Coping With Rank Testing Anxiety

"Oh -- my -- GOSH!!!!"

Coping with Rank Testing Anxiety

By Master Allison Meador

             When it comes time to test for the next rank in martial arts training, many talented and skilled students suddenly feel inadequate for the task.

These feelings start at different times for different students. Some students sit around and fret over their tests months and weeks in advance. Others don't get nervous until the night before. Another group gets nervous an hour before the test begins. Some brave students will remain confident until the very instant they "bow in" to begin their tests. And the last group of students will begin their tests with confidence, but feel their self-assurance deplete after they make a mistake.

I can give you some assurance: After 14 years of training, I have personally experienced each type of testing anxiety mentioned above. I do not claim to be an expert in this field. I would, however, like to help as many people as I can. Testing anxiety is not enjoyable or beneficial, so learning to manage it properly can be of great help to martial arts students.

Anxiety is Normal

Just about every martial artist is bound to get a case of the testing jitters. People who claim not to be nervous fall into one of three categories:

1.      Liars. They really are nervous, but they're too "cool" to admit it.

2.      Posers. They don't care about their performance. They only take martial arts classes to impress their friends (or beat them up).

3.      Workaholics. These people meticulously work their tails off in preparation for their exams. They're not nervous because they're not human.

The groups of people listed above are in the minority of martial arts students. So getting nervous before a test is a good thing -- it means that you're normal.

Coping with Anxiety is Part of a Rank Test

Now that you know that you're not a complete wimp for being worried about your rank test, let's talk more about that test. Your martial arts teachers know that you're worried. In fact, they intentionally make the testing process stressful for you. No, they're not trying to be mean bullies. They are trying to teach you a lesson that is more valuable than any set of techniques: how to handle stress.

Your teachers expect you to be nervous and to make mistakes. They want to see how you react to performing under pressure, and help you find ways of getting better. Unfortunately, the only way to learn how to handle it is to be frequently exposed to it.

Of course, that is not what you want to hear. You want to hear that there is an easy, cheap, and painless way to permanently and completely eliminate all of your testing anxiety, like a pill or neuronal microchip. That's cute. And maybe someday, such a product will exist. Until then, anxiety will be one of those ordeals that cannot simply be "cured" -- it must be "managed".

In order to effectively manage martial arts rank testing anxiety, we need to take an in-depth look at the problem and set up mental defense measures to protect ourselves against it. Think of it as "Mental Martial Arts". Let's take a look at the most intimidating enemy: the fear of making mistakes.

Mistakes Are Not Evil

"How will I ever remember all of this stuff? Kick here, punch there, no -- with the other hand!" It's enough to drive anyone nuts! And unfortunately, the fear of making mistakes drives many people away from martial arts.

But let's take a step back and look at the phenomenon. We are taught from a young age that mistakes are bad -- and not just "bad", but absolutely terrible and horrible, like the Boogie Man! As we mature, it's no wonder that we come to fear them. But if we strip away the fear, we see that mistakes are not so bad after all.

It's time to get philosophical.

Mistakes are not evil. They are merely the gaps between the rungs on the ladder of success: if there were no gaps between the rungs, there would be no ladder to climb. We must therefore learn to accept our mistakes and shortcomings with a balance of grace and perseverance.

We are often tempted to become upset when we make mistakes. However, acting out in frustration will weaken one's dignity. As martial artists, it is absolutely imperative that we maintain our composure by continuing on as if our mistakes have never been made.

One of the tools that has helped me in this area is to mentally recite a string of related words to frame my thoughts before starting the activity grace ... love ... compassion ... honor ... perseverance ... dignity ... composure ... indomitable spirit ... tenacity ... determination ... and the list goes on. I'll also pray that God will help me to keep my mind within this frame. By framing my thoughts within a specific set of attributes, responding to challenges becomes not so ... challenging.

Failure is Imaginary

Some people fear failure as if it was the inevitable verdict in their rank tests: "Ben, your toenails are 1/10000^th of an inch too long. You've failed!!" To you poor souls, I can offer no consolation. Your problems unfortunately require professional help.

Just kidding. Lighten up already!

There is no need to retrieve the old dusty Webster's Dictionary from the shelf -- I'm going to define failure right here: failure is what happens to people when they get discouraged and quit. That's failure. It's as simple as that! Failure has nothing to do with our weaknesses. Failure has nothing to do with losing. Failure has nothing to do with not passing a test.

Failure happens when dreams are abandoned -- when hope is snuffed out, and a courageous human soul succumbs to the darkness that it was designed to illuminate. Each one of us has something amazing and wonderful to offer the world. When we give up on our dreams, we deprive a starving world of the precious enrichment that God designed each of us to contribute.

So if I don't pass my green belt test, will that have any impact on my ability to enrich the world in my own special way? Not at all. In the overall scheme of things, a martial arts rank test is a pretty trivial matter.

Conclusion: A Last Resort

If the prospect of failing a rank test still absolutely terrifies you, try the following technique. You can do it without getting up from your chair:

*      As you sit, cross your left leg over your right leg;

*      put your right hand on your left knee;

*      put your left hand on top of your right hand;

*      take a deep breath;

*      close your right eye;

*      stick out your tongue;

*      confidently say, "So what?"

Nicely done. I couldn't have done it better myself! So the next time you have the "rank test jitters", simply repeat this exercise as necessary until you no longer feel nervous. After all, laughter is the best medicine.

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