Testing at IATC takes place on Friday, and promotions take place on Sunday. Friends and families of the test candidates are encouraged to attend and show their support.
All test candidates should be familiar with the requirements of their test, and the necessary forms, fees, and other requirements, as set forth below.
All test candidates who are testing at IATC must complete the appropriate test and information forms for their rank and return them (along with the appropriate test fee) to Master Jessica no later than April 27th.
Black Belt Info Form – Required for Black Belt candidates
Black Belt Test Form – Required for Black Belt candidates
Dan Rank Info Form – Required for Shodan and higher candidates
Dan Rank Test Form – Required for Shodan and higher candidates
Test Fees – Can be mailed to Master Jessica or paid online.
Please select the rank for which you are testing for specific information on the requirements for your test. Please note that all papers must be sent to the Masters administering your test. Do not send your paper to Master Jessica with your test forms.
The Black Belt test at IATC will be administered by Grandmaster Quynh Ngo
Forms Required: Test Form & Black Belt Info Form.
Test Fee: $100 (mail a check made out to “CNMAA” to Master Jessica or pay online).
Written Paper: Black Belt candidate papers must be emailed to
Grandmaster Quynh (qngo1313@gmail.com) by April 27th.
For Shodan testing you are required to present Nhu 1 and Tambo 2 (formerly Tambo 3). You will need to present 2 applications per kata.
The Shodan test will take place during two 2-hour special sessions at IATC, taught by (in alphabetical order) Master Robert First, and Master Elizabeth Roman (please see the schedule for exact times). There is no Shodan testing on Friday night. Shodan candidates do not need to send kata videos for pre-screening. Grandmaster Quynh will evaluate (and polish) your Nhu 1 and Tambo 2 katas during the Shodan special sessions.
Forms Required: Test Form & Dan Rank Info Form
Test Fee: None.
Written Paper: None.
Additional Requirement: Scanned copy of your CPR/First Aid certification card emailed to Master Jessica.
Dan rank testing for Nidan and higher will be administered by the Cuong Nhu Masters, led by Master John Burns. After a candidate performs a required element of their test, they will receive a “pass” or “fail” grade for that element. Immediate comments will only be given if the testers want to see the same form again (i.e. if you are almost at a passing grade). Otherwise, all comments will be provided to the candidates at a later date after Training Camp.
Fundamental issues, in addition to speed and power, will be assessed accordingly — based on the candidate’s level and abilities. The “pass” or “fail” for Nidan and higher ranks will be based on the fundamentals and execution and understanding of the requirements. Any minor movements or differences in techniques (i.e. horizontal instead of diagonal strikes) will not be the reason for the final verdict.
Grand Master Quynh has expressed a desire to keep the test running through smoothly and quickly. Any discussion of the results should go directly to him after IATC. His intent is not to spend all weekend talking about the rank test results, but rather focus on team building and learning new things. He has stated that all candidates at this level should know how to prepare, and what to expect, and the results and any discussion of them should be ended on Friday night.
Forms Required: Test Form & Dan Rank Info Form
Test Fee: $100 (mail a check made out to “CNMAA” to Master Jessica or pay online).
Written Paper: Email your paper to Master John Burns (rohaidojo@hotmail.com) by April 27th.
If you are breaking boards during your rank test at IATC, you are welcome to bring your own boards. However, if you are travelling to IATC and would like to purchase boards to be delivered directly to IATC, we highly recommend using BreakingBoards of Vermont.
You should order the 1″ x 12″ x 12″ boards. Do NOT order them online. Instead, call Gail at (888) 766-1198, tell them you’re with Cuong Nhu IATC, and will need to have your boards shipped to University Towers at NC State. You can also email Gail at gail@breakingboards.com.
All board orders must be made by May 9th to give them enough time to produce all our boards, package, and ship them to IATC on time. Your credit card will be charged as soon as you place your order, but the boards won’t ship to IATC until later. BreakingBoards can cancel your order and refund your card if you cancel before May 9th.
They informed us that in previous years, some of our members have called them after the deadline and asked them to include their boards in the shipment, and they have still done their best to accommodate us. They also told us that they won’t be able to do that again this year, so do not wait until the last minute. Any board orders after May 9th will not be included in our shipment, and will not arrive at IATC on time for testing.
The company will ship all the boards to University Towers in Raleigh, and include “ATTN:” to the name of the purchaser on each box. University Towers will store the boxes upon arrival, and you can ask for yours when you check in.
Just in case you missed it when it was mentioned twice previously on this page, the deadline for all test forms and fees to be received by Master Jessica is April 27th.