20 years in the making! Judo Shodan!

**DarkPhoenix** · Posted On: 9/05/2012 5:38am

Thanks SRQ.

**lordbd** · Posted On: 9/05/2012 5:52am

Congratulations man!

**Tonuzaba** · Posted On: 9/05/2012 5:59am

Good job, man!

**Gigatron** · Posted On: 9/05/2012 6:16am

Originally Posted by DarkPhoenix

Hey guys,

I figured the TMA forums would be a good place to post a more serious post. I already started one in Trollshido (http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=117634) regarding my shodan testing in Judo. That one is for the OMGWTFBBQ fun.

After almost 20 years, broken up into 4-5 year chunks, I have finally tested and successfully passed to get my shodan. It was a lot easier than I thought, but a lot of that goes to my uke and obviously my instructor for teaching me the techniques.

It started with the general knowledge and vocab portion, which was written, but the examiner asked me a handful of them just to make sure I actually knew the info. After that started the practical knowledge portion. I had to demonstrate 30 throws, 20 of my choosing and 10 of the examiner's. This consisted of a smattering of left handed throws to see if I can transition to an off hand.

The Osaikomi-waza was next and that was just 6 pins of his choosing. My favourite parts were the shime-waza and kansetsu-waza. I screwed up on the Juji-gatame a little by not pulling my hips in as tight as I could have, but it was effective.

All in all, the test took a little under 2 hours and and I was really nervous going in, but after I did the first throw, it was like everything flooded in and smooth sailing from that point. I have to thank Neil Ohlenkamp and his site judoinfo.com for helping me study the day of the test so I didn't screw up leg or hand placement on the throws and completely boggle them.

Next step is to get my ref and coach certs with USJA and USA Judo. Since I am too old to compete, aside from masters, I am going the ref and coach route to keep myself as entrenched in judo as possible. I will be competing in Sport Ju Jitsu tourney when they come around because I like to punch and kick people, and that is just frowned upon in Shiai.

Thanks Bullshido for keeping some of the arts honest and for the inspiration. Now time for some pushups!

Congrats, that is outstanding.

**RhinoUP** · Posted On: 9/05/2012 6:25am

Congrats DP:)

**BKR** · Posted On: 9/05/2012 7:34pm

Depends on how high up in reffing you want to go. The higher you go, the less you will be able to coach (at tournaments). You can get the certs in tandem, though.

Shiai almost always need more refs. So at local/regional events you can get pulled between coaching your students and refereeing. At national level and above, it's about impossible to ref and coach your students (matside coaching).

Inside the dojo, shouldn't be a problem.

I ended up with a national 2 referee cert (long gone now) and a national level ref cert from U
SA Judo (also out of date for several years). Main conflict was to coach or ref at shiai.

Ben

**BKR** · Posted On: 9/05/2012 7:35pm

DarkPhoenix, congrats on hanging in there to get your shodan.

USJA has no kata for shodan now, that's a bit of a surprise.

NeilG, in Canada, as far as I can tell, kata is all one has to demonstrate for shodan (or above).

***battlefields*** · Posted On: 9/05/2012 7:43pm

Where's your tag?

**DarkPhoenix** · Posted On: 9/06/2012 12:20pm

Originally Posted by BKR

Depends on how high up in reffing you want to go. The higher you go, the less you will be able to coach (at tournaments). You can get the certs in tandem, though.

Shiai almost always need more refs. So at local/regional events you can get pulled between coaching your students and refereeing. At national level and above, it's about impossible to ref and coach your students (matside coaching).

Inside the dojo, shouldn't be a problem.

I ended up with a national 2 referee cert (long gone now) and a national level ref cert from U
SA Judo (also out of date for several years). Main conflict was to coach or ref at shiai.

Ben

I am probably going more the ref route, as that is what is needed more in my region. There are plenty of coaches here and Sensei can still coach.

Originally Posted by BKR

DarkPhoenix, congrats on hanging in there to get your shodan.

USJA has no kata for shodan now, that's a bit of a surprise.

NeilG, in Canada, as far as I can tell, kata is all one has to demonstrate for shodan (or above).

Yeah, I though the same thing. When I was getting ready for it last year, I was told I would need to know the first three sets of the Nage No Kata, but when I tested I was told it isn't needed till nidan, and that is the whole kata.

Originally Posted by battlefields

Where's your tag?

I will put in the request for it once I have my certs from USJA. It takes up to two weeks for the background check to clear so I should be getting it by the end of Sept. I'm in no rush for the tag.

And thanks to all for the congratulations!

**NeilG** · Posted On: 9/06/2012 1:06pm

Originally Posted by BKR

NeilG, in Canada, as far as I can tell, kata is all one has to demonstrate for shodan (or above).

Nope. Kata is the big focus but there's a written test (mostly vocab) and a waza demo as well. When I tested they had a number of sheets of paper on the table, each one had a collection of waza listed. I think there were around 10 throws, and a few holds, chokes and locks. You picked a sheet at random and that's what you had to demo. I was also asked to demonstrate a combination and a counter. I've heard that some have been asked to teach a technique but that wasn't the case for me. Finally we had to do a little randori, but they explained that was primarily for the candidates that don't actively compete.

Kendo is so much different. There, kata is done but it is not dissected in nearly as much detail. There is no waza demo other than the kata. Instead you have to play two other guys going for the same rank and that is the real meat of the exam. You have to show you can walk the walk against another guy of roughly the same level. You don't necessarily have to beat them, you just have to demonstrate the elements of your kendo that they are looking for at that level.