2nd Dan Exam..What was yours like?

[dineshm]

I'm testing for my 2nd dan sometime at the end of January next year. It seems like a long time away, but is barely 3 months..hmf.

What was your 2nd dan exam like?

I'm doing it in Shito Ryu (kuniba Kai).

[bushido_man96]

Mine involved forms and black belt basics, one-steps, sparring, and board breaking. We usually spar with someone our rank, and someone the rank that we are testing for. It is kind of an "earn your rank" incentive.

Best of luck to you! Keep us posted!

[ninjanurse]

Same as 1st dan...everything you know from white to current rank.

[Montana]

I recieved my shodan in 6/78, then my sensei moved out of state (from Montana to Minnesota) in '80. I was on my own without a sensei until I was put in contact with 6th Dan Sensei in Minnesota also. My sensei no longer taught, so I travelled in January (cold as hell that week) of 1980 to train with Sensei Ohl. I had explained to him prior to going there that I had been on my own for nearly 10 years and he offered to train me for a week.

Long story short, he told me he was impressed that I had made no major changes or had any major faults during my visit, and he awarded me my nidan on my last training day with him. It was unexpected and there was no actual formal test.

[bushido_man96]

That is a great testament to your training and attention to detail, Montana. Also nice that he rewarded you in such a way. Awesome!

[SBN Doug]

Twice the content of my 1st dan test, but only 50% more time to perform it.

We also went from about 50 people testing for first to 5 people testing for second. We got a lot of dedicated attention.

[DWx]

I tested just under a year ago. We had to do all our forms from white belt upwards (12) and were formally marked on our 3 most recent and another coloured belt one chosen on the day. Then had to do sparring. For that we got split into groups, us 3 females together and the men split according to size. Unfortunately there was an odd number so I had to spar in the adult males' group as well as with the females! Did one-on-one sparring with all the people in your group, meant I was up twice as much as everyone else. Then did two/three-on-one sparring (depending on what grade you were testing for). After that did a few set sparring bits and a sort of street style grabs and releases. Then did breaking. 2nd degrees had to do 2 breaks and one "special break". I did side kick, roundhouse, and a power break front elbow, (one of the young lads did a backflip break!). We all passed so after that was the ceremony bit. Also had to do a written test and hand in a mini-thesis the week before.

[Shotokan-kez]

Well as i have only got shodan i dont know what i would have to do yet.

But all the same, very best of luck.

[username8517]

I have a run down of my 2nd Dan testing

Here

[SBN Doug]

I'll also add that all our black belt promotions consist of a series of exams, one every quarter for about 2 years.

So the description I gave is the generic one. Each test content varies depending on which Master is leading the test.