A written paper, a filmed practical, and a three-minute teach-back — graded against the same standard I teach. Pass, and you get a numbered certificate and a register entry.
Most martial arts certificates are a piece of paper for turning up. This one has a pass mark, a named examiner, and a resubmission rule. That is the point: it is worth something because you can fail it.
3 parts
Written, practical, teach-back
70
Pass mark
7 days
Result turnaround
$97 USD · one belt
Included with a Standard membership. Outside candidates pay here.
One belt per certificate · results in writing within 7 days
Written paper · filmed practical · teach-back · graded by Robert Graham
40
Written questions
5–10 min
Practical per belt
3 min
Teach-back
The three parts
Same order every time. Nothing in the exam is a surprise — all of it is in the classroom.
01
The written paper
Forty questions across White, Yellow, Orange and Green, plus eight scenarios. Open book, answered in your own words. Copied sentences score nothing.
02
The filmed practical
One unbroken video per belt: 5 minutes for White, up to 10 for Green. Full body in frame, half speed is fine, and one imperfect rep is worth more than a highlight reel.
03
The teach-back
Three minutes on camera explaining one technique to someone who has never trained. If you cannot explain it, you do not own it — this is the part that separates the belt from the certificate.
Mechanics — 40% Shape, alignment, line, and whether it would work.
Control and safety — 30% Pace, pressure, the tap, and how you treat your partner.
Knowledge and teach-back — 30% The paper and the explanation.
Pass at 70 overall, with no criterion below 50.
What fails you
An unsafe rep. Safety is the only criterion that cannot be compensated.
A highlight reel with the weak side missing.
A copied answer from the classroom text.
Skipping the teach-back because it feels awkward.
What happens after
You get a written result either way.
A
Pass
You receive a numbered certificate as a PDF — your name, the belt, the date — and your number goes into the certification register so a school or student can verify it.
B
Pass with corrections
Between 50 and 70: film the named fixes and resend within 30 days. Most first submissions land here. It is not a fail, it is a list.
C
Resubmit
Below 50 on any criterion: train the named fixes and take it again. The first resubmit is free.
Common questions
For the practical, yes for the partner drills and no for the solo work. A training partner who is happy to be filmed is enough.
One belt at a time, in order. You cannot certify Green before Yellow — the exam assumes the belt below it.
Yes for Standard members — grading and the certificate are included. The $97 here is for people who are not members and want to be assessed on the same standard.
No. A certificate records that you demonstrated the belt to standard. Teaching certification is a separate process and a separate conversation.
Thirty days from the payment or from your start date, whichever you tell me. If life gets in the way, say so before the deadline — I would rather move it than grade a rushed submission.
$97 USD · one belt · written, practical and teach-back · numbered certificate on a pass
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