Gradings March 2016

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Yesterday the March 6th kyu to 2nd kyu grading was held at the Kenshikan. Congratulations to Chris and Andre for both receiving their 6th kyu. Commiserations to Alex for being unsuccessful at 2nd kyu.

As a grading panel member I learned the following:

  • sometimes they will include kakarigeiko!
  • most junior kyu grade candidates have poor tenouchi
  • as a result, most strike the mengane (grill), and not the datotsubui (scoring section) of the men
  • so you can really stand out from the crowd if you have flexible wrists when you cut
  • kiai is generally too quiet
  • left heel resting on the ground is a mistake that's very easy for the grading panel to see
  • many people judge distance poorly, or fail to match their technique to their motodachi's distance, especially when doing multiple cuts
  • most of my attention as a judge was not on whether people would pass or fail, but whether there was someone who deserved to be promoted to try for the next grade above (this was because it was quickly apparent whether someone was good enough for the grade)
  • those people who did all the things mentioned above tended to be double-graded
There is also a new article on Shugo-Nanseikan about the difficulty of grading.



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