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Shotokan Karate Belt Testing Requirements

Shotokan Karate
Belt Testing Requirements

Now Ready For Release!

YES! As a Dojo Key Subscriber, you will now also have access to suggested Shotokan Belt Testing Requirements - From Yellow Belt Testings through to Black Belt Testing!

Instructors: Download them, print them out and have them on hand as you prepare your own lesson plans.

Students: The Testing Requirements Booklet was designed to serve as a Home-Study Guide for Shotokan Karate Students who are preparing for Belt Examinations; from Yellow Belt - to Black Belt. Print it out. Bring it every where you train.

Do you experience pre-testing jitters? You will benefit greatly by learning new perspectives to bring into your Karate Meditation.

Fall 2007 Lesson Plans

Wow!



I am so thrilled with the response to the latest newsletter announcing the Fall 2007 Karate Lesson Plan Booklet that has been added to the paid subscriber area of MyShotokan, known as Sensei's Office.




There have been so many replies, questions and requests for more information, that I'm working on putting together ONE FREE CHAPTER of the exclusive Lesson Plan Booklet, to be included with the Shotokan Kata Videos in the Free Members area!




Many of the questions I've received (from all around the world, which still boggles my mind), were about testing requirements.


Comming Soon!


Dojo Key Holders with access to Sensei's Office will soon be delighted with a booklet of Canadain Shotokan Belt Testing Requirements from Yellow Belt Testing Requirements, all the way through to Black Belt Testing Requirements - and even including combinations required for Second Degree Black Belt Testing!


But I would like to add more

I recall from early in my training years, a testing silibus (sp) from KUGB that was very different, with many challenging combinations that are different than the testing requirements I will be putting together and listing here. I would be endlessly greatful if someone (you) could send me a copy of the Shotokan Belt Testing Requirements - from where ever you live in the world.

Creating drive in your stance

The last time I had a few students test for their next belt, my Sensei pointed out that one of my students had "no drive" in her stances.


I looked at him with one eyebrow raised.


"What do you mean?" I'm thinking to myself "she is so strong I can hardly block her punches! I think she has lots of drive."


Seeing the unbeliving look on my face,
Sensei repeated "No drive! No drive!"


And I'm thinking... "?"


Finally I say, "Sensei, I'm coming to the main Dojo to train for a few days. If she doesn't have drive, and I don't know it - then I must not have drive in my stances. " (Sensei nods to confirm) I continue "When I come to train, could you run through a few practice drills to help me work on creating drive in my stance?"



Zoom forward two weeks. I'm in the home dojo.


Sensei had us stand in front stance with reverse punch out.



We repeated a basic combination:

Kizame Zuki, Gyaku Zuki
Age Uke, Gyaku Zuki
Soto Uke, Gyaku Zuki
Uchi Uke, Gyaku Zuki
Gedan Barrai, Gyaku Zuki


For the jab punch, Sensei had us check the pressure on our back leg to be sure we were pushing maximum, then for the first reverse punch, Sensei told us to push a bit harder with the back leg - as though we were pushing a car. The rising block required an extra strong push from the back leg to provide support against a strong attack - then push a bit harder with the back leg for the reverse punch...

For each successive block and punch, Sensei reminded us of how the back leg should feel as it supported the rest of the body and stance. After a few repetitions - my butt muscles were screaming! Just the fact that my gluteous muscles became so fatigued so quickly is evidence that I've not been creating drive correctly or powerfully enough.

Summer of 2007 - Karate Week

Sensei Doug's Week of Karate

For the next 10 days, you get to come along, virtually, on my journey of Shotokan Training. Out of the blue, I've come upon the... opportunity... to work from Winnipeg for the next week-and-a-half - and, while I'm here, I'm going to take advantage of some intensive Shotokan karate training at the headquaters Dojo for Western Canada.

Here's some of my karate training goals as I start off the week:

Review and practice all Senior Kata

Learn Junro Shodan

Study how to teach my intermediate students to create "Drive" in their stances

Video Tape and publish video clips of each training session within Sensei's Office on MyShotokan.

Monday evening. After a seemingly endless 6 hour drive from Atikokan to Winnipeg, I was treated to a special evening training session with Sensei Don DeGrow, a Shotokan Yondan, and my Sister Jill, who is a Shodan. This is the monday of a long-weekend, and there wasn't a normal karate class scheduled. We started off at the beginning and practiced each of the Heian Kata, then the three Tekki Katas. I noticed a small change in Tekki Sandan - I'll have to review the videos to verify.

