List Sho Dan requirements

[shotochem]

Ours is usually something like this:

All katas up to your level Heian(pinan) 1-5 Tekki 1, Bassai & Kanku Dai,

Empi, Jitte, Jion. Tester will pick 2 or 3 you pick 1. Bunkai will also be asked at whim of tester.

Kihon: whatever the tester wants in whatever combination.

All 5 step, 3 step, 1 step and Juippon Kumite Right and left handed. (There are a lot of these )

Free fighting for as many and for as long as the tester finds amusing.

Control test with moving target with assorted techniques.

The test will vary according to the whim of the tester. The stuff listed is usually what is done on the official test day. There is also a series of 2 or 3 pretests leading up to the formal test (no charge).

[Rateh]

Starts at 5 am

5 mile run

all kata, basics, kicks

kata performed backwards, with a cup full of water, another way the tester decides...

(our school doesnt just do karate)

takedowns off of fullpower strikes and kicks, a test of reaction

get in a horse stance with your hands out, close your eyes, and be hit with a stick on your arms and legs and stomach...other things of that nature...

sparring (being beaten up) for however long it takes till you colapse, and then slightly longer

a few other things i cant think of...

yah, its a bit brutal, very few ppl ever achieve blackbelt in my school

[ONE TROOF]

Here's the requirements for BB in a Kobayashi (Shorinkan) Shorin Ryu dojo out east. Is yours like theirs?

http://www.usashorinryu.org/Curriculum/blackbelt.cfm

Geneologically speaking, this could technically be called a Shorinkan dojo because of it's origins, but politically speaking, it isn't correct to call it one.

I'm not going to go into all the details, but suffice it to say the head of the organization listed here is no longer in the Shorinkan organization...

Yeah, Sensei Hargrove was a senior student of Nakazato, then went off to form his own org.. I don't know the reasons, but I do know that Hargrove is a very knowledgable and skilled martial artist. Just read his bio.

Like Tadashi Yamashita's org., Hargrove's organization keeps with the standards and rigors of their original affiliation (Shorin Ryu Shorinkan). It's Kobayashi Ryu but it is not Shidokan influenced, it's Shorinkan influenced so for all intents and purposes it is Shorinkan. There are some kata omissions and changes, but the standards are similar.

Are the standard at your dojo in Monterey that rigorous? The Shorinkan dojo I trained in on Clark AB, Philippines was (even moreso), so I thought they all were pretty much the same.

Where are you in Monterey? I visit LA often and wouldn't mind checking your dojo out. I am currently a Matsumura Seito guy, but Shorinkan was my first ryuha. Later.

Edited May 3, 2005 by ONE TROOF

[ONE TROOF]

Here's a good style to measure your Shodan testing by. I would suspect most dojo are nowhere as tough as this:

Updated

4/26/2005

Shodan- Black Belt Test Requirements

Physical Requirements (Minimum) 5 mile run, 500 sit-ups, 500 push-ups, 500 kicks (round, front, side, back)

I. Be of Good Moral Character

Understand and adhere to the traditions of Karate-Do teachings. Possess and display the moralities of Karate-Do.

II. Karate Kotoba

Written test of all previous language requirements, understand and be able to explain:

Fudoshin

Kime No Kokoro

Mushin

III. Kata with Speed, Power, Focus

Kihon Kata

Ippon

Nihon

Sanbon Fukyu Kata

Dai Ichi

Dai Ni

Dai San

Fukyu No Kata

Naihanchi Kata

Ichidan

Nidan

Sandan Pinan

Shodan

Nidan

Sandan

Yondan

Godan

Passai Sho Passai Dai

Kusanku Sho Chinto

IV. Bunkai For all Kihon, Fukyu, Taiyoku, Naihanchi, Pinan, and Passai Kata, and Kusanku Sho Kata

V. Yotsu Kado No Renshu (Ichibanme - Nijubanme)

VI. Te Waza from all previous tests

VII. Geri Waza

VIII. Te To Uke To Shi Waza

IX. Empi Waza Dai Ichi & Dai Ni Plus Bunkai

X. Shuto Waza & Bunkai

XI. Ukemi Waza

XII. All Kihon, Kaeshi, Jiyu, and Tanren Kumite

XIII. Bag Work for Power, Speed, Technique

XIV. Jiyu Kumite

Close Pursuit All Hands (Plus chops and Elbows)

