This coming weekend see the next opportunity for Graduation/Grading.
We are back in our usual digs so the Saturday Graduation will be held at Essa Academy, Lever Edge Lane, Bolton BL3 3HH. If you are attending an alternative time/date due to being unable to attend on the 22nd due to religious, cultural, work or holiday reasons, you will have been informed directly by email/text.
For this that have not been before, the entrance to theca park is actually off Slack Fold Lane. However, DO NOT approach the school from the M61 end of Slack Fold Lane as it’s a narrow single track road with no passing spaces (February's Graduation saw a car crash on that lane and dozens of people missed the Graduation & were stuck for hours). Go through Farnworth & approach from Lever Edge Lane.
You can find advance notice of all of the 2023 Graduation time/dates in the Centres, on Facebook and on the Graduation Form - as a reminder you can find them here.
If you have never been to a Graduation before, check out what some of the students say about it here.
Tigers (9.00am)
As usual, the Tiger students will be supported to remember the syllabus - Mr Ogden leads the team again. There is no need to be nervous as there are lots of friendly faces amongst the Instructors, including Instructors from all our Centres. Be there 10 minutes early & wait in the canteen area to be called through just before 9am.
They will be demonstrating:
High Block
Jab & Cross attacking technique
Front Stance
Their self-defence technique (same-side wrist grab)
Jump Front Kick
and a combination of High Block, Reverse Push & Front Kick
Make sure you take lots of photos & post pics of your proud Tiger on the relevant Tiger Facebook page. Don't forget to come & get a picture with your favourite Instructor too:
Middleton - https://www.facebook.com/FMACMiddletonTigers
Prestwich - https://www.facebook.com/FMACPrestwichTigers
White Belts (10.00am)
This group includes any striped belts who have moved up from Tigers. Mr Nelson Snr is looking after this group at Graduation, so there will be a 'friendly' face at the front. Again, be there 10 minutes early & wait in the canteen area to be called through as a group.
As a reminder, your syllabus is:
Side Stance
Horse Stance
Side Kick
Chop kicks
Jab & Cross
High Block
Cross-Hand Wrist Grip Self-Defence
The terminology you should be learning can be found here. Supporting videos of the various techniques can be found here.
Yellow Belts (11.00am)
They will demonstrate the current syllabus (as above), but to a much higher standard.
Orange & Blue Belts (12.00pm)
This group will demonstrate the current syllabus (above), plus recap some of the other syllabus elements that you have learned in the past:
Middle Blocks & Low Blocks
Front, Back & Cross-Legged Stances
Backfist & Punch plus Chop & Punch
Roundhouse & Front Kicks
Same-Side & 2 onto 2 Self-Defences
As well as all of the above, Blue Belts will be demonstrating the Beginner Form (Cho Bo Ja Hyung)
Blue Belt Terminology is on the Student Zone here & you should also hand in your completed blue Beginners Workbook before the Graduation. Replacement books (for those who have lost them) can be purchased via the Club Shop or via the Wix App.
6th Gups to 4th Gups (Green Belts) (1.00pm)
Don't forget your sparring gear - please don't be the student who has to do the walk of shame to the front desk... Your focus should be Basic Form #1 (Kee Cho Hyung Il Bu), Pyung Ahn Oh Dan Hyung & the two Cross-Hand Self-Defences (just what we have been working on in class).
3rd to 1st Gups (Red Belts) (2.00pm)
Mr Nelson Jnr is in charge of this one, so strap in... On top of the above, you may get asked to do any Basic Form, plus the Pyung Ahn Hyung previous to the current one (Pyung Ahn Sa Dan Hyung). If you are going for your 5th Black Tab, you will also demonstrate Bassai Hyung. Lastly, make sure you bring your sparring gear! An extra 15 minutes has been added to allow time to go through your syllabus in more depth - you have been warned!
Black Belts (3.15pm)
As well as your current syllabus, you could get asked ANYTHING off the Gup syllabus - time to reach back into those darkest recesses of the mind! Make sure you are up to date on Pyung Ahn Sa Dan Hyung & Bassai, plus Chil Sung Il Lo Hyung for the 2nd Dans.
Relax though - if you're going, then you're good enough (we've made sure). Enjoy the day & prove why you are part of the best martial arts club in the universe!