What kept you going after shodan?

[seienchin]

With Sublimo celebrating hard earned success, it gave me pause to reflect on the very high attrition rate in Kyokushin. My sensei used to say that 1 in every 1000 students who commence will make it to shodan, and only 1 out of 100 who make it to shodan will do nidan.

What is the experience of others here?

for those of you nidan and above, what kept you going once you had finally achieved your goal of "black-belt" - if indeed that was your original goal?

Alternatively, if you have stopped grading, but kept training, why is that?

Do many of you still have shodan-ho (where the real grade of shodan, including belt and certificate) is awarded only after a further year of training. The shodan-ho is allowed to wear a generic blackbelt. After proving his/her ongoing dedication, a certificate and personalised belt are presented.

[ksan]

Osu,

I was thought that a -HO grade was like an award, where someone got graded to a specific grade but isnt training or not training anymore. Like Shodan-ho to a secretary who has done many years for an organisation or godan-ho to an official who has provided many oppertunities for an organisation in a specific country (i think President Putin, was graded to godan-ho by kancho Matsui or Shihan Royama)....

One of the things that kept me going was a good instructor,... he told me, you have now climbed the first step of a long ladder, keep at it and make some more steps....

Osu

Ksan

[Shokei Marcsui]

Do many of you still have shodan-ho (where the real grade of shodan, including belt and certificate) is awarded only after a further year of training. The shodan-ho is allowed to wear a generic blackbelt. After proving his/her ongoing dedication, a certificate and personalised belt are presented.

Our dojo observes a tradition similar to this. A couple of shodan just recently received their "official" shodan belt with name and organization embroidered on the belt. Prior to receiving this, the karateka wears a basic kuro obi. I believe the time is somewhere around one year.

on the side: I think a close family member or loved one ties the belt and tells the karateka what he/she expects for the rest of his/her career. Training hard, staying honorable to school country etc... that sort of thing.

off to the side question: I've read on some dojo websites about dojo etiquette. It was stated that a lower kyu cannot/must not touch the obi of a higher grade particularly a dan grade. Where does this tradition come from? Is this a universally practiced tradition?

[Billy no mates]

Originally Posted by Shokei Marcsui

I've read on some dojo websites about dojo etiquette. It was stated that a lower kyu cannot/must not touch the obi of a higher grade particularly a dan grade. Where does this tradition come from? Is this a universally practiced tradition?

Ive heard of it but its not something ive really seen observed i have touched the belts of higher grades during bag work or sparring to remove a trip hazard from the floor when its come of,or when coaching i have adjusted belts and attached ribbons to the belts of fighters to nervous to do it for themselves .

[sonofkanga]

What kept me going?
ShoDan to me was just the beginning.That was when I really started to train.
But you are quite correct,many retire after recieving Shodan,only I don't think it is unique to Kyokushin.
I have heard the same numbers for all traditional karate.

[sublimo]

My goal after shodan is to spread out the kyokushin way off life to our dojo kids and youth and to teach and help in my dojo. My short goal is not my nidan. Maybe in the future. what I do want to learn are the kata s and kihon for ni-dan and sandan. But I don´t really care about become fast ni or sandan. I have wrote a letter to the sihans why I want to become shodan and what I want to do after it. I´m not going to make my letter public on our forum but if anyone is interested to read please de not hesitate to mail me.


One last phrase I wrote in my letter is:

In the short future I want to train as much as I can to fight knock down tournaments. I also want to follow as much courses I can all over the world. This to develop my self to become a good karateka and level up my skills to bring it over to persons who has the same determination. Further I want to use my Kyokushin toughts and skills to protect the weak and strive for peace.

But this is what I m planning to do in the SHORT future. For the long future and vision I wrote diffrent thinks.

