Post by Jonathan Anderson on Apr 30, 2010 19:21:40 GMT -4
Hey there, All,
I sent a message to Tina Canada Sensei asking about the changes to the way Kyu level promotions are being done within the SEUSKF. She has replied in her usual, very prompt way (i.e. within 2-3 hours
) I hope this information will help to clarify things a bit more for everyone looking to test for promotion in Kendo.
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Jon,
I understand where you're coming from and glad that you're reaching out to ask. Yes, gone are the days where you can put an "open" Kyu as your requesting rank or have beginners test for 2 Kyu, hoping for the best. One of the big reasons why is to allow students more time to grow their kendo and strenghten their basics before they're ready to test for 1 Kyu or 1 Dan. Too often Sensei had seen students flying through the ranks or trying to fly through and then get frustrated when they can't pass their Dan ranks. By scaling things back and giving students more time to learn and absorb the basics, we're hoping that it will equip them more for when they're ready to test for their Dan ranks.
With that in mind, the biggest factor to consider when determining the rank someone should test for is length of time practicing in bogu. Generally, someone practicing 3 months or so is not going to have enough experience in bogu to be suitable for 2 Kyu, but would be suitable for 5 Kyu or maybe 4 Kyu if they have strong basics. For first time testers, Sensei generally do not want to see someone testing any higher than 3 Kyu and that is only with the understanding that they have practiced consistantly for a long time, but haven't been to a shinsa. If you have a case of someone who's been practicing on and off for a year of so, but practices infrequently and looks like they could use more practice with basics, then you might want to recommend a lower rank such as 4 Kyu.
Another factor to consider is age. If you have a young student such as a 10-year old. They should probably test for 6 Kyu. A beginner who is an adult or teenager could test for 5 or 4 Kyu.
After they've earned their first rank, going up one rank per testing is a safe bet as long as they aren't testing too soon between ranks. Generally, at least 6 months should elapse between Kyu ranks. Some people need longer depending on their skill level.
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With any luck, this gives everyone an idea of how Shinsa will be conducted in the future. If you have any questions concerning any of this, by all means let me know - if I don't know, I'll reach out to whomever I need to in order to get you a good answer.
I sent a message to Tina Canada Sensei asking about the changes to the way Kyu level promotions are being done within the SEUSKF. She has replied in her usual, very prompt way (i.e. within 2-3 hours
) I hope this information will help to clarify things a bit more for everyone looking to test for promotion in Kendo.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jon,
I understand where you're coming from and glad that you're reaching out to ask. Yes, gone are the days where you can put an "open" Kyu as your requesting rank or have beginners test for 2 Kyu, hoping for the best. One of the big reasons why is to allow students more time to grow their kendo and strenghten their basics before they're ready to test for 1 Kyu or 1 Dan. Too often Sensei had seen students flying through the ranks or trying to fly through and then get frustrated when they can't pass their Dan ranks. By scaling things back and giving students more time to learn and absorb the basics, we're hoping that it will equip them more for when they're ready to test for their Dan ranks.
With that in mind, the biggest factor to consider when determining the rank someone should test for is length of time practicing in bogu. Generally, someone practicing 3 months or so is not going to have enough experience in bogu to be suitable for 2 Kyu, but would be suitable for 5 Kyu or maybe 4 Kyu if they have strong basics. For first time testers, Sensei generally do not want to see someone testing any higher than 3 Kyu and that is only with the understanding that they have practiced consistantly for a long time, but haven't been to a shinsa. If you have a case of someone who's been practicing on and off for a year of so, but practices infrequently and looks like they could use more practice with basics, then you might want to recommend a lower rank such as 4 Kyu.
Another factor to consider is age. If you have a young student such as a 10-year old. They should probably test for 6 Kyu. A beginner who is an adult or teenager could test for 5 or 4 Kyu.
After they've earned their first rank, going up one rank per testing is a safe bet as long as they aren't testing too soon between ranks. Generally, at least 6 months should elapse between Kyu ranks. Some people need longer depending on their skill level.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With any luck, this gives everyone an idea of how Shinsa will be conducted in the future. If you have any questions concerning any of this, by all means let me know - if I don't know, I'll reach out to whomever I need to in order to get you a good answer.
