Hawaiian Kempo Black Belt Testing and Ceremony In 5 Minutes

This video is behind the scenes look into our annual black belt testing. It is always held in Honolulu Hawaii, and we do various workouts, training drills, and sparring.  I choose the places because that is where I grew up, and I like to show everyone what it was like when I was on my Hawaiian Kempo journey.  The testing lasts for two days, then we finish off with a belt ceremony, and then usually a barbecue. The people who have been chosen for this trip have already proven that they are ready for the rigors of the black belt testing. The testing includes a hike up a very steep hill called "Wilhelmina rise", and at the top of this hill, there are various martial arts drills, followed by some very intense anaerobic calisthenics. Later that day we go to Palolo Gym, which is the boxing gym that I got my start in 1974, and it hasn't changed at all. After some intense bag work, everybody gets into the rain and spires with some of the black belts, and sometimes this includes actual UFC fighters. Day two we go to Kahala Beach. There we do some running and calisthenics, and then we throw our Black belt prospects into the water or the soft sand with a grapple with some of our black belts, some of them are BJJ black belts, BJJ world champions, and UFC fighters.

We try to make this black belt experience as fun as we can, but it is very intense and definitely exhausting.  There is actually only one way to fail this test once you make it as far as Hawaii, and that is to quit. No one has quit yet...

we will always do our Black belt testing, and promotional ceremonies in Hawaii, this is our routes for our system of Hawaiian Kempo.  I'm very proud of our roots, I put these black belt prospects through this training in my hometown with Great Pride.