Sho-dan written test cheat sheet

[ben]

funny thing is i never questioned the "written" part of the shinsa, I always thought martial art has two sides, a physical and a mental, so it makes sense to get tested on both.

Naruhodo! Bunburyoudou.

b

[Kenshi]

Every renmei publishes their own Bible... which you should probably buy if you want to pass their test (thats up to 5dan). The 2 prefectures ive lived in Bible is pretty much identical.

In Osaka, if you pass the shinai kendo section of the grading, you then pay your money.... which basically means that the shinai portion of your test is much, much more important than the kata or written portion... anyway, if you fail them (which should be hard to do), you get to do them again. You dont get to do the shinai portion again should you fail that.

So whats the written part about then? Its as people hinted at - its just a way to force people who have no interest in kendo outside of a sport to learn kendos orthodoxy... at least in the Japanese manner of "learning" (i.e. cut-and-paste). For those of us with a wider interest in kendo as budo/art/whatever, then the kata and written portions are simple...... its the physical shinai kendo portion that is hard.

Which begs the next question: were I amazing at kendo would I give a damn about the kata/written portion???????????

Im not so good at shinai kendo, so I emphasis the kata and academic parts...... recognise yourself?? All talk, no action (aka, all Forum, no Dojo)??

[ReKru]

Im not so good at shinai kendo, so I emphasis the kata and academic parts...... recognise yourself?? All talk, no action (aka, all Forum, no Dojo)??

Could you afford as much 'dojo time' as those who are really good at shinai kendo?
I couldn't.
The 'academic stuff' is my substitute for dojo time because it's the closest I can get to Kendo while I'm slaving away in corporate capitalism or the dojo is locked (which over here is probably more often than it being open - or it's occupied and defiled by those Pilates bunnies .. tha evil).
Maybe one day it will be of use - maybe not.

[ratdeau]

Why do we actually have a written test?

Two reasons:
- Make people think about kendo
- Give fun to the examinators when they read the answers

[mingshi]

Going back to the very reason - it probably has more to do with passing on the tradition. Not much of the kendo tradition, but the BUDO tradition. You've been taught the techniques, the forms and now you need to know their theories and concepts. Menjo is to certify you on that, much like the old koryu stuff I reckon. So that the association knows you learn to do kendo with your kokoro and they promote peace and humanity blah blah blah, rather than you keep wacking on somebody's head thinking that it's fun.

[Fonsz]

Going back to the very reason - it probably has more to do with passing on the tradition. Not much of the kendo tradition, but the BUDO tradition. You've been taught the techniques, the forms and now you need to know their theories and concepts. Menjo is to certify you on that, much like the old koryu stuff I reckon. So that the association knows you learn to do kendo with your kokoro and they promote peace and humanity blah blah blah, rather than you keep wacking on somebody's head thinking that it's fun.

The most eloquent post so far about the theory why we have written tests. Although I beg to differ about the part about whacking people over the head thinking that it's fun. We have created here the confederation of World Peace through the Vigorous practice of Kendo. Don't tell me that that isn't fun or that it shouldn't be fun.

[Nanbanjin]

All talk, no action (aka, all Forum, no Dojo)??

If only more people would actually participate in forum debates rather than just create kendo in their own understanding of Japanese-mysticism, pugilism, Zen-buddhism or whatever ism it is that they use as a crutch to hobble from day to day.

Also, if we know terms like "zanshin" and "kikentainoitchi" etc. we can sit back do things like watch school kids do almost gravity defying techniques and say to each other "well, where was the zanshin in that then?".

[Nanbanjin]

6. Ashi-sabaki (Footwork)

Ashi-sabaki is the way of moving your feet to move your body or when you hit, including ayumi-ashi, okuri-ashi, hiraki-ashi and tsugi-ashi. Ayumi-ashi is moving your feet backwards and forwards in big steps to move quickly, okuri-ashi is moving quickly in various directions in small steps, hiraki-ashi can be used to hit your opponent or avoid their strike while moving to the side, and tsugi-ashi is used when you need to hit your opponent from a long distance.

