what's in your black belt grading ?

[dineshm]

I just went thought my test last month so mine is still pretty clear. So here's how it went

3 minutes push ups

3 minutes sit ups

2 mile run

3 minutes push ups

3 minutes sit ups

15 minutes drilling from head Sensei

15 minutes from another Sensei

Rolls, Break falls(for a break)

50 push ups, 50 sit ups

25 minutes drilling by head Sensei

2 hrs drilling by Shihan

50 push ups

1hr basic punches kicks and criticing from Shihan

self defense

Kata:

Hehan 1-5

Pinnan godan

Tikikosho

Tekki shodon

Tekki Nidan

Baisi Di

Nahanchi sondon

Short 1

6 three minute rounds of sparring

1 hr hard drilling and instruction from Shihan

50 knuckles push ups in parking lot behind dojo

45 minutes outside in the cold while the black belts decided our fate

and finally 50 push ups for being out of rank and as a present for our good work and detication to martial arts.

8.5 hours total

You are having a laugh aren't you? Either that or your school is having one with you. I mean come on! "50 knuckles push ups in parking lot behind dojo"

Ive done a few JKF (Japan Karate Federation) dan gradings and never been asked to do half the mad stuff you were asked to do.

Are you pulling our legs lol!!

I don't think so..One of my old instructors trained in Okinawa back in the 70s, under Hohan soken + fusei Kise.

A typical friday training, WOULD consist of knuckle pushups on asphalt, and not only that, but doing kicks down a parking lot, hitting nearby trees...Thank heavens my new dojo is on the 3rd floor of a building, with no trees in sigh.

[ShoriKid]

Zanshin, Pittbull survived it. If it were a movie, I'd have been the man listed as sensei no. 2. I played the role somewhere between stick and carrot. I paced on the runs with the oldest canidate, I conjoled, urged, encouraged and growled at them all in turn. The whole idea of the test was to push them to their limits and well beyond, evaluate their techniques and to see how hard they would dig down to get it done.

I'll say this for the three that graded that day. They all gave maximum effort and never once gave up or decided they could slack and get buy. Pittbull and one of the others were straining out those push ups be determination alone. Ask him if he can remember how to count now?

Shodan Testing day....

Mean while, back at the ranch, or behind the dojo!

Shori-How many have you done?

Pittbull-Lost count sensei(as he strains out one more rep)

Shori-(Knows he's gotten at least forty)-Do 15 more.

Pittbull-(grunts out reps while other canidate is encouraged and his reps checked)

Shori-How many Pittbull?

Pittbull-Lost count sensei...

Shori-Give me 7 more.

Shihan breaks in-He's done at least 10

Shori-Give us 4 more Pittbull.

Pittbull-(Looks like he's about to burst a vessle with effort, does the reps and recovers to his feet)

-And..end scene..-

Pittbulljudoka isn't having a laugh on you Zan. Like dineshm, my instructor's head man trained for a year long stint in Okinawa, and made several return trips in later years. The average class, after a light warm up and stretching, had use pushing up on knuckles on the hardwood deck, supporting ankles crossed. That's just how we did things. Makawari training was required and even part of exams.

We're a new dojo under an old group of instructors. And one thing the head sensei and I have talked about, as well as the men grading that day, is the slow deterioration of technique, standards and the value/meaning of a shodan. Each school sets it's own standards, and we have some very old school standards. Being and advanced belt means your focused, have solid techniques and can fight at least somewhat. Like a friend I trained with for years would remind me, as part of the encouragement he gave, if it were easy, everyone would be a blackbelt.

My own experience at shodan testing was somewhat different in the set up.

Warm ups.

Demonstration of all basic techniques, about 30 different ones, from a fixed horse stance with about a 40/50 rep count each. Push ups/sit ups alternated between each technique.

Demonstration of all moving technique.

Ukei-waza with a partner. This is a formal blocking drill with a partner who is trying very hard to fire that reverse punch right into your nose, stomach, groin, or to kick you very hard. And oddly, if you had good form and they were actually trying to hit you, it worked a lot better than if they were pulling the punch off to the side or stopping short.

Yakotsa kumite-translates out to roughly 'promise sparing'. Pre arranged series of techs thrown by both attacker and defender at full speed and power coming to skin contact level for the final attack. Had to know 5 of the seven that were based strongly off the teachings of Choki Motobu.

Several laps in the parking lot, I have no clue on the actual distance. Sprint some of the lines in the parking lot.

Makawari striking to demonstrate proper technique.

atemi waza-breaking demonstration

Break falling and throwing techniques.

Self defense vs. various attacks, mostly unanounced. Some required escapes ect though.

Oral testing on terminology and history of the style.

10 page writen report on any subject envolving karate or the martial arts.

I was left in a horse stance while each member of the grading board took their copies outside to read, discuss and grade. Basically they had a water and smoke break while watching me sweat and tremble.

Kata:

Fyukyukata 1,2

Pinan 1-5

Nanhanchi 1-3

Anaku

Wankan

Rohai

Pasai

shiromatsu nokong-a bo kata we had learned.

