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

[koryu]

My testing was very grueling to say the least. Starting about 6 or 7 months away from my testing date, I did a lot of cardio work. Running every day, started off slowly and after about 2 months was up to 5 miles a day. I didn't bother with much weight training outside of my normal routine, but I did a lot of pushups and crunches. About 500 pushups were somehow worked into the 6 hour testing. Generally the purpose of a black belt test is to test your spirit and see if it can be broken. There is no point in cramming for such a test, If you didn't know it, your sensei wouldn't even have you up for a black belt test to begin with. It will be his job to try to break you down as far as he can and see if you can take it. When you're doing your training, do it in the heat. We weren't allowed to have the air conditioning on in the dojo during our shodan test, in the middle of july no less. Just prepare physically as much as you can, you'll still be hurting after your test, but it'll make it a little smoother.

Good luck, keep up posted on how it's going.

[Zorbasan]

when i was training for my BB i did 2 or 3 regular classes a week and 2 preblack / black belt classes a week, plus 1 breaking class per fortnight.

i also practised my patterns at home.

[wagnerk]

When I went for my first bb in 2002, a year before the grading I start tae-bo (the aerobic verison) twice a week, this was inconjunction to the 3 or 4 normal classes and 1 or 2 beginners classes a week. We had to go thru everything we've covered from 10th kyu to 1st kyu as well as the requirements for Shodan. For the kata's we had to know how to do them forwards, backwards, reverse and the applications of the movement. And we also had to spar against shodan's & nidan's for a while. It's sound's hard (I mean it was), but it was hard fun at the end of the day you were mentally & pyhsically drained, but it was worth it.

Hope this helps (but doesn't scare) And good luck.

-Ken