Sometimes, our worse ennemi is ourselves and what we do to ourselves. In Aikido, testing is an important stage in our practice to show what we have accomplished for the last 6 months or less and how we have mature during our training.
Testing is also about keeping your composure and conquer your fears. Everyone gets nervous during testing, it is normal. Our testing is not about embarrassing the student, it is about helping the student, to reach a higher goal in a safe environment.
Testing is also about going over the things that you thought you knew but you don't actually know so it provides you a study guide.
Testing is about applying safety procedures and techniques under a stress situation. Again, everyone gets a little nervous during a test. Personally, I used to get sick to my stomach and I couldn't sleep before any Aikido test because my former sensei was very strict and he focused a lot more on endurance and the ability to perform when you didn't have any energy left in your body. It was his method, I respected his way and the test was my challenge to surmount.
Today, I want to focus more on safety applications: Ukemi (rolls), techniques and awareness. Students are easily distracted by the environment so we have to help them to stay focus and their ability to be present during the class or during a test. It will come to the point that the student will feel tired during the test and that is way it should be but the environment should remain safe and secure. Everyone needs to grow at their own speed and this growth is an individual path. A secure environment will help the student conquer their fears.
Testing is also about accepting failure. When a student recognizes its failure and learn from it then it can grow and move forward. It is again about accepting that we don't know everything and we need to study more and seek for more knowledge.
Aikido is about community and friendship. Together we can become successful.
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