East Coast Winter Iaido seminar

[Jonathan Anderson]

Just got word about this today. This event will take place on Saturday, January 22nd, 2011. For those of you wishing to test for promotion, you will need to be a paid SEUSKF member PRIOR to the event. You will also need to have an Iaito, a solid grasp of Harei, Torei (beginning and ending), 5 kata (the 5 you need will depend on the rank you are attempting for), and possibly 2 written essays (again, rank dependent).

This is all the information I have on this currently, but I'll post more information as it becomes available - location, shinsa details, etc. Please let me know if you're interested in attending the seminar and/or shinsa.

[Jonathan Anderson]

I just got some of the following information from Parker Sensei:

Nothing important has changed in the AUSKF requirements.
For 2-dan, we require only Seitei kata.

For all persons testing, 5 kata, with opening and closing rei-ho, completed within 6 minutes.
Questions you can find on the AUSKF iaido section are an accurate reflection of questions you might see on this year's East coast shinsa.

For the last year or two we on the East Coast have removed the 'rank desired' space from the shinsa application. Ranks for people taking the first test will be taken care of by the judging panel. Once a rank has been given, one normally returns as a candidate for the next rank. Beginner candidates should just do their best.

For nidan candidates, correct technique, correct metsuke, seme and zanshin are all required. Correct, sincere rei-ho is important. A strong spirit is important.

As I've said before, a good 80-90% of your Iaido shinsa will be decided by your reigi/reiho - ha rei and to rei - so it is critical that anyone wishing to test have those elements down very solidly.

[kendocubano]

Are the questions asked to people testing for the kyu ranks, or only the dan ranks?

[Jonathan Anderson]

I knew I was forgetting something! Essay question(s) become required from 1 kyu forward for both Iaido and Kendo. Kendo shinsa from 1 kyu on require the applicant to answer one essay question, while Iaido shinsa require two. You are given a list to choose from - usually three questions - and your answer(s) are to be submitted with your shinsa registration form. Of course, this is all academic for everyone except myself and Cory, but still good information to know, so excellent question!

KEEP 'EM COMING!!!

[kendocubano]

I'm guessing I'm not chasing 1-kyu, so I probably don't need to worry about the questions. Although...

[Jonathan Anderson]

I see where you're going with this - basically that, as you don't know what rank you'll be testing for, you may actually find yourself attempting 1 kyu at your first test. Doubtful, but as my own experience shows, not impossible.

If you're feeling particularly energetic/ambitious/driven you could write out answers to two of the three current Iaido essay questions. If you do so, bring them to the event, and if you do end up being evaluated for 1 kyu, you can then present the essays then and there.

And if you aren't evaluated to that rank, it's a good research/learning exercise... ;D

[Jonathan Anderson]

Just got the information packet from Parker Sensei last night. Here are the basics:
Location:
New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
Fleisher Athletic Center
University Heights, Newark, NJ 07102

The seminar runs from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm with a break for lunch. The seminar fee is $40, which INCLUDES the shinsa fee, whether or not you're attempting to test. The seminar fee check should be made payable to SHIDOGAKUIN. You must attend the seminar in order to test. Registration deadline is 14 January, 2011, so everyone's got a little time to decide whether or not they are going - not much, though. Bear in mind, if you're going to test, I'll need to sign your shinsa application, so make sure you allow enough time for that. We don't necessarily HAVE TO send all the forms in at once, though it may make life easier. For those of you that are going to test, here are the menjo fees:

Menjo Fees payable to GNEUSKF:
AUSKF Menjo Fees
Kyu: (17 & under) $10
Kyu: (Adult) $20
1 Dan $30
2 Dan $40

Also, the essay questions have changed slightly - again, not expecting this to affect anyone, but here they are:

Answer 2 of the 3 questions from the group for the rank for which you are testing.
Please include your name; indicate which rank you are testing for.
Answers to written test can be returned in the mail with your shinsa application;
or you may submit them by email, before the date of the exam,
to: [e-mail]
You many also submit your answers when you check in at the seminar.
First Kyu candidates:
1. List the names of all 12 All Japan Kendo Federation Iaido kata.
2. What is reiho?
3. What is the purpose of chiburui?
Shodan candidates:
1. Explain what is meant by the term saya biki.
Describe its use in one All Japan Kendo Federation Iaido kata.
2. Tsuki (thrusts) occur in five of the All Japan Kendo Federation Iaido kata.
Name these kata and identify their target areas.
3. Describe metsuke in one of the All Japan Kendo Federation Iaido katas.
Nidan candidates:
1. Discuss the concept of zanshin.
Describe its use in at least one All Japan Kendo Federation kata.
2. Define hasuji and its importance in Iaido.
3. Describe the action of furi-kaburi in All Japan Kendo Federation kata Ipponme (Mae).

