Tomorrow will be my 3rd kyu test.

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

What’s a kyu test and is “kyu” contagious?

Is it like a test for Lyme Disease? No, although there could be blood involved if it goes poorly!  What is a kyu and how do you pronounce it?  We pronounce it so that it rhymes with pew, yew, or you.  Just put a “k” sound first.  A kyu is a rank used in many martial arts systems for progress from “off the street” up to testing for shodan, or first degree black belt.  As you may be aware, black belt ranks proceed from first degree to second degree and so on up to the grandmaster of a system holding tenth degree rank.  For the kyu ranks it goes from 10 and counts down to 1.  The colored belts that many are familiar with correspond to certain kyu ranks.  Brown belt, which is the color rank before first degree black belt, is divided into three parts. 3rd kyu, 2nd kyu, and 1st kyu.

While I have been through this process before, I still find myself with the flutters.  This time not so much about the material, although I want to do a good job that warrants the considerations I’ve been given, but just physically.

Kyu tests and physicality.

There are other students in class who have been, and are currently dealing with their own ailments, injuries, and challenges.  I feel somewhat wussy when I compare how well they manage to my bad attitude.  After all, we’re tough martial arts guys and gals.  Pain and injury are supposed to be something we have learned to deal with, right?  I hate pulling out the “age” card too.  If I can’t keep up, should I just quietly bow out?  My doctors (and there have been a few over the past months) have taken a lot of blood.  There have been a lot of tests.  Hands have been thrown up.  Some variety of virus that attacks joints, acts like arthritis, and may or may not go away on its own.  Then, it may or may not reappear at some unspecified time in the future.

I have a lot of experience and knowledge to offer, I just can’t demonstrate it very well without a lot of Alleve in me!  Maybe this is yet another in the ongoing series of “teach Brian to get over himself” lessons that I seem to have signed up for.  Maybe that is the actual test that I have been failing at;  Ego 101.

Well, either way the test is tomorrow.  There are others testing as well, and I hope that their flutters fly off and they give performances of which they can be proud.

 Kyu testing.

So, kyu tests are part and parcel of the typical karate dojo (school), as are tests of all kinds throughout life.  Here’s to doing one’s best!

If you would like to read more about kyu or about something about some other topic, place it in a comment.