🎉 Graduation Day is Coming… (Yes, Already!)

Master Brett Nelson
5 days ago
4 min read

Right then… deep breath.

It’s nearly time for one of the biggest, loudest, proudest (and occasionally most chaotic) events in the Family Martial Arts Centres calendar…

GRADUATION DAY – Sunday 26th April!

This is where all the hard work, focus, and “Yes Sir/Yes Ma’am” moments come together in one big celebration. Students from across all our centres unite in one place to show off what they’ve learned… in front of a room full of proud parents, camera phones and slightly nervous Instructors.

No pressure, right? 😅

🥋 What Graduation Actually Is (Spoiler: It’s Not That Scary)

Graduation isn’t about catching anyone out or testing you on things you’ve never seen before.

It’s simply your chance to:

Show what you’ve been learning in class
Build confidence in a bigger environment
Celebrate your progress
And, of course… collect that next belt!

For our younger students, this is recognition - not a test. If they’ve been training and trying their best, they’re already doing exactly what we want.

As students move up the ranks, things become a bit more formal—but for now, think of it as your biggest class of the year… with an audience.

📍 Where Is It?

Bury Grammar School – Sports Hall, Tenterden Street, Bury, BL9 0HN

Look for the entrance on the Boys’ School side, right on that sharp corner halfway down the street. If you end up wandering around looking confused… you won’t be the first.

Parking is available on-site (get in early), with extra options nearby including Castle Leisure Centre.

Coming by tram or bus? Hop off at Bury Interchange and it’s about a 5-minute walk - easy!

⏰ When Should I Be There?

Sunday 26th April – Make sure you attend your CURRENT belt time:

🐯 Tigers – 9:00am
⚪ White & Yellow Belts – 10:00am
🟠 Orange & 🔵 Blue Belts – 11:00am
🟢 Green Belts – 12:00pm
🔴 3rd & 2nd Gups (Red Belts with no or 1 Blue Tag) – 1:00pm
🔴 1st Gups (Red Belts with 2 Blue Tags) – 2:00pm
⚫ Midnight Blue Belts – 3:00pm

Arrive no more than 15 minutes before your slot. Any earlier and you’ll just be stood outside… wondering why we won’t let you in yet.

👀 What Happens When I Get There?

Wait in Reception until called through (Tigers need to register with the Instructor on the front desk)
When called through, sit down at the back of the room
Try not to stare at the massive crowd 👀
Then… just listen to the Instructors and do exactly what you do in class

That’s it.

We’ll have plenty of Instructors on hand to guide, demonstrate, and help - especially for our younger students. No one is getting left stranded wondering what to do next.

🥊 Important Rule (Yes, This One Matters…)

If you’re Green Belt or above…

👉 BRING YOUR SPARRING GEAR

Forgetting it will result in:

The long walk to the Masters’ Desk
A polite (but unforgettable) reminder
The legendary “walk of shame”

You’ve been warned.

🧠 What Will I Be Doing?

Short answer: Exactly what you’ve been practicing in class.

Slightly longer answer…

🐯 Tigers

This is basically a normal class… just with more people watching (including your parents, who are usually more nervous than you).

You’ll be showing:

High blocks, front kicks & jump front kicks
Front stance & the combination
A bit of self-defence (yes parents, you may be recruited…)

And possibly answering a few questions like:

What is the name of our martial art?
What is our Do Bok?
What is the name of our training hall ?

No pressure… 😄

⚪🟡 White & Yellow Belts

You’ll demonstrate your core syllabus:

High blocks, side kicks and the jab & cross hand technique
Front stance and basic cross-hand self-defence

Yellow belts - don’t forget your previous syllabus too!

🟠🔵 Orange & Blue Belts

Now we’re building!

You’ll show:

A wider range of techniques
More stances and combinations
Additional self-defences

🔵 Blue Belts: You’ll also perform your first form Cho Bo Ja Hyung – your moment to shine!

🟢 Green Belts

Time to level up:

Basic Form 2 (Kee Cho Hyung Ee Bu)
2-on-2 self-defences
Sparring (with people from other centres 👀)

Yes… different opponents. That’s where the real growth happens.

🔴 Red Belts (3rd & 2nd Gup)

Red Belts showing off their certificates

You’ll be showcasing:

Basic Form 2 (Kee Cho Hyung Ee Bu) plus Pyung Ahn Sam Dan Hyung
2-on-2 self-defences
Sparring

This is where standards really start to show - and trust us, the Masters are watching (in a nice way… mostly).

🔴 1st Gups

All of the above… plus more.

More forms. More techniques. More chances to show how far you’ve come.

Basically: your highlight reel.

⚫ Midnight Blue Belts

You already know the drill.

Hyungs
One-step sparring
Uniform self-defence
Sparring

And yes… still bring your gear. Midnight Blue Belts are not immune to forgetting things!

📸 After Graduation…

Once you’ve smashed it:

Take loads of photos 📷
Grab a selfie with your Instructor
Show off that new belt

Then: Rest. Recover. Refuel.

Because we go again next class with a brand new syllabus… 😄

❗ Final Things to Remember

You must have passed your in-class assessment to attend - so you are good enough!
Attend your correct time slot
If something unexpected happens, contact your Instructor ASAP

And most importantly…

👉 Don’t overthink it

If you can do it in class, you can do it at Graduation.