When you first walk into our school, you will notice that various students wear different colored belts and may wonder why. Out of respect of our traditional martial arts heritage, we at the West Island Karate Club use colored belts to denote accomplishment and mastery of skill. As you move forward in your training, you like thousands of students who have gone before you, will be allowed to wear a colored belt that symbolizes the level of your accomplishment.

Within a few months of joining our school, you will be invited to your first belt test. After demonstrating your skills in several of the many basic techniques that you will already have learned, you will be awarded your first rank, the yellow belt. With each colored belt you will also receive the school certification of promotion.

The testing procedure

Each test has a specific number of techniques to learn and skills to achieve. Your instructor, upon watching your progress, will invite you to the next scheduled testing when he feels that you are ready. In the beginning, you will find that your belt tests are scheduled closer together and are shorter in length. As you get further along and your knowledge and skills increase, your belt test will be further apart and will take longer to complete. All testing are held in complete safety under the personal direction of your chief instructor and Senei Jocelyn. A minimal fee is charged for testing which covers the instructor’s time, a new belt and certification of promotion upon successful completion of the test.