In my previous post 10 Lessons Learned Testing for Rank, I feel I left a few important points out so I am continuing where I left off with that list of 12.

13. Prepare for the Unexpected: Give yourself plenty of time to get there early. Sure enough the day of my test the road was blocked. Had I not given myself a spare 20 minutes to get there I would have been late and super frazzled. Not a good impression to make!

14. Avoiding Sudden Bouts of Amnesia: Know all current as well as previous material like the back of your hand! I can’t stress enough that when you are tired and/or nervous or a combination of both it is amazing how you can forget something you know. Any little doubt that creeps into your mind while performing something can suddenly become full blown amnesia! If you really know your stuff going into the test, even if you momentarily forget, you should be able to gather yourself enough and take some deep breaths to be able to remember. A tip: Forget your brain and let your body remember. If you have done it enough, you should be able to work your way through it.

15. Cramming Doesn’t Cut it-  You can’t cram for a martial arts test. Trying to cram just doesn’t work. Put in the time and effort before you are asked to test so when you go to prepare for your next promotion it is more of a review and refinement of what you already have learned.

16. Endurance Training - It is not enough to be able to execute techniques and forms when well rested. It is a whole different ball game trying to do these things when you are exhausted. Endurance training is critical but very hard for working folks to fit in.  When possible try training for 2-3 hour clips with short breaks to show your body you can go for longer periods.

Hopefully some of these will help some of you prepare for your next test or promotion in the martial arts. No doubt, there are countless other great tips out there.  Feel free to share yours!