[Spirit]

Shodan was never my goal

[sublimo]

Originally Posted by jap man

Shodan was never my goal

Actually mine was. It is not always bad to strive for a goal. And if somebody´s goal is shodan and he or she works very hard for it and can do it in 7-8 years it is good for him or her. It is just: when are you ready for it? I was not ready to become shodan for 14 years but kept on training for it. Some off my dojo did it in 8 years cause they are faster mature do do the test. It doesn´t make he or her a better or badder shodan.

a shodan must be a kind off goal for every karateka. It is a kind of motivation to keep on training. But it is true that it may not be the maingoal. Or the end off your karatelife. The end goal is keep on training/ teaching and try to bring it over to others. I don´t want to say that the goal is to have as many stripes on your belt, like there are a lots off Dan hunters lately. I really dislikes that. But it is not bad to see a shodan grade as a goal or motivation. It just may not be the end.

Well this is my opinion.

[schuyler]

Once you get a shodan, kyu's look at you different. I started training twice as hard when I achieved shodan because of this. Must set a good example....

[Bloke]

I felt the very same Schuyler

[Spirit]

"Once you get a shodan, kyu's look at you different. I started training twice as hard when I achieved shodan because of this."

I find this to very interesting statement.

[sublimo]

Originally Posted by jap man

"Once you get a shodan, kyu's look at you different. I started training twice as hard when I achieved shodan because of this."

I find this to very interesting statement.

Hmm it is indeed.

[seienchin]

I can relate to schuyler's comment, but perhaps in a slightly different way. One feels a particular pressure/desire to be a good role model. If a black-belt exhibits poor behaviour, it can infect the dojo. This is not a complete shock, as brown belts have a similar position. I just felt more "responsible" once I was a shodan. I guess it's like parents suddently realising that they have to mind their language once the toddler starts repeating back *&$%&#* language at them! However, on topic, this didn't keep me going, so to speak, it just added a different flavour to my attendance at main dojo.

What kept me going was that I just loved it! I couldn't envisage stopping.

[Spirit]

Well,
I guess it comes back to personall experiences. When I made grade (one of 6 at the test who past) their was 10 others in the dojo at the time that was already sho, ni, or sandans. So making shodan and have others (kyu's) look at you any different was not a big deal or anything. No one really looked at you any different, you lined up the same, you followed the class the same nothing changed except you got hit harder and more often with the bamboo stick...

Shodan was nothing more than a step, nothing more nothing less, no celabration no party, it happens if you put the effort in to your training.
If you are a karateka in heart you see it that way, sure you can look in the mirror and say hey I'm a Yudansha now. But did your skills improve or did your knowledge increase the moment you wrapped the new colored obi around your body, NO!!!
So move on, ego will only slow you down...

[Lucy]

Of course kyu grades will look at you differently...your now a senior grade and your role is to set a good example within the dojo. As for training, i train as hard now as i always have! I will definately be looking forward to grade to nidan maybe next year. Only once i am confident that i am a capable instructor and have something to give back to my club. I want to further deepen my knowledge in all aspects. Become a referee in clicker and kata. Show im putting my all into the organisation, then and only then will i feel its right to grade for nidan.

[sublimo]

Originally Posted by Lucy

Of course kyu grades will look at you differently...your now a senior grade and your role is to set a good example within the dojo. As for training, i train as hard now as i always have! I will definately be looking forward to grade to nidan maybe next year. Only once i am confident that i am a capable instructor and have something to give back to my club. I want to further deepen my knowledge in all aspects. Become a referee in clicker and kata. Show im putting my all into the organisation, then and only then will i feel its right to grade for nidan.

You are giving me inspiration...

[Spirit]

Originally Posted by Lucy

Only once i am confident that i am a capable instructor and have something to give back to my club. I want to further deepen my knowledge in all aspects. Become a referee in clicker and kata. Show im putting my all into the organisation, then and only then will i feel its right to grade for nidan.

All things that all of our yudansha had accplished by Sankyu..., To be able to go for shodan, you had to teach for 2 years before, and be able to hold a classes attention no matter the level... We all reffered and trained 4-6 days a week...

Lucy, I'm not putting you down, just each org, dojo sees things and does things differently.

We just did not put a big effort on BEING shodan or any other grade. The focus was on the training and the knowledge. So it was the person(s) who were the best all around instructor(s) and those who did everything (kihon, kata, kumite, etc) really well and gave 125% in every class, who got the attention (no matter color of belt) and the looks, no one else...