1) Ayumi-ashi

Moving forward and backwards in the same way as walking normally

a. don't lift your feet to high so you are using suri-ashi (<- so your feet slide)
b. move your centre of gravity as much as possible horizontally, centred at your waist
c. move without letting your kamae break down, and without your upperbody or shinai swaying

2) Okuri-ashi

Move with the foot closest to the direction in which direction you want to move, so that the following foot pulls up behind straight away.

a. try and bring the following foot up to the correct position without allowing it to become slow or be left behind
b. when moving backwards and forwards make sure that your heel doesn't touch the floor
c. also follow the points listed for ayumi-ashi

3) Hiraki-ashi

When moving forward to the right keep your right foot facing your opponent. Move your right foot diagonally forward and follow with the left foot so that your left waist rotates back to the left and you end up facing your opponent correctly.
Moving forward left, back left/right is done in a similar fashion.

a. make sure the following foot comes up to the correct position
b. move your centre of gravity centred at your waiste

4) Tsugi-ashi

Move your left foot up to the position of your right foot and then immediatelymove your right foot forward in a big step in the same manner as for okuri-ashi.

a. when initially bringing your left foot up you might tend to stop. So that you don't give your opponent to attack make sure that you move your right foot forward as soon as your left foot has come up.
b. do the entire movement in one breath, from moving the left foot up to pushing the right foot out.

[Nanbanjin]

7. Sequence of putting on and taking off kendo-gu

(1) Put on your kendo-gu quickly and correctly so that it does not come lose or fall off during keiko (or shiai)
(2) After use be mindful of cleanliness and tidiness
(3) When putting on kendo-gu do so in the order: tare -> do -> men -> left kote -> right kote. When taking off kendo-gu the order is reversed

[Fonsz]

Ah, the fountain of information is spouting again. Very good, now all we (Neill) have to do is make it sticky and everyone will know where to find it.
I thank you again on behalf of all the truth seekers, grading applicants and the generally interested.
Any notes for San dan? Or aren't you doing requests?

[cesarekim]

Can you do Yondan Cheat Sheets as well?

PLEASE?

Daddy, I promise I'll be good..... and I'll brush my teeth twice after each and every meal.

[Nanbanjin]

8. What to watch out for when putting on kendo-gu (<- not much new here)

(1) Himo (ties)
a. also for the sake of safety, tie himo firmly so they are not untidy.
b. keep both ends of the himo in the not the same length (the length of the men himo is about 40cm from the knot)

(2) Tare
a. with the large centre flap (<- for want of a better word) in the centre tie the tare with the belt bit (<- for the want of a better word) against the lower stomach
b. cross the tare-himo at the back (below the koshi-ita of the tare) bring over the hip bone and tie under the large flap at the front

(3) Do
a. tie correctly directly in front of the body
b. lift suffiently, cross the long himo at the back and tie at the upper chi-kawa
c. if you tie the do to high you will create pressure on your throat and under your arms, your movement will become slow, and a dangerous gap will appear between your tare and do
d. if you tie the do to low a dangerous gap wil form beneath your nodo and underarms

(4) Men (<- sounds like kansai style to me)
a. wrap your head in your men towel
b. hold the men with both hands at the position of the cheeks, put your chin inside followed by your forehead
c. cross the himo at the back slightly below the centre of the head bring around and cross at the bottom of the men-gane, (pass both himo through the lowest gap) and tie at the back of the head, with the himo hanging about 40cm below the knot
d. it is dangerous to tie the men tilted upwards because it can come off easily if tied like this

(5) Kote
a. hang on the shaft (<- this is actually a pretty accurate translation) when putting on the kote
b. if you hold by the head it can change shape and become easy to damage

(The kote has a shaft and a head. Well I'll be!)

[Nanbanjin]

Can you do Yondan Cheat Sheets as well?

I've got a long and dull thanksgiving coming up so maybe.

[Nanbanjin]

Ah, the fountain of information is spouting again. Very good, now all we (Neill) have to do is make it sticky and everyone will know where to find it.
I thank you again on behalf of all the truth seekers, grading applicants and the generally interested.
Any notes for San dan? Or aren't you doing requests?

This all started with yon-dan.

http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4629

I didn't quite get it finished so I was hoping to maybe knock it off over thanksgiving. Maybe I can get onto third dan as well. Second dan is very long so I'm putting it off till last.

[xvikingx]

2 questions:
1. Is it recommended to use Kansai-style when tying your men at shinsa?
2. How closely do they inspect your himo? Granted someone grading for shodan really shouldn’t have to think too hard about how to put on their bogu properly, but the reason I ask is that although I have always tied my men himo the way it says here, slightly below center (or for me bellow the little knob on the back of my skull), I get corrected and told to tie my men differently every time. Each of my sensei has a different opinion about where I should tie my men; one will tell me to tie it lower, so I do and then another will tell to tie it higher, and so on. And if it’s the head sensei correcting me it’s usually followed up with “Nihon no kendo wo namen nayo!” and a whack to the skull. This has left me a little confused and slightly nervous about my up coming shinsa.