Testing
I just wanted to write some items and ideas about testing. The Detroit taikai is coming up and so is the test for kyu through yon-dan. For those of you testing please take the time to consider some of the following items. These will also be discussed during practice but this is just to get my thoughts out. The biggest thing about testing is to do your kendo and nothing else. I know this seems like a simple philosophy and concept but when you get in front of the judges something happens that distracts you from your own kendo. The idea for me is that if your sensei says that you are ready to test than you should not worry about doing or trying new things or different waza in the test, just do the same strong clean kendo that you do in practice. If after the test you can truly say you did your kendo to the best of your ability, I believe that you will pass. Even if you do not pass at least you can hold your head up and be proud that you did your best. In testing I often see people getting locked together and forced to do the aite's kendo. This will lead to a failure every time, regardless of what test you are taking. Be confident that you are at the level that you are testing at and do your kendo without thinking. The other items involved with testing involve not worrying about the test and just being yourself. Before the gigeiko breathe deeply and center your ki so that you are prepared for what is to come. The first men cut can make or break your entire test so do it well. Be confident and show your true kendo. All in all, try to enjoy the test as much as possible and learn from whatever the outcome is. Remember, that if you pass you are just at the beginning stages of that rank and have until the next test to learn everything it is about that rank. See you all at practice. Cheers!
posted by eric | 8:44 AM
4 Comments:
Last Tuesday after fighting Ichiki-san I started thinking that when I had tested in Wisconsin I got too hung up on showing "testing style" and getting trapped by the rules people had told me in the past.
Before I fought Ichiki-san I was afraid that I wasn't good enough to face him. Then when I went into kamae I realized that I really wanted to beat him, and I forgot everything else. It wasn't that I didn't care anymore, but that I had let go of my worries, my list of things I needed to work on for testing, and felt free. I eventually lost to a kote, but I didn't really care.
Yesterday after the kata workshop I asked Joe whether or not during testing I should just do "my kendo", and not worry because both you and Watanabe sensei teach classical kendo as our regular kendo.
Thank you for your post today. With Joe and your discussions I've realized that I already know what I need to do. I just need to let go from now on to do it.
You know, we were just talking about this in the car ride home from the Detroit taikai. Certainly there is a difference between your everyday keiko and your testing keiko in that for test you want to show your best stuff in the minute and a half that you have. But if you're so hung up on the performance that your thought and action becomes constipated then you've made too much of the difference, as I think Ken here is saying. Then there's the question of the difference between your everyday keiko and your shiai keiko. Is there a difference? When will they be the same? A big discussion (and one that plays out on the message boards, kendo-world.com, e-budo.com, etc. again and again, in part because it is so relevant)!
I would have prefered to say "a deer in headlights" moment, but I'll take constipated, that works.
I definately remember in November facing my first opponent thinking "what is he doing? He can't keep hitting me from chikama. What am I supposed to do? I'm not supposed to go backwards, I'll fail if I go backwards, I don't know what to do..."
So I just stood there while he kept hitting me from chikama, trying to run through my mind what I was "supposed to do" during testing, instead of just reacting naturally and doing something.
Granted, part of the problem was that I didn't know what I could do in that case, and I think part of why I failed the first time was the lack of my knowledge and experience was apparent at that moment. Afterwards I asked Joe and Watanabe sensei about it and we practiced that scenario many times.
Whats really interesting is that I don't remember much about this testing this time around. I remember getting my shinai stuck with my opponents, but really nothing else...
I may be a little late on this but I though I would add my two cents worth.
When I look back on Wisconsin and my testing I believe that there were two main reasons I did not pass. First I was thinking too much. I was so focused on big sho-men that I forgot everything else. Footwork, seme, control, all went out the window. I was worried too much about what the judges miight be looking for at the shodan level. Secondly I was not confident that I was ready for this level. In spite of Eric and Charlie's assurances, I had not convinced myself that I was ready. These things combined to create mental confusion on my part and a lackluster showing.
This time I took Eric's admonishments to just do my kendo, to heart. I wasn't trying to figure out what the judges might be looking for, I just went out and did my kendo. Was it shiai keiko, or testing keiko? I think ideally there should be no difference between the two, but whatever it was the judges, Kan sensei, Tagawa sensei and others, thought it was appropriate for shodan level.
So what did I learn? First if your instructors say you are ready to test, believe it and don't give it another thought. Secondly if you find yourself getting mentally constipated, take a big dose of Re-Lax and let those thoughts wash out of your mind, and do your kendo. Any attempt to be anything other than yourself will only result in trouble.
"Win then strike, never strike to win."
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