The Kao Shi is a major commitment to yourself and to your team. Even though failure is a possibility, quitting is not an option. Remember, failure is only final if you stop trying. Pass or fail, you will evolve as a person by challenging the journey.

Small consistent actions add up to big accomplishments. Logging your daily progress on a simple task will fuel your motivation while your attention to these basics will help you stay engaged in your training.

Mastery requires an eye for detail and narrow focus. Concentrating on two forms, at least one of which is a weapon form, for an entire year will help you differentiate between maintaining the status quo and pushing yourself to the next level.

Sparring puts all aspects of our training to the test — mental and physical. There isn’t a better way of measuring our progress nor is there an activity that better challenges us. Commitment to logging 1000 rounds of sparring will test your cardio, your control, and your mettle.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” — Lao Tzu. The relevance of this requirement should be lost on no one.

By logging 1000 acts of kindness, you will become more aware of the difference you make in your world through your choices and actions. Most of us practice acts of kindness unconsciously and attribute them to good manners. Mindfully recording your daily acts of kindness will make you more aware of the impact you are having on others and also make you aware of the opportunities to make a difference that you are missing.

Part of growing and evolving as a human being is recognizing that while you do not have the ability to control other people’s words and actions, you have complete control over how you choose to interpret those words and actions. Mending a damaged relationship requires you to reverse engineer what went into creating the conflict in the first place. This process will give you valuable insight and tools to help you circumvent future discord in your relationships.

Self reflection and accountability are two essential ingredients for long-term success and the repeatability of that success. Your online public journal will help define the scope of your accomplishments in the eyes of others while giving you valuable insight into your own thoughts and actions. While a photograph may capture what is happening at a given point of time, it does not capture what is in the mind or in the heart. A personal journal does. Each member must have at least two journal postings during their tenure qualify to be featured on the main SRKF website blog.

Be accountable and share your progress publicly by posting your logged repetitions at the end of each of your blog journal postings. Formatting your shared numbers to reflect what you have accomplished since your last posting and where you are on completing your overall goals, keeps your journey in perspective and your goals on track.

Your Kao Shi examination will be conducted publicly. All Kao Shi examines will introduce themselves to their community and the world at large by creating and maintaining a personal online blog with links to your school website. Each member will also secure an online membership in SRKF’s Kao Shi Member Connect Network and link their personal blog there.

Committing to performing publicly will help give your training focus and meaning. There is nothing like a looming deadline and public scrutiny to put you in the mood to practice. At least one of these performances will be your final test at SRKF’s annual Chinese New Year Banquet.

Our annual school tournament is conveniently scheduled at about a quarter of the way through your Kao Shi tenure. Your commitment to this event will give you a sense of purpose at the beginning of your test and provide you with momentum to carry you through for the rest of the year. Your performance in the Tiger Challenge may also qualify as one of your required three public performances if it is judged adequate by at least one member of the grading board.

The Kao Shi is a team and a team is only as strong as its weakest members. Your commitment to your training and your team is reflected by your contributions and participation.

Your Kao Shi examination requiremets are in addition to your core class responsibilities. You must maintain an 85% attendance record in your core class while fulfilling all your belt curriculum requirements. 

Examinees of the Kao Shi set an example of excellence for their peers, their school, and their community. Your commitment to school and community projects is a reflection of your leadership, and it shows you recognize that the value of your training goes beyond yourself and that it is not just an exercise in narcissism. Each member must contribute at least one quality project to SRKF's project portfolio.

Mastery is a process and in order to properly embrace it, one must first understand it. 

Everyone’s journey to mastery is different. For your journey to be personally relevant, the balance of your requirements are set by you. These personal requirements must speak specifically to you so that their successful achievement will contribute to your evolution and define the value of your journey.