Demonstration of basic proficiency with the 5 traditional weapons of kobudo. Had to have a short 'kata' of our own devising with one of the weapons. Nothing too complex, it was recommended we look at empty hand forms and improvise something based on one of our favorites.

Run fyukukata ich and give bunkai when asked at any point. Then, run it backwards and give bunkai.

Sparing had been done two nights before this with the instructor and a ni kyu and san kyu on hand. The man I was to fight on promotion day had an ankle injury and had to let it heal before a tournament he was entering the next week. I was personally thankful considering what I'd been through and how skill this man was. Being shorter, lighter, exhausted and less skilled was not something I looked forward to.

[bushido_man96]

Those sound like quite the testings. You must be very proud of your accomplishments.

[ShoriKid]

Proud yes. Would I dread doing it again now more than 10 years later, when I'm not in as good a condition? Heck yes! Its something about two small girls that may condition my body well for some aspects of the arts, like the patients needed, or the impact of a shot to the body, it hasn't helped some things. Like cardio conditioning or maintaining a good diet.

Like I said, each school sets their own standards, within those, each instructor. For each instructor, many customize the test to the individual within certain aspects. A 50 year old will have different requirements than a 20 year old for say, conditioning. I would expect more from the 50 y/o in maturity perhaps though.

Does anyone know, for their orginization, where the rank testing starts to shift more from purely physical skill, to what you've contributed to the school/system? Where the ability to teach, and furtherance of the art matters as much, or more than kata and punches and kicks? For example, 5th or 6th degree in some systems is where this shift happens.

[NightOwl]

Hats off to you on the testing Pittbulljudoka! I think I would have been done on pushup #25

[pittbullJudoka]

I learned a valuable lesson about keeping count that day. Shori and the other Senseis pushed us to a new level that faithful day. I was mentally prepared to do more that my body could do physically do. I have a great group of senior black that I try to mold myself after. I espected no less than a very demanding old school test from them. And I am glad tha is was the way it was because I hear of some other black belt tests around our area and they are sub par in my opinion. I trained very hard to be one of the first students to promote to the rank of Shodan in our new dojo. That is a badge I wear with honor. And far as I'm concerned the future black belt tests will either equal or be set a level above mine. The day of my promotion the choice of quite never entered my mind, I felt if I did I not only dishorned myself, Shorikid, but most of all my Sensei. I felt the only way to stop was by knock out or a trip to the hospital.

And to Bushidoman and NightOwl thank you for the kind words.

Shori that's one thing I don't think I'll ever forget about my promotion. It made me appreciate what I went through one that one day to be able to say I achived the the rank of Shodan at the Makotokan Dojo.

[Zanshin]

pitbulljudoka,

I would like to apologise for my earlier post, upon re-reading it, I realise it was disrespectful.

In the UK, it seems we have a lot of dojos that "bulk out" their lessons with seemingly extreme or un-necessary exercises. Often this is because there is a genuine lack of Karate knowledge with the instructors.

Re-reading your post and that of Shorikid, I can see that your training is heavily geared towards fitness and body conditioning. In that respect it sounds like you well and truly earned your shodan.

All the best.

[pittbullJudoka]

No problem Zanshin. We all look at somethings and think that there is no way someone has done that.

We like our tests to be challenging. Like Shori said each school sets their own standards for promotions.

[bushido_man96]

Does anyone know, for their orginization, where the rank testing starts to shift more from purely physical skill, to what you've contributed to the school/system? Where the ability to teach, and furtherance of the art matters as much, or more than kata and punches and kicks? For example, 5th or 6th degree in some systems is where this shift happens.

In my organization, testing for 6th dan is the last physcial test. After that, it has more to do with organizational advancement, teaching, etc.

[ShoriKid]

bushido_man,

For the Shorin Ryu orginization I was in before, 5th was the last purely physical test. Physical elements still existed for 6ths, but it became advancement of the style and ability to teach and pass on your curiculum.

Zanshin, it's not a problem. I know how the test sounds on paper or the net, as the case may be, but I know what it looks like too. Part of the push for the physical conditioning is the idea that you won't always be fresh and warmed up if the time ever arises that you need to employ your skills. You'll have finished a long shift at work, or be tired from shopping all day with the family. You'll be sick, or leaving a dinner full and a bit groggy. One of the few times I've ever had to do anything was in the middle of my 3rd or 4th day of 14+hr shifts at work.

The head instructor said this a month or so before these guys tested as we had finished up a workot and he was headed back out of town, that anyone was good for the first 2 minutes, but you had to have gas in the tank to keep using the higher level of skills you develope later in your training. Part of those long sections of drilling wasn't just horse stance, fire the technique, it was techincal instruction and watching how well they absorbed and communicated the principals and movements with each other. So, despite the push for a level of fittness, proficiency in the arts wasn't compromised.

In class, some nights are very techinical, and after a warm up the pace drops way back so you can learn. Other nights, it's drills with round timers and body weight exercises etc. Over all, I think it's a pretty good mix. So do the people training there. Doesn't mean it's perfect, but we like it.