Students may be "Stripe Tested" every 10 classes and will receive a stripe for
their belt provided they meet the standards and requirements for each stripe. Those students who have received all three stripes
are eligible to be recommended for belt promotion by the Chief Instructor. All students must attend Graduation at the USA
Masters Academy in Canandaigua in order to be promoted. Graduations are typically held in February, April, June, August, October,
& December.
Belt tests should be
viewed as measurable goals both short and long term – the journey begins at White Belt with a relatively simple set
of skills and represents the short term challenge of reaching the next belt level within a standard three to four month period.
Upon reaching Sr. Red Belt, the final step in the Color Belt system, the student will review and prepare during the required
six month waiting period prior to testing for Black Belt.
Achieving a Black Belt is a long term goal and can
take anywhere from three to five years as a Kwok Wu Chuen student. Many may view the Black Belt as a symbol of completion,
yet, in truth, the Black Belt is only a beginning, a stage at which the student's training truly begins in earnest.
Each level of Black Belt in the Kwok Wu Chuen
system is broken down into Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced ranks with testing periods of 6-12 months. In addition, Kwok
Wu Chuen Black Belt students are evaluated every 2-3 months between grades just as the color belts are thus maintaining
advanced proficiency in all aspects of the art. Black Belt Testing is offered twice a year-once in the Spring and once
in the Fall.