I will print seminar waivers and shinsa application forms for everyone, and bring them with me to class this weekend. If you have any questions, please let me know.

[kendocubano]

Just looked at the video from last week. I can definitely identify some things that need work, but, overall, I wasn't as horrified as I thought I might be. Certainly, it wasn't the profoundly unpleasant experience that seeing my first ji geikos on video was!

[Jonathan Anderson]

Everyone's looking pretty good - don't worry about it. I spoke with Parker Sensei this morning, and she's agreed to watch the mock test videos I've posted to YouTube and give us her thoughts on how we look.

[Jonathan Anderson]

And already a response:

Thank you for sending me the link to your taped practice tests.
It is a very good idea to practice for testing, and it is extremely helpful to you as an instructor to see how your students cope with the pressure of giving embu.


2 quick impressions: for your students, please make sure they all understand the components and order for rei-ho, both the beginning rei-ho and the closing rei-ho. I saw a lot of different things done in their rei-ho.
for yourself, please use your left hand more in cutting, and with your left palm on the back of the tsuka, stop the sword at the end of the cut. If you look at your #10 kata, you will see a lot of bouncing at the end of the cuts.


If you will be so good as to send me the occasional reminder, when you post more video, I will look at them too.


Pam Parker


Notice that Parker Sensei's Primary (indeed only) concern with regard to you guys' mock test performances is that your reiho be solid. o O (now where have I heard THAT before?) Seriously though, you guys do look good with what you're doing. We just need to make sure that everything is done with a serious, respecful, and confident feeling. Remember what I said in class last weekend: I want everyone to treat To rei as a kata in its own right, with a similar feeling to the way you'd perform one of the numbered kata.

[kendocubano]

Excellent. Are the videos close up enough for her to see details in the ones where all three of us are being filmed at once?

[hasco]

I just jumped over to the YouTube channel to check out the videos. I only had time to look at yours, Jon, and it's interesting to watch it after reading Parker-sensei's comments. I didn't even notice any of the stuff that she pointed out.

It's really considerate of her to take the time to give us advice.

One thing, though, next time we tape any practice tests, I suggest we put the camera in the other corner of the dojo floor. We'll have to use an extension cord for the power supply, but there's too much glare coming in from the windows to make out too much detail. If we have the back of the camera facing the windows, it will come out better.

[Jonathan Anderson]

Nov 22, 2010 22:27:16 GMT -4 kendocubano said:

Excellent. Are the videos close up enough for her to see details in the ones where all three of us are being filmed at once?

I'm not sure how much detail she's able to get from those videos. For that reason, next class we'll film only one person at a time, and from different angles.

Nov 23, 2010 17:13:10 GMT -4 hasco said:

I just jumped over to the YouTube channel to check out the videos. I only had time to look at yours, Jon, and it's interesting to watch it after reading Parker-sensei's comments. I didn't even notice any of the stuff that she pointed out.

It's really considerate of her to take the time to give us advice.

One thing, though, next time we tape any practice tests, I suggest we put the camera in the other corner of the dojo floor. We'll have to use an extension cord for the power supply, but there's too much glare coming in from the windows to make out too much detail. If we have the back of the camera facing the windows, it will come out better.

As I mentioned above, we are going to start using different, hopefully better, camera angles to film from. With any luck, we'll get better clarity and image quality.

[mrind001]

First I'd like to say thank you to Parker Sensei for taking the time to view the videos.

Second, I did finally get to see the videos and I would have to say yep to the "being solid" with reigi/reiho. If I graded myself from the video on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best and 1 being the worst) focusing on reigi and reiho, I'd say about 2.5 to 3.......

Look at it this way, if we didn't make mistakes, we would never learn. So we learn from them and move on

[lane]

I am grateful that Parker-sensi is helping us to become better.
Yes, I do need help with reigi and reiho.