will make you freeze, tense and not perform as well as you normally do. The trick is to relax. Pretend you're kicking as you would in normal lessons, relax your body and let it all come back to you. Show mental effort and determination, but don't tense up trying to kick harder and faster than you normally do - you'll only be capable of what you've done in lessons, you can't magically be better on the day because you're trying to kick harder than normal.
And lastly:
8. Some useful terminology you're likely to encounter...
"Chumbi" means: "get into ready position" (usually said slowly: 'choom bee'). When you are commanded to do this you place your fists in front of you facing your instructor. We've done it in class a hundred times, usually at the beginning and end of training.
"Charyeeoh" means: "attention" (usually said quite quickly 'Char-yo'). This is to get ready to bow, placing your hands flat on your side and legs together. It is usually followed in quick succession by...
"Kyungye" which means: "bow" (pronounced slowly: 'kyung...gay'). Slowly bow forward and return to the same position as before. Don't get over-zealous on your grading and try to touch your toes, just bow normally - you should always show maximum respect, grading is no different.
"Say jak" means: "begin" (usually pronounced quite quickly: 'see-ja'). This is the command to begin your poomse (pattern) if you are to perform it on your own, i.e. if you're not doing it 'to-the-count' as we normally do in lessons. If you are called upon to do your poomse from beginning to end in this fashion, this is the command to begin.
If you wish to brush up on your terminology, check out the glossary page on our website.