My First Black Belt Test

My first Black Belt test was a six day test from October 7-12, 2002 in Saddle Brook, NJ. 

I tested with Cashel Monarca and Chris Ward, one of our instructors at the school.

I received my Black Belt from my first master, Master Fred Bargiacchi. 

For ten years I trained under my first master, Master Fred Bargiacchi at a school in my hometown of Saddle Brook, NJ  that  was later moved to Rochelle Park, NJ called American Self-Defense and Fitness Center. I began August 31, 1998. Four years later of training I had tested for my Black Belt. At age 13, students at our school were allowed to take the “adult” Black Belt test which was a six day testing process. Upon completion we would receive a solid Black Belt which was the rank of Deputy Black Belt.

The test was October 7-12, 2002. Prior to the test  we had to  read a philosophical book entitled One Encounter, Once Chance by Terrence Webster-Doyle. I trained vigorously prior to testing on my own, doing extra working out and extra conditioning, but also attended every single class I could possibly take. There were three of us testing. Cashel Monarca who had started with me in 1998, and one of our own instructors who was there from the very beginning, Mr. Chris Ward. The three of us were to test together for Black Belt.

Day one was held Monday October 7, 2002 which was the Written Test. The test was not so much pass or fail, but more of a questionnaire to getting us to think. Quotes that were thought provoking that had to do with focus, working in the dojang, determination, intensity, motivation, etc. The purpose of the written test was more so to set up the mindset for us to put into action during the week. Master Bargiacchi would always say “Expect the unexpected” and also “Knowledge is not power, but applied knowledge is power.” We could know all the basic philosophy we could, it was useless unless we put it into action.

The second day was Tuesday October 8 which was the Conditioning Test. This test was to test our physical fitness as well as put into play the mental lessons of the written test to persevere through the physical challenges, a true testament of mind over matter. We started with a warmup of 100 jumping jacks and hopped on one leg for one minute. Then Master Bargiacchi had us do several different kind of speed drills such as a certain number of kicks in 30 seconds and doing them on both sides. Whether it be lead roundhouse kicks, or roundhouse-land-back, or two single low roundhouses and one high roundhouse with other leg, etc. We also did the speed drills on paddles with single knee strikes both sides, and alternating knee strikes. Sometimes it was just to do them, other times it was a certain rep in a certain time, or different rep with less time etc. Next we did 600 jump ropes and we were allowed only 3 missed. If we made a fourth miss, we would have to start over. We also did push ups, sit ups, squat jumps off the wall, rapid fire kicking on the bag, and fast kicks on paddles going back and forth for speed. All of these drills tested our physical capabilities to the max.

Paddle Drills on Conditioning Day

600 jump rope, only 3 missed allowed or we started over.

Demonstrating power on the shields.

The third day was the Basics Test on Wednesday October 9. We ran through mostly our basic curriculum. We did all of our color belt blocks straight through strong and clean. We ran through our kicks as well. Master Bargiacchi also threw in challenges such as making sure he kicked face level, or make up a combination of a certain number of kicks and do it both sides, remembering what we came up with. We also did a trust drill where one person had a piece of paper in the other's mouth and  keeping our legs in the air had to kick a certain number of times the paper in our partner's mouth without kicking our partner. We did it with front and roundhouse kicks. Then we ran through our kicking combinations and then speed combinations going back and forth with a partner. 

Day number four was our Forms and Self-Defense day test. First Master Bargiacchi had us run through all of our forms from white belt to high brown belt. Then we ran through all the forms again by running through the forms out of order, each one of us doing a different form, but facing different directions. I was very proud I did not mess up on any of the forms in different directions. Then we had to do a speed drills of all our forms in under one minute. I thankfully did it  on my first try. Then we ran through full speed, full power our low level escape self-defense curriculum and our higher level self-defense curriculum. 

We did speed drills on the paddles with new objectives each time. 

Master Bargiacchi kept a close eye on us during this test. 

I remember my big smile when I finished my situps.

