Time for our next Graduation of 2024. Unfortunately, it falls over the Easter break so it'll likely be a bit quieter than usual, but that's not an excuse to be any less awesome!!!
The normal 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 13th due to religious, cultural, work or holiday reasons, you will have been informed of your Graduation details directly by email/text.
The entrance to the Essa Academy car 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 (last year's February 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 (or go down Smethurst Lane. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
You can find advance notice of all of the 2024 Graduation time/dates in the Centres, on Facebook and on the website - 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. There is no need to be nervous as there are lots of friendly faces, including the Instructors from our Centres.
For the Tigers, it will feel like a great, big class. They just need to attend in their uniforms & do everything that they have been doing in class & they will be fine! The parents will likely be more nervous than their Tigers
Be there 10 minutes early & wait in the canteen area to be called through just before 9.00am.
Just like in class, they will be demonstrating:
High Block
Front Kick
Jim Front Kick
Jab & Cross
Front Stance
Same Side self defence (prepare to get involved)
and a Combination of High Block, Reverse Punch & 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 (the Instructors have competition to see who can get the most pics so help them out!):
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 B Nelson is back looking after this group at Graduation and there will be a 'friendly' faces at the front, with Mr H Nelson, Mr Ogden & Mrs Kelly supporting. Again, be there 10 minutes early & wait in the canteen area to be called through as a group.
As a reminder, your syllabus is:
High Block
Side Kick
Chop kicks
Jab & Cross
Side Stance
Cross-Hand self-defence #1
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) to Mr Ogden, 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:
Low Blocks & Middle Blocks
Front, Back, Horse & Cross-Legged Stances
Chop & Punch plus Backfist & Punch
Front & Roundhouse Kicks
2 onto 2 & Same-Side 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... Mr H Nelson leads this team!
Your focus should be Basic Form #1 (Kee Cho Hyung Il Bu), Pyung Ahn Cho Dan Hyung & the two Same Side Self-Defences (just what we have been working on in class).
3rd to 1st Gups (Red Belts) (2.00pm)
We're expecting a great demonstration from the Red Belts! 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 Oh 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!
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 your Pyung Ahn Hyungs & Bassai, plus Naihanchi Cho Dan Hyung for the 2nd Dans.
As always, if you're going, then you're good enough because we've made sure in class. Relax & enjoy the day - prove to everyone just how good you are!
