Re: Question of rank.

[mmagpayo]

Hello,

I am a member of a small club playing atarashi naginata in the New York area in the US. I recently passed my ikkyu exam and am preparing for my shodan exam under the USNF. I have been playing atarashi naginata for a little over a year. Though I am grateful for passing my ikkyu exam, I am somewhat surprised at how fast my progression has been and am wondering if I am being granted rank prematurely so that the US can build a base of dan ranked players in the East which has suffered from a dirth of young consistent players.

I feel competent enough at performing shikake-oji, ipponme through gohonme, as well as uchikaeshi and the various kihon. However, when wearing bogu I don't think my skill is anywhere near shodan level much less ikkyu level. The first time I actually wore bogu playing naginata was when I took my ikkyu exam.

I question my rank only because when I asked my teacher a question regarding the skill level of japanese players at my level her answer seemed to imply that here in America though we are practicing the same techniques and scrutinized the same way in performing those techniques we are judged differently when attaining rank. Though not said in words I feel my rank maybe premature and given to me because the panel feels I will grow into it. I question my rank only because I've heard discussion regarding this topic before.

Somehow I feel it may be something to do with the average age of a beginner in America which tends to be quite high. I am 29 and am one of the youngest players in my sensei's dojo. I assume that most naginata players in Japan my age have been playing at least 15 years or so.

Has anyone else experienced this feeling in this art or another in places where a new martial art has been introduced?

[Hyaku]

Yes without doubt this does exist. I have seen Japanese Ryu be somewhat favorable to foreigners living outside Japan in an attempt to spread the word.
Also people who show excellent promise of making a good student will be encouraged.

Yes there is also a double standard. Inevitabley this will always exist. The only way to clearly break that barrier is to live and practice in Japan for a long time. Or have more very experienced Japanese teachers living abroad. I think we only have to look at the world soccer to see what can be acheived.

The downside is some of them consider a foreign group to be a seperate entity whereas the actual group firmly believes itself to be a branch.

Some really go for the "I teach foreigners" thing. One of a recent budo periodical is absolutely full of different ryu with their Italian, French, American whatever connections.

I shouldn't worry too much about it. We do it because we love it, not because we are particularly good at it. If someone does something for long enough they naturally get good at it. It just take some of us longer.

I can assure you even here in Japan there are people that are well deserved of their rank and others that are not.

We also sometimes have high expectations that a person of higher ranks attitude carries into everyday life too. That doesnt apply either in a lot of cases.

Hope this helps

Hyaku

[hamish]

One of the main differences between kendo and naginata is the different emphasis put on kata in the 2 arts.

In naginata, a high proportion of exponents basically give up using bogu, and concentrate on shikake-oji and kata once they pass their mid 30s. (I'm referring to women, by far and away the highest precentage of practitioners in Japan - the guys are always ready to put the gear on and go at it!) Hence the emphasis tends to be put much more on the importance of this aspect of naginata than on one's skill in bogu.

When taking my referee's qualifications in naginata a couple of years back, there were many others sitting at the same time that I wouldn't have thought would pass their shodan on the strength of their bogu ability, let alone be going for referee certification! (apparently the pass rate was quite low), but the topic of naginata refereeing is best left for another day...

There is certainly some softness towards foreign practitioners up to a certain level, but for most people who start at your age in Japan, ikkyu would probably be the first grade they took anyway.

Without a doubt there are always political considerations being made come grading time, so I wouldn't worry, but bear in mind that ikkyu/shodan are beginning grades, anyway.


Hamish