Final Kyu grading approaches!

[BassaiNige]

Well done Doctor,i am grading for my 2nd dan 2 weeks today,so am starting to now realise the task ahead,bearing in mind i havent graded for over two years since my shodan,as well as practising all the katas i have to do,i am also going through them in my head when i have the spare time,i have just 4 training sessions to go now ,2 this week and 2 next week and also 1 more on the morning of the grading.

[DoctorQui]

Well done Doctor,i am grading for my 2nd dan 2 weeks today,so am starting to now realise the task ahead,bearing in mind i havent graded for over two years since my shodan,as well as practising all the katas i have to do,i am also going through them in my head when i have the spare time,i have just 4 training sessions to go now ,2 this week and 2 next week and also 1 more on the morning of the grading.

All the best Nige! Its not about knowledge anymore, you already know what you need, its all about believing in yourself and getting the job done.

[BassaiNige]

Yes cheers Doctor,your absolutely right,and you will be there in the near future!,I will let you know how I get on.

[jaypo]

We're in the same boat, DoctorQui. I just passed my 1st kyu test 2 weeks ago, and Sensei told me to be ready within 3 months for my black belt test. Congrats!

I messed up on my kata also, but there is a long story to that. I was taught it by the Sr. black belt, and he even screwed it up during the test! However, what agrivates me is that I knew it, and I got unfocused which lead to me messing up. I beat myself up for days because of that, but I still passed.

Congrats again!

[DoctorQui]

We're in the same boat, DoctorQui. I just passed my 1st kyu test 2 weeks ago, and Sensei told me to be ready within 3 months for my black belt test. Congrats!

I messed up on my kata also, but there is a long story to that. I was taught it by the Sr. black belt, and he even screwed it up during the test! However, what agrivates me is that I knew it, and I got unfocused which lead to me messing up. I beat myself up for days because of that, but I still passed.

Congrats again!

Nice one Jaypo

My Sensei likes you to do 6 months between 1st Kyu and 1st Dan

Anyway, its not about a belt its about acheivement, 6 months is nothing!

[jaypo]

I would be cool with the longer wait. In fact, before my exam, he talked to me about plans for my testings. And I told him that the color of the belt around my waist is not what I'm concerned with. It's the level of my karate that should determine that color, and he agreed. I told him that I wanted to be the best 1st kyu that I could possibly be if that's the level I was at. And if that meant remaining a 1st kyu for a year, so be it. I think he respected that. The 1st class after I passed that exam was only he and I and his daughter. We went over applications from the kata that I performed poorly. I think that in class, he realized that I had the knowledge, but just brain farted mentally! That's when he made the comment about me testing soon for black.

I did, at one point feel that I was moving up rather quickly, but when I stepped back and realized that I train in 3 classes minimum weekly, and on some occasions, 6, and many of them are 1 on 1 with either Sensei or the Sr. black belt, I realized that if you compare apples to apples, 1 month of my current training is equivalent to 2 or 3 months of most studios around here (they usually train 2 times a week), and I do a lot of kata and bag work on my own.

I have found that although I have far less time in this system than any of the other advanced students, I've improved at a faster clip than the others. Much of that can be attributed to the previous training that I did, but I think most of it is that I have trained like a beast for majority of the year to get to that level. I took a 20 plus year timeout (unwillingly) from MA, and now that I'm back in it, I'm all in! And I don't think everybody has that same level of dedication. Now that I'm approaching the higher levels, I'm going to get even crazier!

[DoctorQui]

The 1st class after I passed that exam was only he and I and his daughter.

Don't you just love those first sessions after grading where hardly anyone turns up I normally make a point of attending straight away after grading to crack on. Unfortunately, this time I have to sit out for a few days before I go back because I pushed past the pain of my sciatica during the graing and now I'm suffering. My daughter is going though, to show off her new 5th Kyu!

You know, you sound exactly like me Jaypo. Like you, I train at least 3 times per week, regularly 5 and on a pro rata basis, I probably learn in a 2-3 months what it take someone who trains twice per week for 6 months to learn. Up to 1st Kyu I was always about 3 katas in front which normally wouldn't happen but for my previous advanced Kyu grade in Wado Ryu.

At the end of my grading my Sensei said that I am eligible to take my 1st Dan 'within' 6 months where everyone else is told 'after'6 months. I hope he's tipping me a wink that I may be grading sooner.

[Chunmonchek]

Congratulations Doc!

I've always wondered if giving advance notice for grading is the best way to go. I usually don't for mudansha, but do for grading to Shodan.

My first student to grade to Shodan was not given any notice. He came to class, like any other class...except that my teacher (the head of our organization) was present. We tested him there and then. He passes with no problems. The real "test" happened the week following, when I took him to my teacher's class, where my teacher directed him to lead class...about 30 of my classmates. My student was only 18 at the time. He lookes like a deer caught in the headlights, but did well.

[DoctorQui]

Congratulations Doc!

I've always wondered if giving advance notice for grading is the best way to go. I usually don't for mudansha, but do for grading to Shodan.

My first student to grade to Shodan was not given any notice. He came to class, like any other class...except that my teacher (the head of our organization) was present. We tested him there and then. He passes with no problems. The real "test" happened the week following, when I took him to my teacher's class, where my teacher directed him to lead class...about 30 of my classmates. My student was only 18 at the time. He lookes like a deer caught in the headlights, but did well.

I think that's an excellent way of doing it. I suffer terrible nerves as do most other people and would love to be graded like this.

When my son started,he had some terrible concentration issues and once he got bored hejust used to stop. The Chief Instructor got round this by grading him during the lesson when he thought he was just training and not making a big deal of it!

His concentration is better now though!

[Dobbersky]

awesome, congrats