NeilT

Well after 6 years of training 2 or 3 times a week i've finally reached my black belt grading, a week on sunday.

I'm nervous as hell, although understand whats need to pass and pretty sure i've got it locked into my head, just got to work it on the day.

I do a very traditional form of Shotokan, with the clubs history involving Kase and Eenoida. Very little competition stuff, lots of kata, bunkai and fairly full on kumite (fighting)

At 37 theres been many many times I could have easily sat on the sofa, switched on the box and poured myself a beer and thought sod this, especially through the winter months, so chuffed i've managed to get this far.

As far as fitness goes its worked wonders - in the best shape of my life so far doing around 5 miles cross country running twice a week and training 3 or 4 times a week. Battered and bruised after last nights session, but back for more later today.

And as our instructor says the black belt is simply the beginning, up to that point your simply 'trying it out to see if you like it'!

Neil

stilover

I'd still kick your ***

Matteeboy

Neil - I got to brown belt at Shotokan then moved to Cornwall (from Surrey) so had to leave it at that!

Enjoyed it but got more out of kickboxing. A lot less emphasis on grades, a lot more on competition results which suited me better.
My higher KBing grades meant sparring against very experienced fighters and led to some pretty hefty batterings!

Best of luck though - focus focus focus. Then focus some more! I'm sure you'll get it fine.

stilover

Don't forget the `Crane` move at the end.

Worked for Daniel-son.

j4ckos mate

my lads just started going in heald green

its good he enjoys it and has just got his kit,

he is doing alittle test this week to get his white belt.

i know your own are always the best, but he head and shoulders above his mate


SHINJI-RU KARATE ASSOCIATION-Welcome Page

mrtheedge2u2

Good luck matey..... been quite a few years since I obtained my black belt, but not in Karate, and still hold it as a proud day.

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Good luck Neil

I'm coming up to complete my second year of training, grading for purple this sunday, which will also be my 44th birthday. Likewise karate training 2/3+ times a week then additional fitness training so that what I lose in suppleness to the "youngsters" I can make up for in strength/stamina. Certainly fitter than when I was 20.

Also Shotokan karate at a very traditional club with an excellent and inspiring sensei, which I think helps. Also the club members are a good fun bunch though we have to try & remember to forget all that friends bit when we train with each other lol.

Let us know how you get on.

P1Fanatic

Fair play to you. If you get the black belt does that mean you have it for life or do you have to retake every few years or something?

Simon

Scoobyols69

you got the black belt for life i use to do karate gave it up for a while going to go back soon though! one of my mates is a 6th dan

mrtheedge2u2

Shotokan karate...... that's up there with Rex Kwon Do!!!

YouTube - Napoleon Dynamite - Rex Kwon Do

NeilT

thanks all, will keep you posted on results.

Neil

off to wax some cars and paint some fences

Scoobyols69

which Kata's are you going to do ?
you also have to fight for your black belt

LG John

I never made it to black belt but this is 100% true from my observations. There is a real risk that you'll feel like the 'work is done' when you get your BB and then stop training so hard/often and finally drift away. Go into it with the mindset that once you get your BB you can REALLY train hard - think of it as your ticket into a new world and not a trophy to reward past effort.

NeilT

Bassai Dai and possibly Kankudai - my choice. Plus examiners will call any of the heian katas, maybe one maybe all of them, depending on how bad a day theyre having!

Yes, I guess possibly half the grading is taken up with fighting

NeilT

couldnt agree more - hence our instructors words that it starts at black, not ends.

Been asked to instruct beginners starting after Xmas, so i'm sure i'll get deeper into it.

Bottom line is I love it so cant see me dropping out anytime soon

Neil

Matteeboy

It's odd because in karate your skill IS what belt you have (more or less).
In kickboxing,there are people out there with no gradings who are very high level national and even international competitors. The emphasis is very much on sparring rather than gradings. However the gradings are very tough - less structured than karate gradings but physically very hard indeed.

Did Win Chun for a while - very effective but almost no exercise so got bored very quickly!

MOK79

Good luck Pal.
I got to Black Belt (1st Kyu) at the tender age of 12, i think I was. I was one of the youngest in the country at the time anyway

Gave up straight after. It was becoming a bit of an effort to attend all the time anyway. It was 17yrs ago and when your that age and kinda forced into it from the age of 5/6 it was just too much effort.

Although giving it up I did go on to learn Eagle Claw Kung Fu. Now thats martial arts at its best.

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

I bet that fat Panda in KungFu Panda could whoop yer ****

TonyG

Best of luck, Neil. Hoping to get my black belt in the next 18 months or so. Got to brown (3rd kyu) so far, and may be grading for 2nd kyu in November, assuming I pass my mock grading. I'm doing Shotokan as well, but with another association. Oh, and as a bit of encouragement, friend of mine passed her black belt (with Hanshi Asano) last August, a few months before her 60th.

