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Old 08-03-2004, 10:15 AM   #38
akiy
 
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Join Date: Jun 2000
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Re: The black belt Issue (thoughts)

Quote:
Michael Stuempel wrote:
I've often found that the test, or the passing of the test, is not when you achieve the "knowledge" of the rank.

It seems to me that once you've passed the test is when you have some knowledge of the skills that you should be working on and learning more about that are appropriate to that rank. Once you've passed the test you can start working on them with confidence and then get better at them until you're ready to take another test, so you can start working on improving a more focused set of skills inherent in that next test.
Saotome sensei has written about the same thing in his essay, "Yudansha Ranking":
Quote:
Mistugi Saotome sensei wrote:
Yudansha ranking is given for many reasons, not just technical ability. Just because a person receives a certain yudansha rank does not mean that he or she has attained that ability at that moment. It means that I feel the person is on the threshold and will grow into that rank with the pressures of added responsibility.
Also from the same piece:
Quote:
Mistugi Saotome sensei wrote:
To train for shodan:

You are training to become a beginner, no longer just a guest in the dojo, but a student with very real responsibilities. One must study the basic technical form and basic physical principle until the correct movement is automatic and feels natural.
Here's a link to the whole essay:

http://www.aikidofaq.com/practice/yudansha_ranking.html

-- Jun

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