I'll be in Japan for 8 months

[Dominus]

Is that enough time to master traditional karate? When I say "master", i dont mean get a 9th degree blackbelt and be able to win every tournament in the world, but I mean at least get a blackbelt and get the hang of it.

Many people tell me the original traditional karate is the best out there. Is it true?

[hurricane]

Is that enough time to master traditional karate? When I say "master", i dont mean get a 9th degree blackbelt and be able to win every tournament in the world, but I mean at least get a blackbelt and get the hang of it.

No, it's not enough time to get a black belt. In most dojos it takes between 3-5 years, whether or not they are in Japan.

[Killer Miller]

A true traditional karate master will probably fail you on your first black belt test just to make you work harder to pass it.

Kind of one of those unwritten traditions...

- Killer -

[b3n]

A true traditional karate master will probably fail you on your first black belt test just to make you work harder to pass it.

Kind of one of those unwritten traditions...

- Killer -

That makes no sense at all...

And no, 8 months is not enough time.

[powerof0ne]

Actually, you can obtain your shodan in a year and a half to two years in Japan. This isn't unheard of at all, the reason why is because you will typically be training around a lot of higher ranked practitioners(which is always good)and Shodan is looked at as Shodan...the first step.

This may shock others that aren't aware of this but it really has to do with training with higher ranks. I know I learn more when sparring with people that are better then me, getting my butt kicked always teaches me. Probably because I have a hard head and am stubborn

I would highly doubt you obtaining a shodan in 8 months, though. All I would have to reccomend is to take advantage of your time spent and train as much as you can. What kind of Karate are you looking to train in and where in Nippon will you be staying? I'm assuming somewhere around Tokyo or Osaka.

If I was to be their for 8 months I would train in Daido Juku.

[Fairfax_Uechi]

Is that enough time to master traditional karate? When I say "master", i dont mean get a 9th degree blackbelt and be able to win every tournament in the world, but I mean at least get a blackbelt and get the hang of it.

Many people tell me the original traditional karate is the best out there. Is it true?

Where in Japan and what style of Karate? As others said, it can be done, but it's not easy. If you're going to Okaniwa then look at Uechi and Gojo as styles. If on the mainland I'd also look for one of these, but if you can't find one, then you'll have to see what is local.

FYI, I was told that training there isn't like what it was 5-15 years ago where folks would train 4-5 nights a week for at least 3 hours. When folks did this, it was possible to earn Shodan in about a year. 8 months would be tough, but if you're determined, practice a lot, have a good teacher, and are an exceptional student it can be done. (just not too likely).

BTW, why the rush? Why not try to learn all you can and make the most of your training.

[Menjo]

A true traditional karate master will probably fail you on your first black belt test just to make you work harder to pass it.

Kind of one of those unwritten traditions...

- Killer -

That makes no sense at all...

And no, 8 months is not enough time.

I think it makes definate sense...however I dont think this(killer's post) would be a way or any way of classifing a karate master or identifing this trait with masters. I think that would be an example of a respectable person, but not their status.

Earning great skill in any art requires many things. I doubt no matter how naturally skilled you are, 8 months will not give you sufficient EXPERIANCE to achieve a "higher level" of karate.

My take is that the more I know, the more I dont know.

[Killer Miller]

Typical testing for 8 kyus are 3 months between each kyu x 8 = 24 months + 1 year for Shodan test, which you normally fail, + a 6 month re-test for Shodan = 1 1/2 years for Shodan totaling 3 1/2 years to make Shodan if you train regular and never miss or fail a kyu test.

This is truly how it is in traditional karate. I'm sure you can find a karate system out there that will get you a nice pretty Black Belt quicker than that. But quality before quantity. Some things just take time to properly learn and acquire the tone and experience needed.

- Killer -

[nago]

My experience in my 19 years living in japan is that the majority of the dojos test adults from 5th kyu up. 9th thru 6th kyu are reserved for children. Most testing in all dojos, except for special ones arranged for foriegners when they visit, goes in May and November. Your first test will be the one that comes after 6 months of training. Most organizations require a minimum of 3 years of training in that style before they will consider you for black belt. I have only seen two people fail in 19 yrs here. Your sensei will not send you unless you are ready and it is a great dishonor to him and your dojo if you do fail. Remember in Japan we do not train for ourselves we train for the dojo. To be an embarassment to your dojo is about the worst thing you can do. Most dojo train 3 days a week, but you will still find some that are open 6 days a week. Hope you enjoy your trip. Japan is a wonderful place.

[powerof0ne]

I personally know someone that tested for shodan in about a year of training in Japan..he was 16-17 at the time. He was around the same age as me and he did fail his shodan test, I'm not sure if/when he retested. I can't even remember which style exactly, I want to say it was a style of Kempo..I doubt Shorinji kempo, but who knows.