Belt Testing | Jewish Combat Arts

The Girding

אֵזוֹר הַשְּׁלִיחוּת

Ezor HaShlichut — The Girding for Sacred Duty

מִי לַהַשֵּׁם אֵלַי?

"Mi laHashem elai?" — Who is for G-d, come to Me.

This is not a garment of status. It is a kli gevurah — a vessel of strength. Not worn for glory, but for avodah — holy service. Not wrapped in pride, but in humility.

Each strike you train, each defense you refine, each drop of sweat and blood declares: "Hineni." I am here. I am ready. For Am Yisrael. For Torah. For Life.

You are not here to become skilled. You are here to become ra'ui — worthy. Worthy of the crown placed upon every Jewish soul. Worthy of carrying the weight of Klal Yisrael on your back.

Your belt must testify — not only what your body has learned, but to what your neshama — your soul — has become.

Every Rank Demands

◆A heart refined in middot — character traits
◆A mind sharpened in Torah
◆A life shaped by ma'asim tovim — good deeds
◆A soul surrendered to HaKadosh Baruch Hu — the Holy One, Blessed is He

הִתְאַזֵּר בְּכֹחֲךָ

Hit'azer b'kochacha — Gird yourself with your strength.

הִנֵּה עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל מְצַפֶּה לְךָ

Hinei Am Yisrael metzapeh lecha — Behold, the nation of Israel is counting on you.

Be strong. Be humble. Be ready.

Klal Yisrael needs you.

Tribunal Declaration

Belt Tribunal Declaration

The Core Statement is recited by every candidate at every rank. Each belt level adds one earned line — spoken only once that rank has been genuinely earned through demonstrated growth.

Core Statement — All Candidates

בְּלִי נֶדֶר

Bli neder,

Without a vow,

הִנְנִי עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵיכֶם

Hineni omed lifneichem,

Behold, I stand before you,

לִהְיוֹת עֶבֶד נֶאֱמָן לַהַשֵּׁם

Lihyot eved ne'eman LaHashem,

To be a faithful servant of Hashem,

The Ceremony

Belt Ceremony Oath

Responsive Declaration — recited by the candidate before the full tribunal

Candidate Recitation

בְּלִי נֶדֶר

Bli neder,

Without a vow,

הִנְנִי עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵיכֶם

Hineni omed lifneichem,

Behold, I stand before you,

לִהְיוֹת עֶבֶד נֶאֱמָן לַהַשֵּׁם

Lihyot eved ne'eman LaHashem,

To be a faithful servant of Hashem,

לְתַקֵּן מִדּוֹתַי וּלְזַכּוֹת מַעֲשַׂי

Letaken middotai u'lezakot ma'asai,

To refine my character and purify my actions,

לָלֶכֶת בְּדֶרֶךְ תּוֹרָה

Lalechet b'derech Torah,

To walk in the path of Torah,

וְלַעֲשׂוֹת צֶדֶק וָחֶסֶד

V'la'asot tzedek va'chesed,

And to do justice and kindness,

וְאִם אֶקָּרֵא לַעֲמוֹד —

Ve'im ekareh la'amod —

And if I am called to stand —

אֶעֱמוֹד בַּפֶּרֶץ בְּצֶדֶק אֱמֶת

E'emod ba'peretz b'tzedek emet,

I will stand in the breach in true justice,

וְאֶהְיֶה כְּלִי לִרְצוֹנוֹ

Ve'eheyeh keli lirtzono,

And I will be a vessel for His will,

כִּי הַשֵּׁם יִלָּחֵם לָנוּ, וַאֲנִי אֶהְיֶה שְׁלִיחוֹ

Ki Hashem yilachem lanu, va'ani eheyeh shlicho.

For Hashem will fight for us, and I will be His agent.

Preparation Guide

Test Flow & Expectations

Belt tests are offered approximately every three months. Students who do not pass receive constructive feedback and a clear improvement plan — retests are available within one or two cycles.

A Belt Is Earned by Demonstrating

◆

Physical endurance and control when fatigued

◆

Technical skill with proper form, accuracy, and restraint

◆

Scenario-based judgment and safe decision-making

◆

Halachic ethics and alignment with Maryland law

◆

Middot such as humility, calmness, and responsibility

◆

Trustworthiness in using force only when necessary

Age-Group Expectations Summary

◆

Youth (6–11)

Emphasis on basics, listening, safety awareness, and simple respectful responses. All techniques are non-contact or very light contact.

◆

Young Adult (12–17)

Emotional control, de-escalation, protecting friends safely, and clean technique execution.

◆

Adult (18+)

Real functional application, fatigue management, and clear halachic/legal judgment using the full range of rank-specific merits.

◆

Advanced / Instructor Track

Leadership, mentoring of junior students, and deep integration of Torah-aligned decision-making under pressure.

Test Scenarios

Scenario Response Examples

Instructors select 1–3 scenarios appropriate to student background, ability, and age. All scenarios are controlled simulations — never real danger.

Focus

Stay calm, use safe words, tell a trusted adult, walk away, show kindness

1.

A classmate says, "You can't play with us because you're Jewish."

2.

Someone pushes you lightly and says, "That's because you're Jewish."

3.

A kid grabs or tries to take your yarmulke / Jewish necklace and laughs.

4.

Kids sneer, mock, or laugh at you for wearing Jewish things.

5.

Someone makes fun of your kosher food or lunch.

6.

A group says mean things about Jewish people and won't let you join their game.

7.

A child calls you a mean name because you are Jewish.

8.

Someone draws a swastika or says "Jews are bad" near you.

9.

Friends pressure you to hide that you are Jewish so they will play with you.

10.

A younger Jewish student looks scared because kids are teasing them about being Jewish.

Official Document

Judges Score Sheet

Three-Judge Evaluation System + Head Judge Review

JCA Belt Tribunal

Official Judges Score Sheet

Name:

Date:

Belt Level Tested:

Belt Level Seeking:

☐ Youth (6–11)☐ Young Adult (12–17)☐ Adult (18+)☐ Advanced / Instructor

Judges Panel

Judge 1 — Physical Performance:

Judge 2 — Technical Combat:

Judge 3 — Ethics, Law & Scenarios:

Head Judge:

Scoring Scale — All Judges

1= Unsafe / Not Acceptable

2= Below Standard

3= Functional Pass

4= Strong

5= Mastery

Physical Performance

Total: / 20

Push-Ups