All Kicks

Combinations of Both

Jamming

Side Stepping

Sweeping

Counter Moves

XV. Jumping Kicks Jumping Front Kick

Flying Side Kick

Jumping Spinning Round Kick

Jumping Spinning Back Kick

Jump Spinning Crescent Kick

Jump Spinning Round Kick

Jump Spinning Heel Kick

XVI. Board Breaking (Evidence of Power)

XVII. Grabbing Techniques

XVIII. Attitude

XIX. Free Fighting (1-1;2-1;3-1;4-1)

XX. Self Defense Techniques

Handed in one week before test

12 for Sodan 18 for Nidan 24 for Sandan

XX. Written Tests (Selected Topics)

Handed in two weeks before test

Shodan - 10 pages Nidan - 12 pages

Sandan - 15 pages Yondan - 20 pages

Godan - 25 pages Rokudan - Karate Thesis - 100 pages

©2005, North American Shorin-Ryu Karate-do Association

[Shorin Ryuu]

Yeah, Sensei Hargrove was a senior student of Nakazato, then went off to form his own org.. I don't know the reasons, but I do know that Hargrove is a very knowledgable and skilled martial artist. Just read his bio.

Yeah, I've no doubt about his martial abilities. It was (a lot of) other things he did which resulted in him getting cut from the organization...

Sensei Tadashi Yamashita kind of parted ways with Shorinkan when he hit the movie scene, but has since returned to more "traditional" ways. He is no doubt extremely skilled, once a "favorite" of Hanshi Shugoro Nakazato before he went his separate way. Training with him would be a treat, I'd imagine.

Are the standard at your dojo in Monterey that rigorous? The Shorinkan dojo I trained in on Clark AB, Philippines was (even moreso), so I thought they all were pretty much the same.

Where are you in Monterey? I visit LA often and wouldn't mind checking your dojo out. I am currently a Matsumura Seito guy, but Shorinkan was my first ryuha. Later.

Clark AB, Philippines? Maybe a stretch, but did you ever know Jason Perry? He is a Marine that was stationed for a long time in that area and son of the current North American director for Shorinkan Shorin Ryu. He has quite the fearsome reputation as a skilled fighter. I've never met him personally, but have heard about him.

I live in Monterey, but I actually train in San Francisco. Even so, Monterey is a bit aways from LA, and San Francisco is two hours further north...My instructor there actually doesn't do belt testings (he gives you the belt if he feels you are ready), and the only colored belts he uses are white and brown. I kind of share his philosophy that belt tests in most places do not do what they are supposed to do: test your knowledge of karate. Instead, they tend to emphasize more of a rite-of-passage thing, which is all fine and all, but I don't think it's really necessary. I think the momentous buildup of the awe-inspiring ultimate black belt test also adds to the false allure and status of the black belt in America, which we all know means nothing in the larger picture, either here or in the Orient (especially in the Orient...everyone has at least a shodan over there...).

That being said, I only moved out to California last August, so I actually tested for my black belt under Kyoshi Gravelin (my first instructor is a student of his). The test was somewhat similar. The first night was more of skill testing (kata, self-defense, techniques, etc.). The next morning was more the random exhaustion stuff (running, carrying cinderblocks, pushups, lots of repetition of techniques and kata, etc.). I think we had a little less rigorous test than usual, simply because our test was the first time seeing him and he didn't know our limits.

To be honest, I was feeling somewhat unmotivated for my test, as it just felt kind of silly. I had all those mind games/physical exhaustion games well down during my basic training and time at the Academy, so it just felt...cheesy, almost. But I recognized it's their way of doing things, so I went along with it. Different strokes for different dojo, I mean, folks...At any rate, despite my thoughts about testing in general, I appreciated the time it took for him and others to actually conduct our tests. If nothing else, it blew a good part of their weekend spending time with us.

As far as all the technical requirements, they are about the same. We didn't have to do any papers, although I don't know if that's because we weren't main students of Kyoshi Gravelin or not. We had some questions asked of us, but nothing too complex.

