HELP: Shodan test in English in Japan.

[neanderthal]

:confused:

Its probably somewhere in the search and archieves.

but my sensei has said i can go for shodan and i know part of it is the written test.

my spoken japanese is ok but i cant read or write because im brainless.

the test will be on august 13th.

is there a way to get an english version, approved by japanese kendo federation.

is there a number or a person i or my sensei can contact to discuss it and fix it?

please help me obiwon!

:eek:

[neanderthal]

looking in the search i found a little info, but confirmaion and experience and advice would be greatfully appreciated.

i know my sensei is also looking into it, but id also like to help as im the cause of the problem.

please.

adjusts to seiza and bows deeply with a loud voice onegaishimas:down:

[Kenshi]

1. You can almost definetly do it in English. Your sensei MAY NOT KNOW THIS. Contact your renmei by yourself or ask your sensei to do so for you.

2. One of my kohai got his done not as a written test, but as a verbal test.... with his Japanese and a single 8dan senseis pidgin English.

What happens will probably depend on where you are, and if any of the sensei speak English.

Nobody fails the written part.

Good luck.

[neanderthal]

many thanks for your quick reply!

i really really appreciate it as i so want to try for the test.

i will pass on your advice to my sensei tomorrow and see what they say.

no doubt it will be the same as you said but as its the first time for them dealing with a foreigner they dont know the correct route.

Thank you!!!!:smiley:

[Kenshi]

Not a problem!

For shodan, they say its all decided on the 1st men of kirikaeshi over here.... so start with a big kakegoe and just smash that first one in... the rest is easy!

Where are you, if I may ask?

[neanderthal]

you may ask and:

im in niigata.

the place which is rocking and rolling right now.

let me say with the earthquake next to the nuke power station all our shinais are glowing green.

so that may help with the first men.

im not afraid at all of the practicle kendo part, i will just try my best as i do each practice. just worried as i have no idea on the written test procedure and dont want to put my sensei to any extra effort than needed.

[Kenshi]

I suspect your sensei is more than happy to help you, so dont worry about that too much.

Niigata!!!!

If you ever head to the Heaven-That-Is-Earth of Osaka please bring your shinai (not the glowing one).

A bunch of UK boys were just over recently (still are there actually) in Fukuoka. Check it out (http://www.flickr.com/photos/eikenkai/tags/nichieigasshuku07/).

[neanderthal]

will do!

the pics look great i just wonder how the sweet japanese girls took to a coach load of brits? and i saw a picture somewhere of either an osaka or a kyoto dojo which looked like a temple inside. I thought that would be such a beautiful place to practice and learn from the best.

As you already know you are welcome in any dojo in niigata ken, we are all friendly folk up here. its either too much snow in winter or definately the power plant which has sent us all loopy.

[Kenshi]

I took care of the girls... the boys are there to train.

[tango]

neanderthal ---

My sensei took all his promotionals in Japan more than 20 years ago and it seems he was able to write his exams in English and then his sensei translated it for the board.

in a pinch, maybe some similar set-up could work for you, too?

[don don]

neanderthal ---

My sensei took all his promotionals in Japan more than 20 years ago and it seems he was able to write his exams in English and then his sensei translated it for the board.

in a pinch, maybe some similar set-up could work for you, too?

Yes. It's becoming more common now for us gaijin to use an interpreter. That's what I did in Kyoto-fu for sho-dan and ni-dan. It all went ahead without fuss or too much undue attention coming my way.
Might it help your sensei if you found a willing Japanese friend who speaks English and put this person in touch with him? Worked for me.

[neanderthal]

well i passed my 1 kyu today and tomorrow i have my shodan.

im very poor at the kata but with a bit of luck i may scrape by.

im pleased that in the last 2 days of band camp ( sorry kendo study ) that i met many new people and enjoyed learning many new things and sweating lots.

i now think there should be a question on the test: how do you get shodan? - answer: by sweating buckets.

anyway the result of my original question and post was that my wife can tell me the questions in english, i then can write the answers in english, and then she can translate them verbally or in writing ( not sure yet ) to the examiners.

so there is definately a way to take the test in english in japan for those fellow foreigners who wish to do so.

i feel cheated on my 1 kyu - i had 3 kyu and it was difficult to get i felt i earnt it and it was on a scale of 1-6 and everyone got differing results.

this time everyone who took the 1 kyu test passed. its like the examiners waved a wond over 150 students and said you are all now 1 kyu.

i dont mind failing as i enjoy the trying and the exercise and sweating more than the results. but it felt like they were just passing everyone to get the fees for shodan.

my shodan test will definately be earnt though. i have never felt so much pain or sweated so much in my life.

but in my honest opinion i will fail as i dont feel shodan material yet - give it a year or two.

i will post how it went next week.

i will be smiling either way as ive had fun!

[Kenshi]

Congratulations.


but it felt like they were just passing everyone to get the fees for shodan.

The fact is that for anything up to nidan you will almost certainly not fail. At 3dan it becomes a little bit different but the vast majority of people will pass.

From 4dan it gets serious.

Oh, and the federations need the grading fee.... as that seems to be their main (if not only) source of income....

[neanderthal]

lets keep our fingers crossed then!

anyway i had fun and will have fun and after all isnt this is what kendo is all about.

pushing yourself and making new friends and learning from each other.

i started with the attitude of wouldnt it be cool to fight with sticks and i soon realised that its not about that, its and art and a skill. with training you to can be asked to dance.

im proud of my fellow kendoka and am so glad to learn from them. i hope if i fail i dont let them done.

but hey 1 kyu is a step up not a step down.

but the chance is there to make my teachers proud and i want to give them that pride as a reward of teaching me and helping me for every little mistake i make - which is many.

well i thank all of you out there as everyone in kendo are the kindest and most respectful people you will ever meet no matter what ability you are at.

there are a few strict senseis left over from the war, but even these have a sense of humour and we can all have a laugh at me making the same mistake 100 times.

if i pass i will send a message to the pope saying a miracle has occured and we can call it sacred ground - now that would raise funds too. - i may become the first saint of kendo. LOL! - pants or no pants is the questions. sweat or confidence???