Conquering Your Belt Promotion Test
4 Tips to Conquering Your First Belt Test
As a beginner, you might be wondering what you can expect at your first Taekwondo belt test besides nerves. It’s an exciting but anxious time to show instructors everything you’ve learned and revel in your progress.
Best of all, you get to end the day with a brand-new colored belt to show off your newfound skills.
Whether you’re an adult or kid, firsts are scary for everyone, especially during testing time. When you first
started your martial arts journey, you might’ve felt the same nervousness you feel now. But there are many steps you can take to ensure that you go into your test feeling confident and ready to do your best.
Let’s go over a few tips on how to master your first belt testing.
Before the day of your test arrives, there are certain things you can do to perform at your best. \
- Settle Your Nerves
Perhaps the most common obstacle standing in your way on test day is anxiety. You feel nervous because it’s your first ever test and you aren’t sure how it’s going to go or how well you’ll perform.
All of this is normal. What’s important is that you allow yourself to settle your nerves, and the best way to do this is by practicing your skills beforehand.
Confidence isn’t just something you can see but also feel. The more you practice, the better your performance will be, and the more confident you’ll feel to ace your tests and show your instructors what you’ve learned and applied.
Before testing day, prioritize training as much as time will allow. For moves you don’t feel the proudest of, repeat them as many times as you can until you feel confident in your ability. This will improve your overall performance and show the coaches that you feel self-assured about your competence.
2. Arrive Early & Prepared
There’s no worse feeling than rushing to a test and feeling underprepared and overwhelmed. It may cause you to perform poorer than you normally would as you start to overthink your abilities and if you’ll even make it on time.
The night before, make sure to get
plenty of rest and head to bed at a decent time. Give yourself a minimum of seven hours to replenish your body and give it the opportunity to feel rejuvenated in the morning.
Then, make sure to arrive at the test at least 30 minutes early. Arriving at the last minute means you’ll have less time to prepare and warm up your muscles. The more time you have ahead of you to get ready, the more prepared you’ll feel standing in front of the instructors, which will benefit you as you test.
3. Consume a Hearty Breakfast
To get the proper fuel you need for the big day, you must start with a healthy breakfast. This ensures you have enough energy for your body to do what’s needed to get to the next belt level.
Make sure to
consume enough protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates to stay full and energized.
Some examples of a healthy breakfast might include:
- Eggs: Mix these with vegetables to create a colorful, yummy omelette.
- Oatmeal: Adding fresh fruit, nuts, chia seeds, and honey is a great way to sweeten up oatmeal and make it more flavorful.
- Breakfast burrito: Combine scrambled eggs with black beans, cheese, potatoes, and salsa in a tortilla wrap for a delicious filling breakfast.
- Avocado toast: Mashing ripe avocados on whole-grain bread with egg and seasoning is an easy way to spruce up toast. Feel free to add other toppings like cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinegar if that’s your thing.
As a general rule, eat well, but don’t overeat either. Your stomach needs enough empty room so you can move with agility and grace during your test. It’s all about balance.
4. Remember to Have Fun
As essential as it is to take your training seriously and put your best foot forward, it’s just as important to have fun in the process. You’ve put in a ton of hard work which won’t go unnoticed; but don’t forget to soak in the present moment and savor it while it lasts.
Many times, you’ll know the other students because they train at the same dojang as you. Don’t be afraid to say hi and wish them good luck! After all, courtesy is one of the five tenets of Taekwondo.
Once your time to compete is over, there’s no going back. So, you might as well enjoy it in the moment. You want to be able to look back at testing and feel proud of the work you put in and how you handled it rather than wishing you had relaxed your nerves.
For those who are ready and want to test their skills, Fitness By Maryam is hosting a Taekwondo belt testing on
Saturday, November 15th from 1 to 3 p.m. Show off your skills and move up a belt as a reward for your hard work!
Join Us at Fitness By Maryam!
Any questions? Feel free to reach out to us via email, phone call, or stop by the gym for a tour! We offer both in-person and online Zoom classes so you can enjoy working out from anywhere you choose!
You can also check out our upcoming events for this month on Instagram at
@FitnessByMaryam.
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