Training for Shodan grading

Bulltahr · Brown Belt

OK, I have been thinking about this for a while, in our style the lead up to the Shodan grading is 1 year of "preparation", fitness etc with the final 6 months being 6 days a week or prep. Now this is still a way off for me, but I am unsure whether I can put in that sort of commitment, I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it..
Basically, we have been told that without that 6 days a week, you would not last the distance. I'm wondering what sort of lead up training other styles have?
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Nidan Melbourne · KF Sempai

Have they informed you of how long you should expect the grading to last for?

Well from my experience in Goju-Ryu, it is different for us. As it varies so much club to club and also dependent if your part of a larger organisation (like the IOGKF).

When I graded to Shodan-Ho, I had underprepared for the Fitness component of the who grading. Whereas for my Shodan + Nidan Gradings I overprepared and my fitness was well above what the "minimum" was.

What we do at my club is that it is recommended that we do the following:
- Train (in-class): 2-3x p/w
- Train (Solo): 3-4x p/w
- Train (w/ Partner): 1x p/w
- Fitness: 4-5x p/w
- Those whom are "unfit" or unable to reach a 6.0 on a Beep Test should train 6x p/w

sensei8 · KF Sensei

Everyday, ever since day one on the floor, the student is always training, and always preparing themselves for a plethora of things while on ones MA journey; there's never an end.

Then one day, at an unknown date and time, that student is invited to the up and coming Testing Cycle for their Shodan.

Everyday the student trains as though that elusive testing cycle for Shodan, for example, is that day. However, that student isn't training for the testing cycle of any rank, but for knowledge and experience.

This is how it is in Shindokan; rank is an illusion, and is therefore, unimportant, however, we train to the Nth degree for that knowledge and experience being foremost above anything.

Train hard...train well...always!!

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**Proof is on the floor!!!

Lupin1 · Black Belt

For us Shodan is more about knowing the material than fitness. We don't have a specific fitness test-- you just have to be fit enough to be able to go through the entire curriculum one thing after another and still have decent form by the end.

bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

I think that sounds kind of crazy if you ask me. Many of us practice the Martial Arts as something we enjoy doing with what little time we have left over from out busy weeks. There are people out there that do train 6 days a week. Most of them I refer to as professionals.

I think being pushed in a grading is a good thing. However, as an instructor, its my job to know how far I can push a student, and to do so without driving them over the edge. I have to realize that when my students leave my school, they have lives and other matters to attend to, so they shouldn't be sore for a week after a grading.
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Bulltahr · Brown Belt

2 grading are super important around here, 4th Kyu and shodan.... there is a lot of tradition around both. I'll likely be 54 or so when I grade to shodan and intensity demanded is the same no matter the age.... (well maybe if you were an older student), I love the "hard core" part of training, it's more a time commitment thing that I may have a problem with.
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"We don't have any money, so we will have to think" - Ernest Rutherford

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