[mXr8icOB]

hi people
as a little new zealander, i find it interesting that in other places people can gain their ikkyu after 6 months
over here, we progress thru the grades starting at 6/7 kyu and moving up to ikkyu (can skip grades) it generally takes most people 1 1/2 - 2 years to gain their ikkyu. it seems to me that thee is a large difference between people that have trained for 6 months, and those that hav trained for two years, not just in the physical techniques, but also the mental attitudes. over here, gaining ikkyu is considered to be an invitation to try for shodan, so you hav to be pretty good to get it. i hav heard it said that the standards in nz are set pretty high for grades up to ni dan, so i dont kno if that is maybe the reason.
anyway that is how it is here, i would be interested in hearing mor about gradings in other places (whats in them etc) as i dont kno that much (nothing)about kendo in other parts of the world
Good luck for your grading