Friday was a Verbal Test October 11 which w had to answer questions on the philosophy of the book that we read. Each of us had four questions worth 25 points and if there were missing elements someone could not come u p with, someone else could chime in and answer for more points. I passed with a 95, Mr. Ward passed with 145, and Cashel barely passed with a 65. One of the biggest lessons was the quote "Mind like moon, mind like water." The clouds in front of the moon represented thoughts that would cause distractions to divert focus, so the clear reflection on the water was like our clear minds without ripples in it.

The sixth and final day of Black Belt testing was on Saturday October 12, 2002. We got there early and stretched and then we were put into concentration position with our eyes closed in front of the Zen candle with the lights off. Our support entered shortly after and then our panel. Master Bargiacchi had eight judges on our panel. Four were Black Belts at our school at ASDFC. My partner Kristin Barrett was only received her Black Belt six months prior, and this was the only test we did not test together for technically. Mr. Michael Duke and Miss Carla Rodriguez were two other of our Black Belts on the panel along with Mr. Julius Toledo from the Philippines who was teaching at our school. We also had Master Peter Crespo who was a dear family fiend of my mother and uncle from high school, it was serendipitous to have had him there. Master Lawrence Reznik who trained with Master Bargiacchi growing up . One of his top students was also on the panel along with an instructor who I never got to know his name from Hungarian Kung Fu style. We had a great panel.

Chon Ji

Dan Gun

Suh Chong El Hyung

Master Bargiacchi had us run through some basic techniques, chosen blocks and strikes, and kicks.Then we did a few chosen forms and we each did our ranking level form individually, Choong Moo. After that we entered a portion of the test  called Judge's Choice, where each judge had asked us to do something of their choosing. Mr. Duke had us make up a kicking combination to do and do it back and forth. Miss Carla had us do Chonji and asked us the importance of doing it, which was because it is the most basic form and our first form we learn and Black Belt is about mastering the basics and we should never forget the basics. The basics are our foundation and like a house if the foundation is strong we can always  build  on them. If they are weak the building will collapse as will our training. Kristin Barrett had us do the high red belt kicking combination doing all five footwork back and forth that we do in sparring. Master Crespo had us do knuckle push ups, as many as we could do in one minute. Dr. Reznik's student had us do a drill where we did two switches and a kick in a certain number of time. Those are the ones I remember. I don't remember what Master Reznik or the Hungarian Kung fu instructor had us do. Possibly they asked us a question only. 

Then we suited up for sparring which we did severla rounds of warming up. I sparred a few fellow students including the ones on the panel such as Kenny Perez, Peter Dunphy, Giancarlo Rosasco, panelists including Mr. Duke, Kristin Barett, guests such as Victoria Reznik, Rosanna Imbriano's son, and the judges Dr. Reznik, his student. Master Crespo, and the Hungarian Kung Fu instructor. After doing practice rounds we did rapid fire sparring where every 15 seconds we had a new sparring competitor that we rotated through. I remember Master Crespo throwing a furry of punches at me, Mr. Duke's spinning side kick on it three times in a row, and Dr. Reznik's throwing three pounding roundhouses to me. I also remember him getting in Csashel's face before punching her in the gut, it was intense. Mr. Ward had an awesome bought with Master Crespo which was exciting.

Left: Master Peter Crespo, who I had known from the time I was born!
Right: The late Dr. Lawrence Reznik, who trained with my master coming up through the ranks.

I sparred my panel on the final day of testing. 

Me sparring with my partner then Kristin Barrett.

Me sparring fellow Friar, Kenny Perez.

