Going for 1st dan, help and some expert advice.

[Sensei Mark]

Yes Simo, i am in Tamworth, NSW.

My daughter is doing her Medical Degree at Coffs Uni.

BTW: I love Coffs, nice and green lush in many parts.

I had a freeride mountain bike film screened as a finalist at the Cool Banana Film Festival in Coffs last year, they screened my film at the Novatel, very plush..

cheers

[Simo]

Yes Simo, i am in Tamworth, NSW.

My daughter is doing her Medical Degree at Coffs Uni.

BTW: I love Coffs, nice and green lush in many parts.

I had a freeride mountain bike film screened as a finalist at the Cool Banana Film Festival in Coffs last year, they screened my film at the Novatel, very plush..

cheers

Haha small world eh!

im still thinkin of what to do, thinkin of joinin the police force, but i want to continue doing Goju Kai.

Goshi Yamaguchi Saiko is coming over to australia in Early November, and i am going to his 2 day seminar, which im looking forward 2, espically the beach training, and just his presences as a motivational tool towards going for 1st dan

SImo

[patusai]

realize... its only the most important day in your martial arts training But seriously though i always tell my students, if you wernt ready you wouldnt be testing. Just make sure you eat before, run through your material and youll be fine GOOD LUCK

I agree. Craming for the test now (if you would have too) would mean that you were not ready or near ready. It should come naturally. it is all something that you have learned already and this is basically nothing more than a demonstration of what you know. This is Sho Dan not Max Dan. Good Luck

[Simo]

yeah im not cramming just wanted to kno how others went about there final months before they went for therre grading, but thanks for tht

Simo

[AikiGuy]

It was 2002, I think. I trained with weights for about an hour a day, twice a week. I jogged 30 to 45 minutes once or twice a week. And I went to my normal class once a week, an extra class once a week and usually trained on my own once a week (bag work, kata, etc.). The test was a little over 3 hours and included 12 katas, defense techniques, kumite against 1 opponent, then against 3 opponents, and breaking.

It was a challenge to say the least. I used to be in great shape when I was young: I could jog for over 2 hours and I have bench pressed twice my body weight in 2 different weight classes. And my BB test was STILL the most greuling physical thing I have ever done. If your test is anything like mine. You are wise to prepare so early in advance. It sounds like you know what to expect so I'm sure you'll be fine. Keep training and good luck.

[Simo]

Thanks Aikiguy, it seems im havin 3 gradings before my actual grading. I have a maintence one coming up, just to see where im at, and then another grading to make sure its all there, and then the final one, not sure who is actually holding it, the last couple of gradings where shihans, e.g. Greg Gunns Shihan and then last one was Brain Mackie Shihan, anyone else herd or trained with either shihan? Just tryin to make convo

Simo

[bushido_man96]

Train all of your low rank material: forms, one-steps, self-defense requirements, etc. Practice all of your forms in order, nonstop.

If you train hard all of the time, and make around 3 classes a week, you should have no troubles at all.

Good luck!

[cathal]

Train all of your low rank material: forms, one-steps, self-defense requirements, etc. Practice all of your forms in order, nonstop.

If you train hard all of the time, and make around 3 classes a week, you should have no troubles at all.

Good luck!

That is some really good advice. Whenever any of us receives feedback from a grading we always are told that basics are the foundation of the exam and if you've failed you need to work on them. Everything else falls into place.

[Aodhan]

Train all of your low rank material: forms, one-steps, self-defense requirements, etc. Practice all of your forms in order, nonstop.

If you train hard all of the time, and make around 3 classes a week, you should have no troubles at all.

Good luck!

That is some really good advice. Whenever any of us receives feedback from a grading we always are told that basics are the foundation of the exam and if you've failed you need to work on them. Everything else falls into place.

Exactly. We had one of the highest ranks in the ATA at our school last year, and I was struggling with part of my 2nd degree form at the time, so I asked him for help. He had me "joon be", and when I did so for my form, he said "No. Joon be for Songahm 1" (Which is our white belt form).

When I looked at him quizzically, he said "Everything you struggle with in later forms can be fixed by doing the lowest ranked forms", and he was exactly right. By doing my colored belt forms (We call it the Songahm Star, all of our colored belt form patterns laid on "top" of one another form an eight pointed star), I was able to fix my 2nd degree form.

Aodhan

[bushido_man96]

Train all of your low rank material: forms, one-steps, self-defense requirements, etc. Practice all of your forms in order, nonstop.

If you train hard all of the time, and make around 3 classes a week, you should have no troubles at all.

Good luck!

That is some really good advice. Whenever any of us receives feedback from a grading we always are told that basics are the foundation of the exam and if you've failed you need to work on them. Everything else falls into place.

Exactly. We had one of the highest ranks in the ATA at our school last year, and I was struggling with part of my 2nd degree form at the time, so I asked him for help. He had me "joon be", and when I did so for my form, he said "No. Joon be for Songahm 1" (Which is our white belt form).

When I looked at him quizzically, he said "Everything you struggle with in later forms can be fixed by doing the lowest ranked forms", and he was exactly right. By doing my colored belt forms (We call it the Songahm Star, all of our colored belt form patterns laid on "top" of one another form an eight pointed star), I was able to fix my 2nd degree form.

Aodhan

The foundation is the most important thing.