Gradings at Tigerstyle Sports Karate
At Tigerstyle Sports Karate, we hold gradings every 3/4 months four our kids and adults and every month for our Little Tigers who sit their gradings in sections. Gradings allow our students to progress from their white belt all the way to black belt (with a fair bit of time and effort mind you!). Most students find this really rewarding and it’s something we take a lot of pride in here at the club.
We would encourage all of our students to consider grading as it’s a useful way to track your progress and it’s a great thing to tell all your friends about!
This page tells you all about what’s involved in grading and when the next grading is.
What’s involved?
Grading takes place at our club on Exhibition Way, Exeter and involves us, as instructors, marking you on the kicks, punches, techniques and combinations you’ve been learning in class. The gradings start off quite simple but as you progress they become more difficult and involve sparring, takedowns, self-defense and fitness work too.
Our current syllabus for kids and adults can be found below and we also keep a copy on the wall in the gym (just in case you forget what you need to be practicing!).
We also have a special syllabus for our Little Tigers to help make grading more manageable and fun. Using this syllabus, Little Tigers are encouraged to sit one section of their grade at a time. Each time they pass a section they earn a coloured tag which is then added to their belt. These tags tell us when a child is then ready to sit their full exam – if they have all their tags for that grade we know they now their stuff!
You have to put a lot of practice in before we let you grade for your next belt. We will always let you know when we think you are ready but if you’re unsure, please come and chat to me.
What do I need before grading?
Before you grade, you need to make sure you are training hard in class and that you have a current license. Licenses are £30 each and insure you to train at the club for a whole year. If you haven’t got a license yet, or need to renew yours for grading, please print off and complete one of our license forms and hand it in to myself or Gurmare.
In addition to your license you also need to make sure you have a full Tigerstyle uniform. We like our students looking the part and expect all of our students to turn up in their full Tigerstyle uniform on grading day or else they will not be allowed to grade. If you haven’t got a uniform yet or need to update yours, please get in touch.
How much does grading cost?
The cost for grading depends on which belt you are sitting your exam for. Below is a full list of the prices for each grading. You need to make sure you pay this, in full, before grading day.
White to Yellow £20
Yellow to Orange £22
Orange to Green £26
Green to Blue £31
Blue to Purple £40
Brown £50
Black £190
What marks do I need to pass?
All gradings are marked out of 100 and you need to get at least 50 to pass. We will let you know what you scored on the day and if you pass you will get your new belt there and then!
Sometimes students may get a provisional pass. This means that they scored lower than the pass score but not low enough to fail. When you get a provisional pass you still get your new belt but you will have to sit the same exam again at the next grading to make sure we are happy with you at that belt level.
Try not to be too nervous – we only let you grade when we are sure that you are perfectly capable of passing!
When is the next grading (and am I grading?!)?
A date for the next grading will be arranged shortly and will be held at our club in Exeter on Exhibition Way (see our latest news for pictures from our last grading!).
