Dr-Rogg
12th June 2004, 04:00 PM
Passed 1 kyu today :) So thought I would jot down what happened, for anyone who's interested in grading in Japan...
Arrived at my uni dojo at seven to pack up bougu, and, with the lovely Oka-sempai and fellow prospective ikkyu-ee Tou, headed off to the dojo in Kaneda, Kitakyushu, to be confronted by a huge group of shou and chuugakusei :) As it turned out, there were one hundred and nineteen candidates, of which four (including myself) looked to be over the age of sixteen or so. We registered, got the big chalk numbers on our tare, and received a mock paper test for the shodan exam. We then changed, warmed up and generally got ready, and started at nine.
After the traditional set of speeches, which seem to be obligatory for any meeting comprising more than ten people over here, we were split into two groups for practice kirigaeshi, while the invigilating senseis offered pointers - mainly along the lines of lots of kiai, and large backswing on the kirigaeshi. After that, we were then divided up by our numbers, and split into two areas in order to take the exam itself.
We were again divvied up into groups of five, and then started. Firstly, one person performed kirigaeshi on another, and then the pair did a tachikiri (short jigeiko). The receiver then left, and the giver became the receiver for the next person, and then they did another tachikiri. The way the pairings worked out, I ended up as the first receiver - slight pain in the arse, cos I had to go in twice, but at least I got a break :)
And that was it, save for a final announcement that everyone had passed (even the bloke who fell over...), and a bit of hob-nobbing with the senseis afterwards.
All in all, I don't know what I was worring about to be honest. From nought to ikkyu in six months - go me!
ところで、小学生の剣道はほんとに可愛いだなぁ (^_^)
Arrived at my uni dojo at seven to pack up bougu, and, with the lovely Oka-sempai and fellow prospective ikkyu-ee Tou, headed off to the dojo in Kaneda, Kitakyushu, to be confronted by a huge group of shou and chuugakusei :) As it turned out, there were one hundred and nineteen candidates, of which four (including myself) looked to be over the age of sixteen or so. We registered, got the big chalk numbers on our tare, and received a mock paper test for the shodan exam. We then changed, warmed up and generally got ready, and started at nine.
After the traditional set of speeches, which seem to be obligatory for any meeting comprising more than ten people over here, we were split into two groups for practice kirigaeshi, while the invigilating senseis offered pointers - mainly along the lines of lots of kiai, and large backswing on the kirigaeshi. After that, we were then divided up by our numbers, and split into two areas in order to take the exam itself.
We were again divvied up into groups of five, and then started. Firstly, one person performed kirigaeshi on another, and then the pair did a tachikiri (short jigeiko). The receiver then left, and the giver became the receiver for the next person, and then they did another tachikiri. The way the pairings worked out, I ended up as the first receiver - slight pain in the arse, cos I had to go in twice, but at least I got a break :)
And that was it, save for a final announcement that everyone had passed (even the bloke who fell over...), and a bit of hob-nobbing with the senseis afterwards.
All in all, I don't know what I was worring about to be honest. From nought to ikkyu in six months - go me!
ところで、小学生の剣道はほんとに可愛いだなぁ (^_^)