The most intense and emotional phase of the test was the self-defense portion, where Master Bargiacchi took each of us  out into a separate room. One at a  time we were  brought out blindfolded onto a we tarp. the lights were closed, a smoke machine was going on, and we were thrown to the floor, music blasting, and a bucket of cold water thrown on us and we were attacked. One person in what we called "the gorillla suit" attacked us on the ground, There were two other people as well, one trying to tie our legs and another flashing a light in the direction of our eyes in the case if our blindfolds came off. Back  then we did not have mats, we had carpet on a hard floor. So when it was time for me to go, you can hear a loud THUD as my head hit the floor and the water being poured on me. I remember the  yelling and screaming of my Aunt Karen in a shrilling fashion and my father hollering out to me. There was not a dry eye in the room. My father took video of it and My Grandma Cyn and my mother were crying. You forget that it's not real and it's hard for anyone to watch. Bur we were trained for  this, and with everything against us we were able to defend ourselves. Then we were each brought out individually again in similar circumstances being attacked and lights out water thrown on us but we had to defend a loved one. Cashel had to defend her brother, I had to defend my brother Eric, and Mr. Ward protected his wife and son. At one point I think he even through one of the attacker across the room which was amazing to us!

 

Grandma Cyn was very upset, Aunt Karen was 

                                                                                        emotional, and my mother cried.

Then when the smoke cleared, and the lights back on, I noticed I had cuts in my knuckles, but we weren't done. We had to do breaking, about 20 breaks total. The very last thing after 6 days of testing and our bodies are at the pinnacle stage of exhaustion, but we had to push through. The basic breaks were good  like front kick, sliding side kick, roundhouse kick, etc. But then Master Bargiacchi threw a few curve balls of things we had NEVER done before, like a speed turning back hook kick. I never in my life did a speed anything! It took me over seven tries before I finally broke the spinning hook kick speed. Cashel struggled with the ax kick, and Master Bargiacchi kept making my jump front kick higher. My Grandma Cyn would get upset and say "No!" and he would make it higher each time. I don't remember who it was whether it be Dr. Reznik or Master Crespo, but someone uttered to pump more with the pumping knee to gain more height, and as soon as I did it, I broke it! The other challenge was the speed inwards chop. Mr. Ward gave me advice to hitting higher where there was more stability and then I broke it. At the end we did a five board combination we made up our selves. Mine was a step inwards chop, turn into sliding ax kick, turning knife hand strike, sliding hook kick and sliding side kick at opposite sides. The first break took two or three tries but at that point I built up the last of my existing adrenaline and broke through everything to finish up. At the end the three of us turned and we were applauded and cheered by all our support and even given a standing ovation. The judges left to discuss the test and then returned for the belt ceremony. 

Our immediate family came up to stand with us as Mr. Duke read us  the Black Belt oath. My parents came up and stood behind me as I recited the oath back to Mr.  Duke. first Master Bargiacchi went to Cashel, then Mr. Ward, then myself as I signed my oath and he asked Master Crespo to stand forward with him, being that he has known me practically since I was  born. My Aunt Karen said "me too" which got a ha ha out of us. Master Bargiacchi took off my advance brown belt and handed it to my father, and then took the solid Black Belt and tied it around my waste and it was at that moment I had finally become a Black Belt! 

My first speed break was on my Black Belt test with Turning Hook Kick. 

My Black Belt testing board Left to right: Master Fred Bargiacchi, Master Julius Toledo, Hungarian Kung Fu Instructor, Mr. Michael Duke, Master Peter Crespo, Dr. Lawrence Reznik, Master Resnik's top pupil, Miss Carla Rodriguez, Miss Kristin Barrett.

Me receiving my Black Belt October 12, 2002.

Cashel, Mr. Ward, and myself receiving our Black Belts. 

Nothing beats the feeling of working so hard for so long for the same goal. When I started my training, I knew what Black Belt meant to me, I knew what it stood for, and I knew it was something I wanted to be. In order to accomplish that I would act as if I were already everything a Black Belt was. Focused, determined, resourceful, humble, kind yet fierce, in control, perseverent, positive, and wise. I remember looking down at my belt after it was tied around me. I couldn't have been more proud and thrilled. But I also was keenly aware it was only the beginning. As I reflect on this first test, it amazes me how far I have come from that time. But I am also unbelievably grateful for the Black Belt test I had back in 2002. It definitely set the stage for my career as a Black Belt from that point on and I walked away knowing I earned that belt. The ones who were present at that test remember it well. And I was also aware that from that moment on, I would always and forever be, a Black Belt! (BOWS)

Yours in service,

MASTER A TRENTO