First Shinsa

[David]

I've got my first shinsa coming up next weekend, and I'm a little nervous. Any advice on how I can better prepair myself?

[CHANG SI]

CHANG SI advise you to meditate on death before match.

[neko]

neko advises you to meditate on chang's death before the match.

seriously though, at this point you are either prepared enough to pass or not. but if you want to do something, practice shomen suburi. another thing you can do is make sure your shinai is in good shape and your uniform clean. before you go to sleep at night, lay in bed and go over the kata in your head. visualize uchidachi and then shidachi.

i get extremely nervous before testing too. i worry that my nervousness will prevent me from performing my best. but actually, it has no bearing once i step up to the line. kata is a different story though, at least it was for my ikkyu test. the video from my second attempt (failed the first time) shows how nervous i was. my strikes were actually all over the place because i was visually shaking. i also had trouble going down into sonkyo because my legs felt like jelly.

just do your best kendo, and if you are ready, they will pass you.

[Bennosuke]

Not that I've had a shinsa yet (so you could ignore this if you want:disapp: ) but Kendo is all about being relaxed. As Neko said, you either are ready or you aren't, but being worried is going to make you tense and that will make it harder. If knowing this doesn't help make the butterflies go away (then you are probably human) then my only tips are to practice more, and to listen to your favorite music as much as possible before you go up. This will hopefully center you.

[nodachi]

Just relax and let out a nice kiai to vent all the stress of the nervousness when you start your test. Then just go and do your kendo from that point free of bad feelings. And don't worry when the other person hits you, it won't count against you so just work at your own pace, get in a few good hits, and you'll do fine. Don't stress too much ahead of time because it's probably only going to be counterproductive.

[The great I AM]

You got some good advice here dude, so I'll give you one more nugget. Unless its your teacher (and I mean your teacher, not another one who you meet occaisionally......) don't listen to anyone who says "just do some big men and you'll be fine" I see and here it many times, and unless its from your own teacher (in which case he is highly likely to know what is best for you and your kendo) its probably the biggest bullshit stock answer I see and hear.

Just do what these guys have said, relax. And like Neko says, and this I believe is some of the best advice to anybody partaking in a shinsa:


just do your best kendo, and if you are ready, they will pass you.

[MikeW]

My advice for relaxing is to make sure you do some jigeiko before the exam begins and perhaps some hayashi suburi too so you can relax more. Don't go onto the floor 'cold' Also, once they have passed out your numbers for the exam try to find the people with numbers on either side of you (so if you're # 22 look for #'s 21 & 23) as these are the most likely people you will be paired up with for kirikaeshi and keiko ( I assume since this is your first shinsa you aren't going to be doing kata). Try talking to them and even jigeiko with them before the start of the shinsa so each of you get a bit used to each other. In exams it's not about beating the other person but rather how your kendo is. One more note... make sure your bogu is on right with the himos flat and not twisted etc, make sure your tenugui doesn't make a rat tail sticking out of the back of your men, don't sit at the sidelines talking or goofing around becasue the judges often begin making mental notes about your appearance and conduct the moment the shinsa begins even when you are waiting your turn to take the floor. The last thing I will say is that in addition to try staying relaxed you need to make sure you perform your kendo with big spirit and thundering kiai if you can.

[Charlie]

just do some big men and you'll be fine.

sorry! had to! :D

[nodachi]

just do some big men and you'll be fine.

sorry! had to! :D

Don't apologize.... that is some of the best advice you can give for a first exam...

[schiedsrichter]

On the danger of repetition, I recommend just to relax (music etc.) and just to show your best kendo. You know, you're ready! So just do it! :)

[Suiken]

1. My first advice is not to drink anything at least three hours before. :silly:

2. Best is you have some friends from your culb who can give you adive or remove the wrinkles from your Dogi. If you can, talk to people who are not taking the grading because they should be calmer. Sometimes there is some kind of nervous feedback between examinees, talking to eachother.

3. When you are in the actuall grading, shouting is very good, as said before. It is a natural reaction, when people are afraid and very usefull to release stress.

I am sure you will be fine.

[bullet08]

one thing i was told by our federation president during my first shinsa was not to do too much in the morning of the shinsa, specially in front of the judges. this will give the judges chance to pre-judge you. normally only thing i do if at all for the morning of shinsa is lot of stretch so i don't cool down before the ji-geiko portion of the shinsa, tho you will cool down all the same since they make you sit around a lot. few shomen suburi. and that's it. as someone mentioned, if you are ready, you will pass. you really don't have much time to 'fix' anything by the time you are at the place for the test.

pete

[The great I AM]

I take it all back. Just do big men. In fact just do ONE big men. And then don't do anything else. This is the best adive.