You can also ask Skeptic2004, as he tested with me. He might remember more details and such.

What organization do you train Matsumura Seito with? I trained in that for a year (in between teachers) and really enjoyed my time doing it. I was doing the Kenshinkan version of it.

[Andrew_Patton]

For Shodan in Yamashita Shorin-Ryu:

We are required to know

five Bo kata

Choun No Kun

Shushi No Kun

Shushi No Kun Sho

Kihon no Kon Shodan

Kihon No kon Nidan

One Sai kata

Nakazato No Sai

Sixteen Empty hand kata

Three Naihanchi

Five Pinan

Two Passai

Two Kusanku

Chinto

Jion

Gojushiho

Gojushiho Dai NI

Bunkai for all kata

Several two man complexes

Breaking Complex

Pinan Complex

Sui Ken-Do sets 1,2, and 3

defense against weapons

Eight Ippon

... I'm sure there's more to it, but I can't quite remember all of it right now, I'll check my slyabus and get back on here sometime later

[ShotokanKid]

Starts at 5 am

5 mile run

all kata, basics, kicks

kata performed backwards, with a cup full of water, another way the tester decides...

(our school doesnt just do karate)

takedowns off of fullpower strikes and kicks, a test of reaction

get in a horse stance with your hands out, close your eyes, and be hit with a stick on your arms and legs and stomach...other things of that nature...

sparring (being beaten up) for however long it takes till you colapse, and then slightly longer

a few other things i cant think of...

yah, its a bit brutal, very few ppl ever achieve blackbelt in my school

Have you gotten your Black Belt?

[Rateh]

Starts at 5 am

5 mile run

all kata, basics, kicks

kata performed backwards, with a cup full of water, another way the tester decides...

(our school doesnt just do karate)

takedowns off of fullpower strikes and kicks, a test of reaction

get in a horse stance with your hands out, close your eyes, and be hit with a stick on your arms and legs and stomach...other things of that nature...

sparring (being beaten up) for however long it takes till you colapse, and then slightly longer

a few other things i cant think of...

yah, its a bit brutal, very few ppl ever achieve blackbelt in my school

Have you gotten your Black Belt?

Yes, about a year ago, but my test was modified, do to my heart condition

I have times where i get out of breath just doing a kata

so for my test i was allowed rests in between, i had to run a lot less then 5 miles, and i got breathing breaks during sparring.

The test is ment to push you as far as you can go, and so my test was just as hard for me as others for them, even though i did a lot less running etc.

I actually havent trained much since my test, because my condition still hasnt been fully diagnosed. By the time i got to my black belt test, i spent more time catching my breath in class sometimes then actually practicing. I didnt know until around the same time as my test that it was actually a heart condition. I had been being treated for asthma for 6 years, basically since i started karate, but i was just getting worse and worse faster and faster. I get my training through teaching classes now, because of course you always learn a lot when you teach. I do really want to continue physical training some day, but i also dont want to kill myself.

long story short, yes i took the test, but with some modifications, do to my physical condition

sorry for the long story there, i thought it was necesary to answer the question properly

[patusai]

Be able to perform the required kata at an acceptable level

Kumite to an acceptable level

Know the basics well enough to really start learning karate

[aefibird]

The compulsory parts of Karate Shodan testing for my org are:

Demonstration of all basic techniques, both as individual movements and as set combinations.

5-step, 3-step and 1-step kumite, as well as jyu-ippon kumite, jyu kumite and freestyle 'sports' kumite, all against several opponents.

Choice of 2 kata from set list of 5, plus performance of Bassai Dai and any of the previous kata (examiners choice as to which and how many).

Bunkai for free-choice kata, plus explanation of why those kata were chosen.

Knolwdge of Japanese terminology.

That's the compulsory part of the test, but the examiner usually adds a lot more into it than that. People testing therefore know part of what they're expected to do but not all of it. For my Shodan I had to do all of the above, plus answer questions, demonstrate techniques on the pads and fight random blackbelts 10x 2 min rounds without a break, plus a whole load of other stuff that I've forgotten about (or blocked out of my memory )

I need to find out what's required for my 1st Dan in TKD - it will be interesting to see how my 1st Dan TKD test compares with my 1st Dan Karate test.