Good evening.
Having recently conducted an extensive grading of students in our schools (more details to follow) I thought it would be useful if I briefly outline the role of an examiner and how I believe an examiner should act. Im also writing this so that students of other martial arts can have some general idea of what they can expect from an examiner and avoid any misconceptions. It is a real shame in martial arts that some teachers (of which I have had the misfortune to meet too many) feel it is necessary to simply ‘sell’ grades to their students. They not only lose all their own self respect but bring martial arts, which can be such a force for good, into disrepute.
You should firstly know that money has nothing to do with the grading system or its outcomes. It is a fact of life that you have to pay for exams, if you take professional law exams I can certainly tell you that they are not for free, and martial arts is no different in this respect. You pay not only for the privilege of being able to go for that exam, but for the cost, time, energy and effort put into making possible for you to take that exam. However, like most things the problem occurs when it is taken to an extreme, in this case the money becoming the prevalent theme.
It is also important to know this; no student can tell me or my instructors what grade they are going for or if they have paid for an exam to ‘demand’ to be awarded it. A student is entered for an exam if, and when, they are ready. When I sit down to examine students I only have a list of who is there and what level they are taking. I have absolutely no details as to whether or not they have paid, and if they paid, how much. This is because, for me, apart from any specific Wing Tsun rules, the overriding principle is one of professionalism.
The word professionalism encompasses a wide ranging set of principles, and I do not wish to attempt to define it here. However, in this particular situation I believe it has to main strands: firstly that of complete impartiality and equality; and secondly upholding the relevant standards. You will find in life that it is quite common for people in a position of responsibility to confuse personal feelings with what they should be upholding. As a master I can tell you that I am two different people when I grade and when I teach. Personal views, or if I like one student more than another, has absolutely nothing to do with the outcome of an exam. The person has to fulfil certain criteria in a particular way. If they do not do this then they fail. Indeed I have been in the unenviable position where I have had to fail students that I liked. But perhaps the biggest responsibility as an examiner is upholding the quality of the system. I have mentioned before, a grade is only as good as a person representing it. It means, therefore, that no-one should be able to attain that grade unless they are comprehensively worth it. No matter what type of exam it is people will always try to convince you that they should have passed, but if you feel that person was not ready then whatever they say your decision should not change. As an examiner you have to be prepared to make hard choices, and should not be one unless you are prepared to follow through.
The last point I would like to make is specific to Wing Tsun examinations, which I believe are harder than most other types. The reason I believe this is because you are also grading on the development of a student. I won't discuss much more than this now, but in essence it means that I must feel from the last time that I saw the person grade that that person has not just improved their technical side, but as a person. This may seem like a hard thing to examine (and it can be) but as a master you have to develop the ability to be able to read people, and aside from having notes on every student, you can tell very quickly whether this has happened or not.
As always I could write far more on this topic, but I hope it gives students a better perspective and understanding of martial arts gradings.
Sifu