I was told recently that I would be testing for sandan next month, the date has yet to be set, and naturally I was excited about that fact. I have been training diligently since I started my karate career and kicked my training efforts up even higher since achieving my nidan. At no point in this time did I ever really wonder when I would be taking my next rank test, or how long it would be until I got my shodan, nidan, etc. I've never much cared for rank. All I knew was that everyday I would enter the dojo, put in 150% effort and learn something new (or refine something I already knew how to do). Naturally, this didn't happen literally everyday but that was my general plan upon going to the dojo.
Now I've come to the point where I'm reaching a level within my style that represents, to my opinion, a certain level of expertise within a style. It has always been my understanding that a sandan in a style like Shotokan (within an organization with a strict syllabus and quality-control), was representative of an expert within that style. If you're familiar with Rob Redmond's soon to be defunct blog 24 Fighting Chickens, Mr. Redmond espouses this same viewpoint. My thinking on this comes from the ideas behind the testing requirements for each rank. I train with the American JKA Karate Association - International, whose syllabus closely mirrors that used by the JKA in Japan (as it was written in the 1980's, at least, when the AJKA-I was first formed).
For shodan and nidan testing, the requirements are fairly straightforward: perform the requisite kata and kihon, practice some jiyu-ippon kumite (for shodan only) and then jiyu-kumite with other karate-ka of varying rank (higher and lower). The purpose of these test criteria is simply to judge each karate-ka's individual ability and precision of technique. The exams are strictly technical in nature. Once an examinee reaches sandan the testing becomes somewhat more complex, now the examinee is required to not only demonstrate technical ability but technical knowledge as well. How to teach a technique, and how to properly perform techniques to create maximum efficiency. The test for yondan, within the AJKA-I is probably the most intense level of testing, not only is physical ability tested, but the examinee is also required to write a formal research paper on a subject put forth by the technical committee. Between sandan and yondan, I believe, is where physical "mastery" often takes place (in the ideal candidate). Beyond yondan, the physical is less stressed and the mental ability and commitment to the organization become paramount. Beyond sandan, the karate-ka is now urged to create and develop his own style of practicing Shotokan, it is those differences in execution and application that differentiate the upper echelons of the various JKA-style organizations.
Put into simple academic terms, you might look at 9th-4th kyu as high school, 3rd-1st kyu as college, shodan is graduation, 2nd dan is applying to grad schools, whereas 3rd dan is being in grad school. 4th to 5th dan is like a masters degree and 6th dan and above is one's PhD. I took a very simple ranking system and gave it meaning within an academic setting. Each individual's opinion will vary based on their experiences and styles, of course, but this works for me.
With that being said, I've gone far afield from my original purpose in writing this article, but it creates a nice platform from whence to continue. To be continued in Part 2
Now I've come to the point where I'm reaching a level within my style that represents, to my opinion, a certain level of expertise within a style. It has always been my understanding that a sandan in a style like Shotokan (within an organization with a strict syllabus and quality-control), was representative of an expert within that style. If you're familiar with Rob Redmond's soon to be defunct blog 24 Fighting Chickens, Mr. Redmond espouses this same viewpoint. My thinking on this comes from the ideas behind the testing requirements for each rank. I train with the American JKA Karate Association - International, whose syllabus closely mirrors that used by the JKA in Japan (as it was written in the 1980's, at least, when the AJKA-I was first formed).
For shodan and nidan testing, the requirements are fairly straightforward: perform the requisite kata and kihon, practice some jiyu-ippon kumite (for shodan only) and then jiyu-kumite with other karate-ka of varying rank (higher and lower). The purpose of these test criteria is simply to judge each karate-ka's individual ability and precision of technique. The exams are strictly technical in nature. Once an examinee reaches sandan the testing becomes somewhat more complex, now the examinee is required to not only demonstrate technical ability but technical knowledge as well. How to teach a technique, and how to properly perform techniques to create maximum efficiency. The test for yondan, within the AJKA-I is probably the most intense level of testing, not only is physical ability tested, but the examinee is also required to write a formal research paper on a subject put forth by the technical committee. Between sandan and yondan, I believe, is where physical "mastery" often takes place (in the ideal candidate). Beyond yondan, the physical is less stressed and the mental ability and commitment to the organization become paramount. Beyond sandan, the karate-ka is now urged to create and develop his own style of practicing Shotokan, it is those differences in execution and application that differentiate the upper echelons of the various JKA-style organizations.
Put into simple academic terms, you might look at 9th-4th kyu as high school, 3rd-1st kyu as college, shodan is graduation, 2nd dan is applying to grad schools, whereas 3rd dan is being in grad school. 4th to 5th dan is like a masters degree and 6th dan and above is one's PhD. I took a very simple ranking system and gave it meaning within an academic setting. Each individual's opinion will vary based on their experiences and styles, of course, but this works for me.
With that being said, I've gone far afield from my original purpose in writing this article, but it creates a nice platform from whence to continue. To be continued in Part 2
Hi Kiran, My own opinion regarding rank is that it's position within the wider circle depends very much on the organisation in which it was awarded. We are all aware, I'm sure, of people claiming 12th,14th Dan or even higher at a relatively young age by comparison to more 'traditional' schools. The organisation to which I belong is widely regarded (within the UK) to have a very high standard and as such the various Dan grades that have been produced by the school would tend to fall in line with what you have written. However, we have all visited dojo's and come across like graded individuals to discover large areas missing from their knowledge and ability when compared to our own. However, the student is seldom the one at fault here as grades are not self determined. What is important though is the commitment these same people have made to train for a period of time albeit arriving with differing levels of skill at the said grade. Whose to say they are not infact reflecting what was originally expected and that more skilled karateka at the same level are just ahead of the game ability wise but waiting for time to catch them up. So, to say what does rank mean, I think the answer lies within each individual and how they feel about their own karate. Doesn't mean it's right or wrong it's just where they are at present....good luck with the Sandan...Oss
ReplyDeleteThank you for the response, and sorry for taking so long to respond. What you say is absolutely true, and it is in no way the student's fault. I hope that isn't what came through. My main gripe has always been with the supposed standards that are maintained within some organizations. It is amazing what some people will do to make an extra buck with regards to promoting students before they are ready. The McDojo concept is derived from that, and whilst I have no problem with people making money, there is a problem with poor quality control.
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