Shodan testing

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[SEG]

Hello all,

Myself and one other student will be testing for Shodan this Saturday. I have read so many posts about Shodan tests that I won't ask to many questions. Our test is going to be made up of suwariwaza ikkyo-ryopkyo, iriminagi, kotegaeshi and shihonagi. Hanmihandachi more than 5 techniques from any 3 attacks, standing more than 5 techniques from 3 different attacks, 5 jo take aways, 5 bokken take aways and a 1 minute randori with 2 attackers.

Most everything I feel ok about except for the bokken work. I can only come up with 6 take away techniques . That doesn't give me a lot of confidence in that area. Anyway, I'm nervous as all get out and it's hard to work because this test is all that's on my mind. Thanks for listening and I'll update on the outcome.

Shaun

[kewms]

Six takeaways should be plenty. There are more, but with six you should be able to demonstrate a solid decisive entry, control of the attacker's balance, and control of the weapon from a variety of different angles. I'd rather see a student do six takeaways really well than fumble around trying to do more.

(It's also probable that you know more, but don't realize you know them.)

Katherine

[Larry Feldman]

Call the other student and see if he/she can go through the take aways with you prior to Saturday.

Your teacher would not ask you to test if they did not think you were ready.

[sakumeikan]

Hello all,

Myself and one other student will be testing for Shodan this Saturday. I have read so many posts about Shodan tests that I won't ask to many questions. Our test is going to be made up of suwariwaza ikkyo-ryopkyo, iriminagi, kotegaeshi and shihonagi. Hanmihandachi more than 5 techniques from any 3 attacks, standing more than 5 techniques from 3 different attacks, 5 jo take aways, 5 bokken take aways and a 1 minute randori with 2 attackers.

Most everything I feel ok about except for the bokken work. I can only come up with 6 take away techniques . That doesn't give me a lot of confidence in that area. Anyway, I'm nervous as all get out and it's hard to work because this test is all that's on my mind. Thanks for listening and I'll update on the outcome.

Shaun
DearShaun,
Far be it for me to judge how a shodan grading should be conducted .I think any examiner who expects first kyu to demonstrate six sword taking waza is expecting too much.Emphasis on Kihon Waza should be the order of the day.Get the basics right.Cheers, Joe

[sakumeikan]

Call the other student and see if he/she can go through the take aways with you prior to Saturday.

Your teacher would not ask you to test if they did not think you were ready.
Hi Larry.
My own favourite takeaways are Chicken Korma and Beef in Black Bean Sauce. Joe.

[philipsmith]

I agree with Joe, it's not the quantity of technique that is normally judged but the quality. In particular how well executed are the basics?
Shodan IMHO should be a test of basic competence - nothing more

[lbb]

Two thoughts occur to me, seeing this list of requirements. One is, "Wow, I sure wish that when I come up for my shodan test, I'll have a list that tells me exactly what I'll be tested on!" I know already that isn't gonna happen. The second is, how closely does this list match what you practice in class? If there's a big gap between the two, something is wrong. If not, the test should be straightforward, at least in the sense of "What do I do?" You'll know what to do because you've been doing it all along. At that point, as Joe says, it's all about the quality of the execution.

[Mary Eastland]

Shaun! Best of luck with your test. Relax and enjoy. Just do you best.

[SEG]

Thanks folks. We've practiced bokken take aways, just not that frequently. We've practiced jo take aways a lot more. As far as knowing what is coming, the only thing we know for sure is the suwariwaza. The others are just do whatever technique we think of as he calls the attack. These will go on until sensei is satisfied, it could be five, it could be twelve.

Thanks for all the well wishes. I'm nervous but I'm going to do my best and see what happens. Pass or fail I'm not going to stop practicing. I'll let everyone know what happens.

Shaun

[kewms]

Many of the bokken takeaways are the same as jo. The entry is easier with the shorter weapon, but you have to be more aware of the edge.

Good luck!

Katherine

[sakumeikan]

I agree with Joe, it's not the quantity of technique that is normally judged but the quality. In particular how well executed are the basics?
Shodan IMHO should be a test of basic competence - nothing more

Hi Phil,
Thanks for endorsing my views .Hope you are well .Cheers, Joe

[SEG]

We both passed! The ground work was extremely tough and very physically taxing. Once we stood up the rest went by very fast. It all seems like a blur. Anyway, we had a lot of fun during the test and then went out to a Japanese steakhouse for a celebratory lunch. Great time today!

Shaun

[Mary Eastland]

Yay! Congratulations.

