Belt Promotions

Test Registration Forms

Tiny Tiger, Little Dragon, Young Achiever (pdf)
Main Color Belt Test (pdf)
Black Belt Test (pdf)
Hapkido Belt Test (pdf)

Information Forms

Tiny Tiger Promotional Celebration Process (pdf)
Little Dragon & Young Achiever Testing Process (pdf)
Youth, Teen & Adult Belt Testing Process (pdf)

Testing For Promotion

Belts Karate West's goal is to develop black belts mentally as well as physically. Therefore, we require a standard of behavior at home and grade achievement at school before allowing students to test for promotion. Most parents report that these goals for testing will increase a child's desire to improve.

Belt Testing Eligibility

Good home report (child must be behaving at home with respectful & positive attitude).
Good school report (no failing grades, brown belt and above must have minimum GPA 3.0).
New students must have completed one month of training to be eligible to test.
Existing students must not have missed more than one month of training since their last exam to be eligible to test.

Schedule & Fees

Promotion testing for Little Dragons, Young Achievers, Youth, Teen and Adult students are scheduled three times a year near the months of Februar, June and November. This is a very exciting time for students who have worked to gain proficiency in their skills. Karate West's testing fees are among the lowest in the country. The testing fees for all belt colors white to red is $35 which includes a new belt. Late registrations (turned in after the posted deadline) will incur a $15 late fee. Please see the "Promotional Belt System" to learn about the order of belt white to black.

Little Dragons and Young Achievers, ages 5 & 6, and white belt Youth (ages 7 to 11) test at the Karate West Sammamish dojo until they reach the level of yellow belt.

From yellow belt on, all students test at Challenger Elementary School on the Sammamish Plateau. Over 50 black belts will be on hand to judge these exams, including the head the American Shudokan Association, Shihan Morris Mack and his wife, Kara Mack.

Check the Events Calendar for the following events following the belt promotions.

Test Results Week

Students will receive their test results in a one-on-one conference the week following their test. They should come to their normal class time to receive these results. Students will be called out of their class to a table set up in the lobby for these conferences. Parents are welcome to join their child for this review. Please do not call the office for test results. If your child misses class during this week following the test, they will receive their results during their next scheduled class.

Belt Award's Week

Students will be awarded their new belts the week following Test Results Week. Each instructor will present belts at the beginning of their second class of the week, either Wednesday or Thursday. Parents are welcome to join this celebration.

New Schedule Available

It is necessary for us to conduct all tests, provide conferences and award belts before starting to work on the new schedule. The new schedule will be available the week following Belt Awards Week. Students should attend their normal class time until the change of classes. No information about the schedule, or class times, is available until after Belt Awards Week.

Class Sign Up

After reviewing the new schedule, students will need to sign up for an available class. Sign up sheets listing class availability are located at the front counter. Students who do not change classes are still required to sign up to confirm their class time. We try very hard to make the schedule work for everyone, but we cannot guarantee that you will get your first preference of class times. Students should expect to change class schedules three times a year with belt advancements.

Change Classes

Students will move to their new classes the week after the new schedule is published.