NeilT

thanks, good to find other Karateka on here. Its when I hit 2nd kyu that things got interesting - lots more in the syllabus then and much less linear.

Good luck with your 2nd kyu. I almost *****'d up my 2nd kyu grading - on the kumite, worst grading to date for me, but just passed it as the kihon and kata were good - just one of those days when things didnt go right!

Hol

iTrader: (1)

I got mine (again - 25 year break) after retaking all the Grades again over 5 & half years. Looking at my Second Dan for next summer.

Mine was 90mins of constant pressure to see if I could keep up without loosing form. To make matter worse we had one guest examiner who stopped over on his way back to Japan. Being one of the older guys (40 this year), I never got picked out as being outstanding.

We also were mixed in with some guys going for second and third Dan, which kind-off motivated them, more than us.

Everything is obviously in Japanese, and one trick they paulled was to mix the stances up in pre set combination. For example in the first set a block may be front stance, but the next set backstance etc.. You make sure you are clear on your 'uki's', zukis and dachis'. Third dans had cat stance etc thrown in.

Bassai Dai was indeed the main kata, but we had to (storm the castle-with strength) right at the end when we were most tired. Just to see if we would cut corners, or slow down.

Of the Hien Kata's, Nidan was popular (I think we did it about 5-6 times), as was Godan.

We had to freestyle each other a number of times, but that was more to tire us out, I think.


You may not get it, but one of the things I hated was an on ONE LEG four kick combination. Mae Geri -Yoko Geri - Maewashi Geri - Ushiro Geri. If you do get it, don't rise up and make sure your foot crosses your groin between kicks. Also bring your knee back up in front before your Gedan Barai.

Out of all of this, my best advise is to learn and remember the japanese words for all the moves. You will make mistakes, but as with all gradings as long as the beginning and end are correct in the combinations, you may not loose points if you do something else in the middle.

Good luck, I don't envy you!!

NeilT

yep - got the 4 combo kicks too - easyish on a hard floor, but a complete beatch on the judo matted dojo the exam is in

We also have to do the heian katas in reverse i.e starting shodan by lower blocking to the right not left - gets the mind working, so we have to drill all the katas both normal and in reverse (ura). Yodan is fiddly to pick up like this.

I get to choose from Basai Dai, Kanku dai and Jihon. Plus have to do Ten No Kata.

I can only do my best at the end of the day and see what the outcome is.

lordharding

iTrader: (1)

good luck on this Neil

I did wado wru for many years to i had to retire due to a bad ankle (too much kicking opponents )

So one of my few failures in life was to miss the coveted ''black Belt ''

the motivation and work to get it is immense and I think it will be one of your proudest achievements in your life when you get it !!!

Good luck and post up a picture with it in a few days time !!

John

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

You wll be ok I had to give up after my black belt as there was far too much jumping and spinning stuff for the Dans and considering I had crutiate damage in both knees getting my black belt was bad enough I always got told if you hit someone too hard while sparing in your black belt it would mean a fail, but someone hit me hard in the leg which put my knee out and they were going to fail me if I didn't recover quick enough. I was OK after 10 minutes I did seek revenge for my attack as I went to his karate class the next day and after the lesson the sparring, guess who I was in front of and happened to bust his nose by accident

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

I like that idea, complete head ****

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Good luck mate, you guys make it all sound really hard, iv'e forgotten most of it as i did it 27years ago at the ripe old age of 16 from the age of 6(back in the days when you had to do at least 10yrs and thats if you were good ) and went into other less rigid styles afterwards mostly kung fu and street fighting, but i will say its very strange how whenever ive been in a situation its always the karate that comes out naturally without thinking about it

Scoobyols69

cool cool good luck for it mate

ScoobyWon't

I've only been learning Jujutsu for 3 months, but from, seeing the people who have been dedicated for years I know there is a lot to learn in many martial arts.

I wish you well and hope you are successful.

The Sensei who leads my classes has recently done more gradings himself, even though being a black belt, but he said he found it to be an educating experience. I think he's up to the fourth level of black belt now.

Anyway, best of luck. You can only get better with the more experience that you gain.

Hol

iTrader: (1)

Neil, you seem to have a better attitude to it, than I did.
I think you'll be alright.

Just make sure you don't partner a real numpty if you are doing Sambon Kumite or another combination. The wrong partner, can make both of you look cr*p, If you know what I mean!

A good partner will know to adjust his chudan punches slightly off-centre to assist the blocks and hence the overall flow



You could always go to a Mc'Dojo and get a 4th Dan!!!