
Sets with Sensei Dave, my fantastic uke for my black belt test.
One year ago I tested for my Shodan rank. If all goes well, I will test for Nidan in another year.
Through kyu ranks to Shodan, there is a lot of material to learn and memorize: basics, drills, self-defense sets and kata. With so much to learn in four short years, I couldnāt say I was a master of any of it. I was just putting the building blocks in place. With my Shodan rank earned, I am still not a master of anything ā except putting my gi on correctly, and there are days Iām not so sure Iāve mastered that!
The path from Shodan to Nidan is different from the path to Shodan.
The requirements to Shodan are laid out very clearly. The path to Nidan? Not so much, as far as I was concerned. I wasnāt really sure what Nidan looked like, and that made me a bit uncomfortable. When Iām uncomfortable, frustration isnāt too far behind ā and thatās never pretty. I canāt hit a target I canāt see, and canāt chase a goal when I donāt know what it is.
I spent my first four years learning 10+ kata and eight sets, one after another. To advance to Nidan, I have to demonstrate two additional kata and one more self-defense set. Thatās not a lot of material to learn in two years, so obviously memorizing kata and adding to my repertoire is not the point. So what is it?
It took me a while (longer than it should have, Iām sure!) but Iāve come to realize the time between Shodan and Nidan requires a shift in thinking. Ā My path is no longer about memorizing material. Itās about what I can do with the material Iāve already learned.
With relatively little new material to pick-up, I have time to really focus on my basics. To make them crisper, faster, and smoother. To work towards mastering them.
I can explore what Iāve learned so far, looking at things with a more experienced eye.
Iām learning what my go-to moves are and what works ā or doesnāt work ā for me.
Iām learning what I would really do at the end of a self-defense move, as opposed to what has been scripted for me.
So what does Nidan look like? It looks like a better Shodan.
How different will I look as a Nidan? I really donāt know. I’m sure I will not have mastered all my material. Thatās a longer journey than this short two years. But I will be on my way, now that I have a better understanding of my goal and what to focus on to get there.