[Dastyh]

Hi Confound

You're right - the magazine has alluded to discrepancies in expectations for gradings in Japan vs other countries, and I suspect there are fairly wide variances in requirements.

Speaking for Hizen though, what you will have seen on the website will be drawn from the British Kendo Association, who (I believe) set the standards. I suspect that will be the case in most countries, with some sort of body laying out a specification, which may be very different from that in an average Japanese dojo. Hizen is not a very grading-oriented club though, and students grade by visiting other clubs - our sensei doesnt see a lot of value in the lower kyu grades (and cant be bothered to organise gradings!), and I believe that dan gradings must take place at a dojo other than your own (?).

But in the end - does it matter? I guess if you are moving to another country, it would be nice to have the grade be "transferrable", and I guess that we dont want a situation of "he's a shodan, but only from XXXX". Other than that, unless we're all taking gradings for ego or status, does it really matter if the standards in other countries are different?



Dave

[radicalvolume]

Each country pretty much sets their own standards, although they tend to follow the guidelines from ZNKR.
Some countries have you start from 6/5th kyu and you have to grade each of the 'kyus' (As is common in other martial arts in Europe). It is in general acknowledged that below 4th dan, it's harder to grade outside Japan,

Having said that;
" For ikkyu in Japan, or at least in my area, you only need to be able to peform good kirikaeshi, and show good form and zansshin in keiko. very different standards."
Which is exactly the same you need to do for ikkyu in the UK, apart from also doing the first 3 kata forms. (And the sooner you learn kata, the better IMO).

Regards,

Jakob

www.hizen.org