dan can be reached in ...years?

[eKenshi]

Can someone that is talented,reach Dan within a year?(His age is ..lets say between 14-18)Do you think he can reach dan within his first year?If not,how many years do you think someone needs to go though to reach dan(Shodan i mean) :normal:

[aru-ma]

It depends where you are actually, In Australia you'll get shodan in 4 years give or take a few months, 2 gradings in one year, so it takes 3 years to get your 1 kyu, then you have to wait for 1 year until you can get your 1 dan. as I understand it in most countries, including Japan you'll get your shodan in 1 year since they do kyu gradings in their own club.

So generaly speaking you don't need to be a talented genius to get a shodan in 1 year.

[Danny Boy]

In UK you can get Sho-dan after 6 months (3 months after registering with BKA to get into Ikkyu, 3 months waitin period, sho-dan grading).

I heard of a guy who got his sho-dan 3 months after getting into armour...


Dan Winiarczyk
Taiseidokai Kendo Club
Glasgow

[Old Warrior]

From what I can see, Shodan could not be reached in less than 2 1/2 at our dojang. And, that assumes you train very regularly or else you would not even be allowed "to test". Although, I believed that if you are asked to test, the outcome is probably preordained.

[Nishi]

In UK you can get Sho-dan after 6 months (3 months after registering with BKA to get into Ikkyu, 3 months waitin period, sho-dan grading).

I heard of a guy who got his sho-dan 3 months after getting into armour...


This is correct. However grading applications require a signiture from either sensei or dojo leader, so in theory, the BKA is placing the responsibility of kyu grades and more importantly, the students basics and foundation on the sensei or dojo leader.

I dont think a dojo leader or sensei is doing a student any favours by allowing a speedy race to shodan. But in plain terms of "how long", Danny Boy is right, but i feel the dojo would be letting the student down.

[Fai]

In the UK it is possible to get sho-dan within the first year. Though it took me over a year to get my sho-dan.

Kendo is not all about grading though.

[mingshi]

I heard of a guy who got his sho-dan 3 months after getting into armour...


WHO IS THAT GUY?!?!?!?
I NEED TO KEIKO CHALLENGE HIM!!!! :jaguar: :jaguar: :jaguar:

[kendomushi]

It takes people in our group 18 - 24 months to be allowed to test for shodan. That is a fairly accelerated pace compared to going to a regular Japanese dojo, but our members being in the military are ususally here for no more than 2-3 years and sensei wants to push them along to shodan as quickly as they are able to handle (we have had people who were here 4 years and never allowed to test) in the hope that they will want to continue kendo where ever they may be stationed next.

[taiwnezboi]

At our dojang it takes at least 5 years to get shodan. Shodan in 6 months?? I've been practicing for a little over 2 years and I'm 3rd kyu...

[JSchmidt]

At our dojang it takes at least 5 years to get shodan. Shodan in 6 months?? I've been practicing for a little over 2 years and I'm 3rd kyu...

As I've stated before, I've seen very little difference in the quality of a candidates for the dan grades, when watching gradings where people from different parts of of Europe are participating, regardless of using kyu-grades or not. Having said that, I was pleasantly surprised when watching the kyu-grades division at a taikai in Australia, as the kendo was surprisingly clean for their level.

Jakob

[D'Artagnan]

Well i started doing kendo on wed 18th of sept. 2002 @ 8:15pm. i just passed ikkyu in stoke and will be sitting shodan in oct.

so, if i pass, i will have taken me just over a year.

A

[emitbrownne]

I've been doing Kendo for about 18 months, and passed my Ikkyu at the same time as my swashbuckling colleague above :) (hey D'artagnan)

However I am travelling to Canada in october and will not be able to grade for Shodan. The next grading is around about march april next year.... just in time for my next trip, so it may be another year before I can take my grading.....

There is no guarantee that I will get it then either.

I do not feel bad about this, because none of this is a race. I plan on practicing Kendo for the rest of my life so there is no rush.

D'artagnan... I wish you well.. and look forward to when you get to sit on the opposite side of me in the line up :) :)

[JSchmidt]

However I am travelling to Canada in october and will not be able to grade for Shodan. The next grading is around about march april next year.... just in time for my next trip, so it may be another year before I can take my grading.....

Go to the Nakakura seminar in Brussels in December...or keep an eye out for seminars in Ireland. The Brussels seminar is very good and is combined with a taikai as well.
And isn't there a seminar in Glasgow in February as well?

Jakob

[ben]

I was pleasantly surprised when watching the kyu-grades division at a taikai in Australia, as the kendo was surprisingly clean for their level.
Jakob

Ta Jakob. As Aruma said, Australia is one of those places that it takes a little longer to reach shodan. A lot of the higher kyu grades are probably performing at dan grade level for a while before they get shodan.

Shunryu Suzuki said a great thing about attainment that relates to this, something like: "Before you reach enlightenment (or shodan or hachidan or whatever) it seems like something wonderful. After you attain it, you realise it's nothing special."

b

[Fai]

Ta Jakob. As Aruma said, Australia is one of those places that it takes a little longer to reach shodan. A lot of the higher kyu grades are probably performing at dan grade level for a while before they get shodan."

b

I always thought that you should be already at the level of grade you intend to grade before you go for a grading. So during a grading you should show your everyday kendo practise and not go for a grading hoping you are lucky that day.

but what am I to know :cheerful:

[samurai999]

I started Kendo in the summer of '99 and got my dan spring of 02 so i say ~2.5 years at the earliest for an adult. I skipped from nothing to 5kyu to 2kyu to 1kyu to 1dan. This is in Norcal tho. We usually go by the discretion of the sensei, but this is to identify which rank to go for. We used to be able to skip kyu levels a little easier, but now we have tests in May and in November so you have 2 chances a year to take the tests. The board is therefore more strict in terms of skipping kyu grades to get to dan, but you can still do it. Compared to other feds I believe that we are fairly anal (retentive).