[bullet08]

I take it all back. Just do big men. In fact just do ONE big men. And then don't do anything else. This is the best adive.

someone should quote that as their signature.

pete

[The great I AM]

someone should quote that as their signature.

peteBut only if they correct my atrocious attempts at "spelling"....

[Kenzan]

just do some big men and you'll be fine.


Sorry, I don't swing that way!
LOL

[Charlie]

lmao! well played.

[PhilMcLaughlin]

Try to bear in mind that shinsa is designed to examine all aspects of a candidates kendo - so you need to show the panel as much as you can in the time available, technique, kiaia, ki ken tai, etc

its not club keiko, its not shiai, its not cage fighting :-)

so, big men yep great, small men fine, kote great, do - stay away from unless youre good at it & as its your first grade youre probably not that good yet

variation is good - try to attack every way you know how with full spirit

Dos

-do your best kendo
-stay in front of the panel - you cant show much way over in the corner of the room

Donts

-dont get into thrash wars (two nervous kenshi beating the shit out of each other)
-dont get into ai uchi kendo (both attack at the same time repeatedly)
- dont get dehydrated before the bout - the advice not to drink for 3 hours is very dubious


try your best - if its good enough for the grade then you pass - if its not then you learn some more & try again

good luck !

cheers

phil..

[nodachi]

I would disagree with the don't get into ai uchi kendo...

Obviously your best option is to get a nice men in before the other person reacts, but if he starts to go before you, trying to beat him to the punch shows good aggression and is way better than just accepting the hit or blocking. If you can do a nice men and keep center then it will represent your skill nicely when you keep center and win the men.

So I don't think ai uchi kendo is so bad. Just don't fall into this pattern for the entire time.

[CHANG SI]

Get ready to Crap your pants,, just being honest,, that lump in your throat,, yep cant get rid of it. just accept your fate like a warrior and stop crying.

[CHANG SI]

you will not be able to remember all this,, in your attempt you will be rattling your mind,,,,not good. Just accept the fact that you are going to die,, and all is well my friend..

ps. I will be here all week

[Paikea]

ps. I will be here all weekWanna bet?

[CHANG SI]

Leave me alone pancake,, are you gay? Like Kenzan San,, I dont swing that way,,, sorry

[Andou]

Wanna bet?

Lol...I wonder if he asked for ketchup with his hat. ;)

[KhawMengLee]

ps. I will be here all week

Hahahaha...ah...there is justice after all.

[Paikea]

ps. I will be here all week
Nothing but net...thanks to Alex, Hamish or whomever pulled the trigger.

[Ignatz]

Looks like 9 days. Is that a record?

[David]

Had my shinsa this morning. I got Sankyu! =3

Thanks for all the advice guys, it really helped out.

[The great I AM]

Had my shinsa this morning. I got Sankyu! =3

Thanks for all the advice guys, it really helped out.How many big ai-uchi men did you do?

[Charlie]

Congratulations!

[Whitemirror]

congrats dude!!

[David]

Thanks alot guys.

How many big ai-uchi men did you do?
A fair few, I'd say. Both of my oponents were testing for the first time aswell, so we we're pretty much going after each other in similar ways.

[egtirello]

Congratulations! David, now go for nikyu so train a little more hard,
and how was the nervous part? what you do to realx ? it worked ?,
just a little curious about

[neko]

david
thanks for following up with your results. and congrats! :)

[joekc6nlx]

Word of advice from someone who's been in your position:

Now that you've passed sankyu, don't be in a big rush to go for your next grade without ensuring you're prepared. In other words, don't forget what you had to do in order to pass sankyu, because that will remain a requirement for every grade you are testing. It's harder as it goes up, but it's also more rewarding.

I say don't rush, because that's exactly what I did. I wasn't ready for ikkyu, and it showed in my performance. I was seriously considering trying to "gut it out" next month during our regional federation's promotion exam, but not with a 5 month layoff due to knee replacement. I'm no longer "in the groove" that I was before, and I'm no longer in the proper conditioning that I was before. But, kendo will be here when I'm ready to test again.

You have to stop sometimes along your journey up the mountain, take a look behind you, take a look around you, and then take that look ahead and make your next steps.

Congratulations on passing!

[neko]

sorry to hijack this thread but.....

hey joe, when is that regional federation exam you're talking about (i don't see any info on the website)? oh and where is it going to be? also, are you going to pittsburgh?

[joekc6nlx]

Thread duly hijacked...

It'll be September 30, it will be in Pittsburgh. That's tentative, though, which is why it isn't mentioned officially, yet. I have to wait for the word from the VP for Education to get it to the Secretary, to get it to the VP for Public Affairs, to get it to the Webmaster. They say that it rolls downhill......:laugh: