Testing season

[rawnshah]

It's time for testing again. So far I've already tested the new rokkyu students in the Catalina Foothills class. The very first test tends to be graded fairly leniently. But, as I say to them, that the next tests get harder and harder in terms of the grading itself, and there's of course more and harder material too.

Also coming up are our new Shodan candidates: Andrew Dicenso, Dusty Alexander, and Steve Waldstein. They will have to demonstrate their cutting ability up first, and followed by the kata and waza testing the following week. The cutting tests for Shodan requires them to perform at least Kihon-toho, and then two other cuts as part of their Jyu-toho (out of the total four basic choices). The cuts have to be clean, and not knock over the goza or stand. Their other choices are: kesa-kiriage-kesa, gohon-giri, or kata 1&2 on a single goza.

As always, for the tests, don't try to show off your advanced skills by doing beyond what you can pull off easily and meets the requirements. The point of the test is show a skill that you can do > 80% of the time. That means you have achieved that level, and aren't simply trying a challenge which is beyond your ability. You can always do that as something harder after the actual test and get it on video to show that you can.

I have to test for my Sandan level too, although I'll have to see if I can do it. I hurt my neck and shoulders quite a bit last week and the doctor put me on percocet/pain killers for the next two months. I've been in constant pain since last Saturday, although the degree of pain has gone down. So much for getting older. People keep asking me if I fell on my neck or someone hit me, but none of that happened. The more likely fault is the 100-200 pounds of equipment I have to carry around several times a week for the class, plus over-taxing myself with really hard and fast swings.

Anyway, for sandan, I have to perform Kihon-toho on 2 goza, and then a choice of two out of tsubamegaeshi, nukitsuke-kiriage, 2-stand cuts, or first six katas on one goza. I've done all of these at some point. We revised the testing criteria some; previously we had people (meaning me) do at least kesagiri, if not the full kihon-toho, on 3 goza for the Nidan test. We decided that was a little excessively difficult in genera: (fyi: I did manage to cut it but on the second try). We moved that to a Yondan (4th degree black belt) requirement.

So cutting 2 goza should be easier now, especially since the test comes quite rarely, I'll give it a shot. I may not be able to practice for a month or two afterwards (or end up in a neck brace), but teaching class doesn't require me to swing the sword as much.

The new stand will actually make it easier for some folks trying multiple goza. The goza will be spaced slightly apart. That means that on impact, your sword is not constantly decelerating at a high rate as it goes through the target; that is what happens when the goza are stacked directly against each other. With the spacing, it actually may speed up slightly as it hits empty air for a split second. Whatever the case, you will feel it in your wrist, arms and shoulders the next day.

So here's looking forward to more people cutting 2+ goza, and best of luck to all the test candidates.

-rawn