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Old 12-09-2009, 01:47 PM   #13
Victoria Pitt
Dojo: Shinjinkai, Chicago, IL
Location: Chicago, IL
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 82
United_States
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Re: I test on Saturday: Now, I'm feeling a bit nervous.

Quote:
Jason Casteel wrote: View Post
I enjoy that fact that we get to choose our uke. We do so much in testing that I can't imagine having someone who I wasn't completely comfortable with! They're up there to help you look good after all! Though no matter what you do your sensei will know if your technique is good. Just tell your favorite person to run like hell when Sensei calls for someone!

Thanks for posting your gokyu testing requirements. I don't recall seeing another organizations kyu testing requirements or if I have, it's been years. Yours is very different from ours in content. We also don't test for a specific rank, you simply test and based on performance and what you're asked to do (some parts are random), Sensei decides your rank afterwards. Gokyu and Yonkyu have the same core requirements, as do Sankyu through ikkyu, but the optionals you're randomly asked to perform and number of them varies greatly as you go up in rank. Thanks!
I've seen other's and I can tell that we're pretty different. What I have seen is that we seem to have waaaay more stuff for each rank. Still, this is the last rank test with the "long form" requirements- they will change next year to not so much. I am curious to see what is going to happen.

I also kind of like NOT knowing who uke is going to be for the simple reason that if you know your technique, it doesn't matter who uke is, it should work. We have some real extremes in size when it comes to the guys in my dojo. I am thinking specifically about two guys right now.. one is tall like a basketball guy but isn't that much heavier. One guy I swear is the size of Steven Segal. He's tall and he's big. He's got to be like 6'3, 6'5" and 260-280lbs. What I get away with with others in the class (I have a little more muscle on me than maybe I should) I CANNOT get away with Mr. Steven Segal- like dude. The day I dropped him from some strange (to me) technique was like "OMG". I didn't believe I had actually done that. I thought I he was faking it until sensei heard me going on and walked over to ask me to do it again and show him. I was able to drop this guy again and it was confirmed that I was doing it and he wasn't falling for my benefit. I LOVE when I have to go against someone bigger than I am or way stronger because that really tells me when I am getting something or not.

Now mind you- I pray to god Mr. Steven Segal -look alike does not offer to take ukemi from me on Saturday. I'll DIE from effort- but if he offers to do it, I think I know my stuff enough to make it work on him.

The only thing different that I wish I could do is that on some of the taller guys- I would never do atemi to the face on them in the real world. I still do the technique but their balls are usually closer to my fist than their face (I'm only 5' 3") so I'd punch them there then move forward.

But that is kinda frowned upon on in the dojo and probably isn't a good idea to attempt during a rank test... pity.

~Do one thing each day that scares you...~
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