2026-03-04

Teaching my regular classes at the Ross Farnsworth - East Valley YMCA.

We had a small kyu grading this evening, with only two examinees, and it went pretty well. As usual, I’ll be writing up feedback, filling out certificates, etc., over the weekend. That feedback is read to the whole class, so everyone hears the good and the bad. The “good stuff” is held out as an exemplar, encouraging others to emulate whatever it is. The “constructive” stuff, likewise, is good for everyone to hear, because there’s a good chance others need to make those same changes.

I also had a couple of students, eligible by way of attendance, who opted not to test, which is fine as long as it’s for the right reasons. Think about a driving test for a moment. Perhaps your state requires you to have a minimum of 30 “behind-the-wheel” hours before you can take the driving test. If you don’t have 30 hours, don’t bother showing up, but even if you do have 30 hours, you should still hold off if you’re not ready. The trick becomes knowing how to know if you’re ready, and this isn’t easy.

I’d say if you have specific and articulable concerns about the skills you’ll need on the test (which are documented), that’s a valid concern. But if your hesitancy revolves around “I’ll probably mess something up” or a nebulous feeling of “I’m not ready”, then I’d say give it a shot. It’d be different if testing were cost-prohibitive, but I only charge if you pass so the worst that can happen is a free evaluation of your skills. What’s to lose?