Not all testing is like taking a test. Perhaps sometimes it's more like crossing a creek, or a snowy field, and just making sure the footing is firm before shifting the weight. If it isn't, one adjusts a new foothold. As martial artists, we are the tester and the tested all the time. I believe it was Bruce Lee who described a punch as a test, to see if the recipient can handle it. Whoever it was who said it made an astute observation. We train to have the answers to the questions posed by life's stressful encounters. Some of the answers we learn are overt, such as "Yes, I can parry and counterpunch." Others are more subtle, such as "Having developed skill in martial arts, can I apply this to other areas of my life that require discipline, or patience, or courage?" In essence, the ability to respond is a sign of life, a measurement of vitality.
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