Preparing for my exams

2013-01-20 09:37:00

2013 will be a year of exam preparation for me. Not only at work (ITILv3, RHCSA, maintaining my CISSP), but also in kendo. 

Last year I decided that I want to take my ikkyu exam this summer, ikkyu being the first grade that is tested on a national level. I wrote the shinsa prep guide for the RSJ website and based on my research, I will need to do the following for my ikkyu exam:

• Kirikaeshi. I need to make sure my timing is precise and tidy! No sloppiness and I need to take my time! Footwork and striking in unison!
• Kata #1 through #3, which I've been practicing intensively the past few months. I need to pay attention to good posture and especially to building tension!
• Jitsugi, in which I do two rounds of geiko with a fellow student. This should NOT be shiai (competition) fighting, but more like jigeiko where I try to demonstrate my grasp of the basics (oki and chisai techniques, building tension, footwork, etc).
• Gakka, the written exam. In general I know my kendo theory pretty well, but I'll still go over the AUSKF gakka prep guide.

In the first three tests, kiai is highly important at the ikkyu level, so I'll definitely give that my best!

The NKR exam is still a few months away, so I'm very happy that I'll be getting an extra exam in between. A month ago Ton-sensei announced that Renshinjuku Almere would be holding their local kyu-grade shinsa on 25/01, which is next week. I've asked Ton-sensei and Hillen- and Kris-fukushou to keep in mind my aspiration of testing for ikkyu. For our own exams this means that I'm asking them to allow me to skip a grade and to test for nikyu instead of sankyu, while at the same time asking them to judge me at ikkyu level. That's a bit of a leap (I last tested for yonkyu a year ago), but they appear very willing to help me out for which I am very grateful. 

To do list before next week:

• Launder and iron my hakama and gi. Make all pleats tidy.
• Sew an extra piece of denim at the bottom of my gi, which has shrunk.
• Remove my dojo badge from my keikogi.
• Remove my zekken from my tare.
• Tidy everything about my bogu, uniform and my shinai.

kilala.nl tags: kendo, sports,

View or add comments (curr. 2)