I will write shortly about the recent examination that took place. However, before I do so, the forthcoming Technician re-grading requires a mention. This takes place at 8pm on this Thursday (15^th July) in the Dulwich School. This is an important occasion for learning; there will be no classes in either School on that day and every student, regardless of level, is strongly recommended to attend.

 

The essence of the Technician re-grading is to ensure that 6 months after a student passes any Technician Level exam the ability of that student is still of a sufficiently high level. This second exam is a serious one: should a student fail s/he will have to retake the whole examination process again (i.e. retake both exams), which will be a further 1 year before it is completed. It is, therefore, only after successfully passing the second exam that students are formally presented with the appropriate Technician certificate and permitted to retain it. Students taking the exam will already be wearing the relevant Chinese Wing Tsun Technician uniform (as permitted to do so after the Graduation following the first exam). However, should any student fail the second exam they will have to revert to wearing the uniform of their previous, lower level with immediate effect.

 

Students taking the second exam are only given approximately 3 weeks’ notice of the date of the exam. In addition, the teachers are forbidden to teach students taking the second exam a large number of private lessons after the examination date has been announced. This ensures that, as far as possible, the ‘true’ level of the student is tested. It is possible with concentrated training, even in Chinese Wing Tsun, to temporarily raise up the ability of the student far beyond their actual ‘base’ level (the level that a student returns to when not training intensely – NB see past posts about the importance of training after seminars...). However, what it is not possible to do is maintain a high level without continuous and serious training. Technician levels are, despite what many people may think, only a stepping stone in the journey through the art - not an end ‘goal’ in itself. Remember: a level only has meaning if there is substance behind the name...

 

The minimum standard required to pass the second exam is for the students to demonstrate the same level and ability showed at the first exam. A stricter test would be to expect a higher ability as each student has had the benefit of an additional six months practice. However, this higher threshold is not necessary.  In practice, the second exam tends to be harder than the first. This is not least because the increased pressure, but also because it tends to be a shorter, more intense exam with a much smaller margin for error. It is an exam where immediate reactions count and there are no second chances...

 

Sifu