At my academy the only belt you are required to buy is the white belt, the rest are earned.This isn't to say that other professors are wrong or not warranted for charging belt testing fee's. Tests take a lot of time and its understandable why they charge a fee, after all, each test is like a private lesson. Personally I feel that if the student is ready for the next level, the time and dedication they put in is more than enough. But when are they ready?
Our promotion requirements are pretty well defined, we have a minimum mat time requirement, students have to know the curriculum, and students have to show good martial arts principles. The last requirement weighs significantly more than the previous two. I don't award belts online because I feel getting to know a student is equally as important to teaching them techniques. When an instructor feels the student is ready for the next belt (based off these factors), they are tested on the curriculum. The test is NOT a formality, because we have a set curriculum and everyone who gets promoted from me, has to pass the test. After all, how can they get a belt and say they know my Jiu Jitsu if they don't know my curriculum? Do students fail? All the time, but I never look at it as a fail, it's more of a lesson and the student now knows what they need more work on. This will in turn help make their jiu jitsu better.
In the end, everyone has a different Journey, some will take longer than others, but that just makes their promotion that much more special! Don't focus on winning and losing, but having fun and keep training. Thanks for reading!
~Caio
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