Hachidan Test Documentary

[b8amack]

You can grade for it here in SK, and it's not any easier. I don't know about anywhere else; they're all under the IFK, aren't they? I thought not.

[Kendoka]

Is there any way to get an official, legit copy of this? DVD or VHS?

Unfirtunately, no. Thats been tried by many since it was broadcast. We got it on the Foxtel National Geographic channel, so maybe a search on their site might turn up something.

[Tort-Speed]

BoguBoogeyman, thanks for posting that video. Maybe my computer or the film or both, not so easy to watch but would be nice to have fuller subtitles. So many things said, so few words written. Also, at the start it seemed the narrator said the exam was in Kyoto in May, Tokyo in November but the subtitles maybe had May/June. Dear Mr. Miyamoto had lovely, heartfelt things to say but only Mr. Ishida's face was shown during most of the septuagenarian's comments -
60-70% of which weren't in the subtitles. While subtitles that reflect well what the speaker of a different language is saying aren't easy to do, what was said was important for Kendoists, maintaining history and inspirational, imo.

[FredUM]

Unfirtunately, no. Thats been tried by many since it was broadcast. We got it on the Foxtel National Geographic channel, so maybe a search on their site might turn up something.

A search at the GNC website gave nothing in terms of VHS or DVD copies to buy (or anything else related to the documentary); and neither did googling the title. I guess one option would be to contact National Geographic, but I have some vague memories from earlier threads on this topic where people had tried this with no or negative responses. At least it's posted at a number of places on the web and we do get reminders to see it every once in a while.

It is a great documentary though, and I think I return to it at least every time someone post something about it here; and I think there are few people having had such a profound effect on my attitude to kendo as Miyamoto-san.

[Kendoka]

A search at the GNC website gave nothing in terms of VHS or DVD copies to buy (or anything else related to the documentary); and neither did googling the title. I guess one option would be to contact National Geographic, but I have some vague memories from earlier threads on this topic where people had tried this with no or negative responses. At least it's posted at a number of places on the web and we do get reminders to see it every once in a while.

It is a great documentary though, and I think I return to it at least every time someone post something about it here; and I think there are few people having had such a profound effect on my attitude to kendo as Miyamoto-san.

Fred, PM me with your email address. I think a member of the Swedish team is returning via Australia, I may be able to ask her to pass on a DVD to you.

[ben]

Miyamoto is the real hero here.....
Above all, he seems such a nice person!
The documentary is of the late 90'?

The doco was made in 1997 by NHK. I believe that Miyamoto sensei never ended up passing the test. I don't know for sure but I imagine that he would no longer be with us.

On a happier note, I thought I saw in a recent Kendo Nihon monthly that an 80 year old gentleman had just passed his 8 dan.

b

[Hisham]

Fred, PM me with your email address. I think a member of the Swedish team is returning via Australia, I may be able to ask her to pass on a DVD to you.

So there is a DVD after all. Can you ask her to include Morocco in her world trip

The doco was made in 1997 by NHK. I believe that Miyamoto sensei never ended up passing the test. I don't know for sure but I imagine that he would no longer be with us.

I think i've read somewhere that the gentleman passed away the year after that hachidan test.

[Ryujin]

Originally Posted by ben
The doco was made in 1997 by NHK. I believe that Miyamoto sensei never ended up passing the test. I don't know for sure but I imagine that he would no longer be with us.

I think i've read somewhere that the gentleman passed away the year after that hachidan test.

Indeed Miyamoto sensei never succeeded to pass the hachidan test, although later he has been awarded a honorary hanshi shogo title.
He is also still with us, in his 90s and at least since last year when we met him, during a visit in his dojo he put on his bogu a couple of times every week.

[Hisham]

He is also still with us, in his 90s and at least since last year when we met him, during a visit in his dojo he put on his bogu a couple of times every week.

I stand corrected and thanks for the info.

[Tsunemori]

Is he still trying every year?

[kumaken]

I believe in six degrees of Kevin Bacon, although I have yet to find how he fits in here, not there yet.
Anyway, I posted a link to this video on Facebook the other night.
I spoke with the star of it just tonight, at Osaka Shudokan.
And, finally, I'm listening to a bootleg of a concert in Perth, AU in 2003.
Kevin Bacon.

[dwez]

It was on Channel 4 (I think, or BBC2) here in the UK ages ago, I taped it off the telly (minus the first two minutes, but I edited the youtube footage in to make it complete), just the other week I digitised it to DVD, it's a half decent copy at least.

[NinjasHateKWF]

Ninjas are born hachidan. It's in our blood.

[ghostdancer]

was also on on of the Sky channels in the uk National Geo i think

[Yan Ling]

Does anyone happen to know the song in the introduction of the documentary? I've heard it before in a Japanese Cafeteria I frequent so I assume its a popular classical piece.