Yesterday was the day a number of our students (including me) tested for 8th kyu.
Over the last weeks we spent a good amount of time rehearsing and preparing for the test. Of course, all of it had been covered throughout the year, but now it was time to polish the techniques and make sure I knew all the names.
We also spent quite a bit of time to make sure that we knew all the henka (official / approved variations) of the techniques in our curriculum. With the 8th kyu, there are several henka for each technique, and while the majority of them will not be asked on the exam itself, a number of them will be, so you really have to know them all. And the last couple of days I practiced my entire curriculum in shadow form, several times per day, just to make sure that everything would come automatically.
The exam itself was interesting. Before the test we could rehearse our material for half an hour. The head sensei spent quite some time with me and my training partner, making corrections where he deemed necessary. He also changed the way we had to present some techniques on the spot.
When the exam started, the first people tested were those for 10th and 9th kyu. The rest of us had to sit in seiza while they were being grilled. I am not going to go into their testing, because it would not be proper for me to discuss their test. After a good half hour, the head sensei told us we could sit 'relaxed' (meaning we could switch to fudo za and let some blood flow back into our legs).
Then it was time for our test. First came the 'daken' part of our curriculum, for which we had to demonstrate how to use different kamae. Me and my partner alternated between having to go first, with the other one showing a henka. The 'taihen' part of our curriculum went in the same manner, as did the 'tehodoki' part.
Overall I was fairly happy with how I tested. All the knowledge was in my head and accessible without thinking about it. I made only one mistake when was asked to demonstrate sokushi geri and showed sokuto geri instead, and I didn't know the name of the elbow lock that is applied in yahazu gake.
The funny thing was that I was again in this 'no mind' state in which conscious thought is not really possible and you go from problem to solution without steps in between. This also meant that afterward I could not remember e.g. if I had used kiai at the appropriate times or not.
In the end, I was told I my exam had been good and without significant issues. One thing I'll have to keep in mind for future tests is to improve formal presentation of techniques. It was already much better than when I had my previous test, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. Still, I am glad that I am now 8th kyu. Next on my plate will be the curriculum for 10th and 9th kyu jujutsu.
Over the last weeks we spent a good amount of time rehearsing and preparing for the test. Of course, all of it had been covered throughout the year, but now it was time to polish the techniques and make sure I knew all the names.
We also spent quite a bit of time to make sure that we knew all the henka (official / approved variations) of the techniques in our curriculum. With the 8th kyu, there are several henka for each technique, and while the majority of them will not be asked on the exam itself, a number of them will be, so you really have to know them all. And the last couple of days I practiced my entire curriculum in shadow form, several times per day, just to make sure that everything would come automatically.
The exam itself was interesting. Before the test we could rehearse our material for half an hour. The head sensei spent quite some time with me and my training partner, making corrections where he deemed necessary. He also changed the way we had to present some techniques on the spot.
When the exam started, the first people tested were those for 10th and 9th kyu. The rest of us had to sit in seiza while they were being grilled. I am not going to go into their testing, because it would not be proper for me to discuss their test. After a good half hour, the head sensei told us we could sit 'relaxed' (meaning we could switch to fudo za and let some blood flow back into our legs).
Then it was time for our test. First came the 'daken' part of our curriculum, for which we had to demonstrate how to use different kamae. Me and my partner alternated between having to go first, with the other one showing a henka. The 'taihen' part of our curriculum went in the same manner, as did the 'tehodoki' part.
Overall I was fairly happy with how I tested. All the knowledge was in my head and accessible without thinking about it. I made only one mistake when was asked to demonstrate sokushi geri and showed sokuto geri instead, and I didn't know the name of the elbow lock that is applied in yahazu gake.
The funny thing was that I was again in this 'no mind' state in which conscious thought is not really possible and you go from problem to solution without steps in between. This also meant that afterward I could not remember e.g. if I had used kiai at the appropriate times or not.
In the end, I was told I my exam had been good and without significant issues. One thing I'll have to keep in mind for future tests is to improve formal presentation of techniques. It was already much better than when I had my previous test, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. Still, I am glad that I am now 8th kyu. Next on my plate will be the curriculum for 10th and 9th kyu jujutsu.