[Janet Rosen]

Congratulations!

[lbb]

Well done!

[mathewjgano]

Well done!!!

[Shadowfax]

DearShaun,
Far be it for me to judge how a shodan grading should be conducted .I think any examiner who expects first kyu to demonstrate six sword taking waza is expecting too much.Emphasis on Kihon Waza should be the order of the day.Get the basics right.Cheers, Joe

My dojo requires knife taking at 2nd kyu and sword taking at 1st kyu as well as paired sword and jo kata.

As my teachers explained it, they did not want to have their students go into a shodan test having to suddenly learn the weapons stuff which is not practiced as frequently n class as open hand. I am grateful that they saw fit to create a curriculum that would have their students well prepared and comfortable with the weapons when the day comes. Especially more so now as my own shodan test is set to happen in a bit more than a week.

SEG congrats on a successful test. I can completely understand the concerns you had leading up to it.

[SEG]

We do knife take aways starting at 4th kyu, I think. We practice those a lot. This was the first Shodan test for my Sensei, so some learning curve is required. He has decided to add weapons into every class from now on. Before he had a separate weapons class which he'll sti have, but integrate the weapons into the normal classes as well.

After my apprehension about the weapons portion, I actually did pretty well. We did 12 jo and 9 bokken take aways. He basically said do four from each attack, tsuki and two menuchi's for jo and three for each attack with bokken. We got to choose the technique. It was quite fun and I really enjoyed that portion of the test.

[sakumeikan]

We do knife take aways starting at 4th kyu, I think. We practice those a lot. This was the first Shodan test for my Sensei, so some learning curve is required. He has decided to add weapons into every class from now on. Before he had a separate weapons class which he'll sti have, but integrate the weapons into the normal classes as well.

After my apprehension about the weapons portion, I actually did pretty well. We did 12 jo and 9 bokken take aways. He basically said do four from each attack, tsuki and two menuchi's for jo and three for each attack with bokken. We got to choose the technique. It was quite fun and I really enjoyed that portion of the test.

Dear Shaun,
If you did the weapons work you describe above and body art well, I would suggest your rank[4th kyu ]does you an injustice.I would suggest your rank should be at least 1st Kyu or more.

\Cheers, Joe.

[Shadowfax]

Dear Shaun,
If you did the weapons work you describe above and body art well, I would suggest your rank[4th kyu ]does you an injustice.I would suggest your rank should be at least 1st Kyu or more.

\Cheers, Joe.

His current rank is shodan. He only said that in his dojo students start doing weapons work at 4t kyu. Where I train students start handling weapons very early as well. They start appearing on tests at 5th kyu beginning with simple suburi sets. By the time students get to 1st kyu they are quite comfortable with all of the weapons. This does make it a lot less intimidating and stressful than to try to learn to take away, sword, jo and knife as well as know 5 sword and 6 jo paired kata in time for a shodan test. ;)

[Riai Maori]

We do knife take aways starting at 4th kyu, I think. We practice those a lot. This was the first Shodan test for my Sensei, so some learning curve is required. He has decided to add weapons into every class from now on. Before he had a separate weapons class which he'll sti have, but integrate the weapons into the normal classes as well.

After my apprehension about the weapons portion, I actually did pretty well. We did 12 jo and 9 bokken take aways. He basically said do four from each attack, tsuki and two menuchi's for jo and three for each attack with bokken. We got to choose the technique. It was quite fun and I really enjoyed that portion of the test.

My old club focused on the quantity of Jo and Bokken nage rather than focus on the quality of this nage.

My new club has the total opposite approach.Tanto nage is practised from 6th Kyu, but they don't know this as we substitute the attack with a strike as we all know. Its the technique demonstrated that determines the final out come. The Iwama style I am being taught always disrupts the attack. Enter in explains Sensei. Rarely we draw Uke in, unless its for Atemi. Kihon training. After a few months we substitute the strike with a Tanto and to the beginners astonishment, nothing has changed in their technique. You can see their thirst and hunger for more development.

My new Sensei is a first generation student of the late Saito Sensei who awarded him his Shodan way back in the 80's and is very proficient in Weapons. We are going to Japan in 3 months to train with Nemoto Sensei, one of Saito Sensei traveling Uke's.

[SEG]

Richard,

My Sensei was a student of Saito Sensei and Nishio Sensei. We start off doing Iwama and then switch to mostly Nishio style after our 3rd kyu test. Our Sensei studied in Japan under Saito Sensei and Nishio Sensei in the early 90's mostly.

Shaun