If a student is failing, then demotion is a sensible option.

Usually, moving to a lower grade serves to remove any pressure from the student and provides an opportunity to work on the appropriate material.

The student may resist the demotion; but this is not constructive.

Should you be re-assessed?

Ask yourself the following:

1. Have you missed a lot of classes?
2. What was your last assessment like?
3. Did you fail to move up a belt last time you were graded?
4. Do you dread the next grading?
5. Are you training at home?
6. Is the quality of your kung fu not as good as it should be for your current grade?
7. How good are you at the fundamentals?
8. Is your training sloppy?
9. Are you having problems at home or at work?

There is no shame in being honest with yourself. It is easy to remove any pressure you may currently feel.

Training the material you should be training will give you a sense of ease.
If you are failing to maintain your grade, move back a grade.

Instead of feeling pressured and out of your depth, you will feel relaxed and comfortable.
You will be free to work at your own pace. To do things in your own time.

It is important for each student to recognise that you are only as good as the skills you can manifest.

If you wear a black belt but have the skills of a yellow belt, then you are only a yellow belt.
The belt itself is a piece of fabric.
Your skills (or lack of) speak for themselves.

Fixing a problem:

Begin by stopping what you are doing or thinking.
Then, look at your training dispassionately; without ego, pride, vanity or defensiveness.
Recognise the need to address the problem.

If the instructor speaks to you about the diminished quality of your practice, it is important to be honest.
Self-deception is pointless.
Your instructor would not be talking to you if you were not experiencing problems...

Pretending that things are ok (when they are not ok) is foolish.