As we started our review of the senior kata, we practiced them in groups. Bassai Dai, Kanku Dai, Empi and Jion are needed for someone testing for Shodan. I found that I recalled Gankaku, Jutte, and Hengetsu - but I was a bit rusty at them, and had to watch Don and Jill in a few parts. After a few more repetitions I'll be able to start asking about practicing applications.

Next we reviewed Sochin, Bassai Sho and Chinte. I could follow along for these, but they were distictly more rusty, and will require more than just a couple times through each kata to get them back in my repetoure. Kanku Sho and Nijushiho are at about the same level of disrepair.

Unsu and Gojushiho Sho were another step down in proficiancy for me.

We practiced Junro Shodan 6 or 7 times and I'm starting to recall the first 10 moves or so before I get lost... I'll have it by the end of tomorrow.

I only did a short introduction to the stretching routine Alanna has been working our club through. I'll need to write out a short list of the static-active stretching routine so I keep to the schedule of long periods of relaxed stretching after each training session over the next 10 days.

Through the week I'll need to find an instructor to help me learn Meikyo, Wankan and Jiin from scratch - but I'll leave them for a couple days.

Following the extra training Don gave us, Jill and I were invited to his home for dinner. An oriental influence is evident in the decor and garden of their delightful and cosy home.

In order to re-inforce all the kata information Sensei Don reviewed with us, I'm going to take a few moments to stretch and watch some of the Shotokan Kata Videos.

Planning your Karate Training

It's important to have a clear goal for your Shotokan Karate training. This is especially true for a karate instructor, but still very important for every karate student as well.

If you have a clear goal in your mind - a goal that you are passionate about achieving - then you are more likely to attend every karate class and participate fully. What's more, you are likely to pick up a few mornings of stretching training each week so that you can get to your training goal more quickly.

However, if you have some vague plan... even if it's a good one - then your training results are going to be vague too.

One of the best ways to clarify your karate training goals, is to write them down. Once you can state them clearly on paper, you will be able to repeat them to yourself. Think about what it will feel like to have already achieved your goal - imagine it with all the clarity that you can, and the passion for that goal will grow.

Soon, the passion for your goal will encourage more consistent and effective training sessions. You will be able to say NO to skipping class because you will have a greater YES burning inside you.

So - get out a piece of paper - and write your karate training plans!

Don't worry about HOW you will achieve it... if it gets you fired up and excited - write it down as one of your goals.

Remember, the most important aspect of karate training is your attitude. Try to step back from yourself from time to time and take a look at your own attitude toward different things.

For example, what is your attitude about you achieving the goal of doing the full splits? Is you attitude positive or negetive? Compare your attitude against the universal truth that 'you get back what you give out' - and it's easy to see that if you think you cannot achive the goal - that's what you get as results! On the other hand, if you repeatedly and consistantly have a positive attitude about your goal - that's what you will get as a result!

Now - get busy and write your plans and goals for your karate training! Even if you are a student in a strict Dojo - set your own training goals and train a bit before and after class and at home while you monitor your own attitude.

Karate Videos You Can Save

I'm really excited about the latest updates to MyShotokan.com!

This weekend I got up at 6AM on Saturday and 7AM on Sunday to spent a few hours in the early mornings updating the code for every video in Sensei's Office - adding the ability for Dojo Key Subscribers download Shotokan Karate video clips and save them to your computer... at the click of a button!

Subscribe today and you can download video lessons on karate basics, videos of karate kicking drill and you can download videos of karate tournaments and download videos of freestyle sparing drills from Dojo's around the world.

Download and save to your computer.
Create your own DVD!

Future Update Plans

At this point I still have to create a separate place in Sensei's Office for Dojo Key Subscribers to download all of the Shotokan Kata Videos... but that will likely be next weekend's project.

An update to the Masters Section to include Tanaka Sensei was postponed due to adding the video download feature - coming soon.

Currently MyShotokan supports the download of videos from YouTube, but will be expanding to include all of the following media sites:

* Myspace
* Google Video
* Break.com
* Daily Motion
* IFilm
* Blip.tv
* Bolt

All the best


Sensei Doug