You'd never be able to jump from nothing to shodan in 3months here unless you already hold a rank from a recognized IKF federation..

Tim

[Neil Gendzwill]

You'd never be able to jump from nothing to shodan in 3months here unless you already hold a rank from a recognized IKF federation..
CKF requires 3 months between passing ikkyu and attempting shodan. So if you started in September, passed ikkyu in the Vancouver grading at the end of November, you might pass shodan in Saskatoon at the end of February. Bwahaha. We have had fairly talented people start in September, pass ikkyu in late February and then pick up shodan the following February, so that's 1 1/2 years. 2 1/2 is more common.

[etherknot]

However I am travelling to Canada in october and will not be able to grade for Shodan. The next grading is around about march april next year.... just in time for my next trip, so it may be another year before I can take my grading.....

What are your travel plans like for your trip to Canada?

By the time you thaw after a Canadian winter there is definately a grading opportunity. :D

[d3rdson]

Regarding to this, does anyone ever refuse a grading result?

I mean, there are guys who play IMHO much better than me, but since they came from places where probably gradings don't go at much faster pace than where I am, they have "lower" grade than myself.

This thing (refusing the grading result) does cross my mind, but then I just suck it up and though it out and practise even harder, in order to compete with my own "title". The main reson for this is mainly because I worried that by refusing, then I would be questioning their judgement, and then it would be an insult to the grading comitee.

I'm hard pressed to become "good" example for all the kohai, but at the same time, can't help to feel deeply embarrased and left pondering when those guys beat me fair and square in shiai. Even I can attest to their better performance, with just watching them practise.

[kendokamax]

Regarding to this, does anyone ever refuse a grading result?

I mean, there are guys who play IMHO much better than me, but since they came from places where probably gradings don't go at much faster pace than where I am, they have "lower" grade than myself.

This thing (refusing the grading result) does cross my mind, but then I just suck it up and though it out and practise even harder, in order to compete with my own "title". The main reson for this is mainly because I worried that by refusing, then I would be questioning their judgement, and then it would be an insult to the grading comitee.

I'm hard pressed to become "good" example for all the kohai, but at the same time, can't help to feel deeply embarrased and left pondering when those guys beat me fair and square in shiai. Even I can attest to their better performance, with just watching them practise.

You just need to live up to the grade you have been attributed. Validate it by continuing practicing! Anyway I think grading is not important. You dont need a certain grade in kendo to apply to a new job. (just to participate in different tournaments category)

[emitbrownne]

What are your travel plans like for your trip to Canada?
By the time you thaw after a Canadian winter there is definately a grading opportunity. :D

I'm only over for two weeks on holiday with my girlfriend. We plan to stay in Toronto and tour the local area. Vistit Niagra and such....

6 weeks (44 days... but who is counting) to go YAY! :) :) :)

[John W]

Amazing that someone could get shodan in 3 months. It seems just too quick. I think that even one year is to quick.

It took me 3 years to get my shodan and that was a lot of hard work!!

[KATSUJIN]

3mths seems too short....getting sho-dan also requires a certain amount of mental maturity in kendo....but in 3mths? oh well....its not my call anyway... i took 2 yrs to get my sho-dan....

[eKenshi]

As I've stated before, I've seen very little difference in the quality of a candidates for the dan grades, when watching gradings where people from different parts of of Europe are participating, regardless of using kyu-grades or not. Having said that, I was pleasantly surprised when watching the kyu-grades division at a taikai in Australia, as the kendo was surprisingly clean for their level.

Jakob

Yeah,i do think that grading are different from dojo to dojo,from country to country.e.g you are in Japan and you are just at 1 or 2nd kyu,but in real terms you are really better in skill than a shodan in another dojo or country.

[kanyil]

I think a few on another thread said something about making shodan in approximately 500 ~ 700 kendo hours.

[senki-kendo-jos]

I got my shodan in sept 04 and i started kendo in May 03... mind you, I was at a Japanese high school and practicing every day with a really tough sensei... a year and a half though... that seems to be a good length of time!

[Navyguy]

I'm only over for two weeks on holiday with my girlfriend. We plan to stay in Toronto and tour the local area. Vistit Niagra and such....

6 weeks (44 days... but who is counting) to go YAY! :) :) :)
Comming to the Niagara area:

www.sckendo.ca (http://www.sckendo.ca)

www.hayakawakendo.ca (http://www.hayakawakendo.ca)

[JSchmidt]

This is correct. However grading applications require a signiture from either sensei or dojo leader.
Not anymore..that rule was changed a few months back.

Jakob

[Washington]

Regarding to this, does anyone ever refuse a grading result?

I mean, there are guys who play IMHO much better than me, but since they came from places where probably gradings don't go at much faster pace than where I am, they have "lower" grade than myself.

I don't Know about " Refusing " a grading result. However here I think I only have a chance at grading once a year.

I started Kendo in March and the only testing I am aware of is in Feb. So if I were not to pass I could have almost 2 years of kendo under my belt with zero ranking. Add up the years / testing chances and the fact I am not good at tests and it's possible that skill doesn't reflect actual grade.

As an alternative example to what you noticed. They might just get nervous about tests like me but do good the rest of the time :)

[Washington]

Stupid 5 minute edit rule :)

disregard my above post... you already pointed out the grading opportunity thing.. sheez

Could you be put into a different division even if you didn't have the proper ranking but performed at that level because of grading times ?