what's in your black belt grading ?

[Zanshin]

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.

Thanks for that Shorikid, that makes a lot of sense..."Train hard, fight easy".

[ShoriKid]

You've got it Zanshin. Cry in the training hall, laugh on the battlefield.