At what age is one ready for Shodan?

[lgm]

My teachers taught me to read and write. If I write something threatening, my teachers are not called to task for it because they gave me the skill. I am responsible for how I use it.

This argument should put to rest all other arguments that seem to lay the blame or responsibility on karate teachers for the criminal behavior of their students in normal, civilized societies.

The only occasion when karate teachers are likely to be blamed for the criminal behavior of their students and charged as accessories is when they teach these skills to them precisely to engage in some anti-social or terroristic activities. In my country, Abu Sayaf rebels who are famous for their kidnapping activities are being taught by such teachers in their secret training camps.

[lgm]

Back to the original question. In my organization, shodan is never awarded to a child, only to an adult (18 and above). To achieve the rank of shodan, a 1st degree brownbelt must fight full-contact 6 to 12 adult blackbelts and BB instructors (aged 19 to 45 yrs.) for 5 minutes in an uninterrrupted sequence, with no break except for injury time-out, which I fondly call our "gauntlet kumite" (behind closed doors and exclusive only to the BB examinees and examiners), and survive without giving up during the difficult ordeal.

No child in our history since 1965 has ever attempted to take the shodan exam with this stiff requirement. It would simply be suicidal on his part to do so.