What are all of the differant gradings

[Siglith234]

Just a beginer wondering

[Neil Gendzwill]

Just a beginer wondering
http://www.kendo-sask.com/swordfaq.htm#_Toc422549491

[Siglith234]

http://www.kendo-sask.com/swordfaq.htm#_Toc422549491

Thanks :D

[Siglith234]

Neil i was reading your FAQ thing and what do you specify as a qualified instructor, just wondering.

[Neil Gendzwill]

Neil i was reading your FAQ thing and what do you specify as a qualified instructor, just wondering.

Canadian Kendo Federation regards a qualified instructor as 5th dan or higher. I agree with them, although I think a 4th dan could do an OK job provided that they have some prior supervised teaching experience. However many locations do not have such a person handy and so a lower rank runs the dojo. This is ok so long as they have a supervising sensei, occasionally visiting the dojo to make sure everything is going OK. If you visit a dojo and the 2 dan person in charge says "I'm the sensei", walk away. If they say "I lead the classes, Mr. X is the sensei, he visits once a month", then you're probably OK.

[Siglith234]

Canadian Kendo Federation regards a qualified instructor as 5th dan or higher. I agree with them, although I think a 4th dan could do an OK job provided that they have some prior supervised teaching experience. However many locations do not have such a person handy and so a lower rank runs the dojo. This is ok so long as they have a supervising sensei, occasionally visiting the dojo to make sure everything is going OK. If you visit a dojo and the 2 dan person in charge says "I'm the sensei", walk away. If they say "I lead the classes, Mr. X is the sensei, he visits once a month", then you're probably OK.

my sensei is 3rd dan....

[Neil Gendzwill]

my sensei is 3rd dan....

At sandan, he should be OK teaching beginners. Many people are in your boat in North America. If you don't live in one of the major kendo centres, odds of having even a sandan aren't too good. Hopefully he has an advisor to help him out with things and keep his program on track.

[Siglith234]

At sandan, he should be OK teaching beginners. Many people are in your boat in North America. If you don't live in one of the major kendo centres, odds of having even a sandan aren't too good. Hopefully he has an advisor to help him out with things and keep his program on track.
Yeah but im not worried im a beginer i was happy to even find a dojo in my town.

[Nishi]

My instructor is also 3rd dan, but we do refer to him as "our instructor", we do have a yondan teacher, and a godan teacher that we see aswell.

In the U.K. i see the title "sensei" being used after sandan, but im not sure about the use of the title from the BKA's point of view.

We call everyone by their first names (usually) in Britian.

[Neil Gendzwill]

My instructor is also 3rd dan, but we do refer to him as "our instructor", we do have a yondan teacher, and a godan teacher that we see aswell.

What you call him is another issue. I was more referring to teaching ability. At sandan you certainly should know enough about the mechanics of kendo to teach basics. Where you start to fall down there is in teaching skills, understanding the bigger picture, long-term goals, and just generally keeping the club steered on the right course. There's where you want some help. Most people I know sandan and lower don't feel they are ready to shoulder the responsibility for a club. Those who have been forced to do so feel a lot of pressure and would be much more comfortable as a student.


In the U.K. i see the title "sensei" being used after sandan, but im not sure about the use of the title from the BKA's point of view.

Most people I know godan or lower aren't too comfortable being addressed as sensei and certainly don't insist on it. I think part of that comes from the heavy Japanese influence in Canada - in Japan, sensei are typically rokudan and higher. Lower than that and you're just another shmoe in the lineup. Which is why North American sandan people are often better teachers than Japanese sandan - they've had to do it, and teaching is a different skill set than doing. When I first started to help teach, I would point out a million things the student was doing wrong. The poor fellow would eventually just stop listening. My instructor OTOH would walk over, say nothing and just observe a while. Then he would make one suggestion which would cause 2/3 of the problems to go away. There's a big difference between knowing how to do it yourself and being able to teach it.

[KeijockMuniz]

Well, the Sensei here is a sandan, but he got about 35 years of kendo. He stopped on sandan for personal reasons, and he don´t think on move to yondan at the present time... we've got an yondan here, but he is not trainning now, and the 2 godan's from here are living in another cities.
He is very patient and a good professor, was a member of the Brazilian National Team and fighted on two WKC, Japan and Brazil, so he´s experienced a lot... We alse receive Senseis from other cities, and they like the way we run the dojo, so I think everithing is fine. The important thing is, that he accepted the responsabilitie for us and never stopped to teach us, we'd a lot of problems here, like no place to train (solved) and almost no beginners... that´s all past, but he was the one that carried the burden along with another guys, nidan's and shodan's alike.
And he got a better kendo than a lot of godan's that I've saw fighting!

[Neil Gendzwill]

That's quite a bit different situation. Under IKF rules a sandan could have as little as 5 years experience.

[KeijockMuniz]

I was not clear... he earned his sandan grade in 1982, Brazil WKC... after that, he didn´t made any exam... I'd never asked why...

[Siglith234]

I was not clear... he earned his sandan grade in 1982, Brazil WKC... after that, he didn´t made any exam... I'd never asked why...

My sensei has been studying kendo for almsot 20 years

[Nishi]

My sensei has been studying kendo for almsot 20 years

Thats interesting...My instructor is sandan(preparing for yondan) with about seven years experience, but my former teacher now two years into his yondan has twenty one years experience. My godan instuructor must be pushing twenty-five years and is almost eligable for rokudan.

I posted "outranking your sensei" thread about a month ago to address this little enigma in kendo, but most or the feedback said it was irrelevant...its interesting why some test and others dont, not right or wrong, just interesting.

[Siglith234]

Thats interesting...My instructor is sandan(preparing for yondan) with about seven years experience, but my former teacher now two years into his yondan has twenty one years experience. My godan instuructor must be pushing twenty-five years and is almost eligable for rokudan.

I posted "outranking your sensei" thread about a month ago to address this little enigma in kendo, but most or the feedback said it was irrelevant...its interesting why some test and others dont, not right or wrong, just interesting.


As for the people who have been trianing for over 20 years, i believe they follow tradition than a modern modification. no dought they are probobly over qualified for there rank or grade. My 2 cents