Last week I passed my 8th kyu jujutsu exam. I was only mildly nervous this time. The 8th kyu is relatively basic, the only complex part is the partner kata at the end. Not that the other stuff is trivial or so, but a part of it was already handled in our ninpo curriculum, so it was not entirely new.
I am happy with the way I performed on the examination itself. I was in control at all times, focused, and kept my zanshin up until the end of every exercise. There was also no hesitation, and I knew everything that was asked. That was because a) it was a fairly limited curriculum, and b) I had prepared really well.
To prepare for the kata (do gaeshi) I had bought a pair of knee pads. With those, I could practice the knee work (it is a seated / kneeling kata, starting from seiza) at home on my tile floor. The knee work is the most diffodult part of the kata, since the interception and grabbing of the arm of the opponent has to be synchronized with the changing of knees.
So now we are working on the curriculum for our 7th kyu ninpo. That will be something else... the most difficult thing in that (from what I can see so far) is the ura kote gyaku wrist lock. When my sensei applies it, single handedly, it results in excruciating pain. When my partner or I try it... not so much. I know we are missing something subtle, but so far we haven't found out exactly what. The silly thing is that from time to time, we can apply it a couple times in a row. And then the next 10 times, we're just standing there, fumbling with the wrist in frustration. Ah well. There is still plenty of time to get the hang of it.
I am happy with the way I performed on the examination itself. I was in control at all times, focused, and kept my zanshin up until the end of every exercise. There was also no hesitation, and I knew everything that was asked. That was because a) it was a fairly limited curriculum, and b) I had prepared really well.
To prepare for the kata (do gaeshi) I had bought a pair of knee pads. With those, I could practice the knee work (it is a seated / kneeling kata, starting from seiza) at home on my tile floor. The knee work is the most diffodult part of the kata, since the interception and grabbing of the arm of the opponent has to be synchronized with the changing of knees.
So now we are working on the curriculum for our 7th kyu ninpo. That will be something else... the most difficult thing in that (from what I can see so far) is the ura kote gyaku wrist lock. When my sensei applies it, single handedly, it results in excruciating pain. When my partner or I try it... not so much. I know we are missing something subtle, but so far we haven't found out exactly what. The silly thing is that from time to time, we can apply it a couple times in a row. And then the next 10 times, we're just standing there, fumbling with the wrist in frustration. Ah well. There is still plenty of time to get the hang of it.