Exam Time

   There was a period when I was getting pretty frustrated with my kendo and how badly I was doing at... well, everything. I feel like I'm getting better now, though; I have a better grasp of how to move with armor on, I feel like I can get one or two hits in in sparring practice, and I think I'm starting to understand the basics.

   On the other hand, there's this blog. I originally wanted to chronicle my growth in kendo and remind myself of what I was doing in each class, but the blog ended up becoming a burden and a distraction... not to mention a dead albatross around my neck. I ended up just sitting down and thinking about all of the mistakes I'd made rather than what I'd accomplished.

   So, if you've been waiting for a post -- sorry!

   The reason I'm making this one is that I have an exam coming up -- ikkyuu, or first kyuu. Kendo rankings generally run from sixth kyuu to first kyuu, and then from first dan to eighth dan. It doesn't sound as fancy as it looks, though; first kyuu is the first rank that really means anything in the kendo world, and then, it doesn't mean much at all... just that you attended practice and paid attention for a little while.

   Seriously. The lower kyuus aren't even graded or really recognized by the kendo federation; they're awarded by each dojo. They're given to help people feel that they've progressed (something I can certainly understand!) -- knowing how to sit, hold the shinai properly, walk properly, dress properly...

   Ikkyuu is, I guess, a grade that shows that you're learning how to practice properly. Even though first dan is regarded in the US as "black belt", in Japan, first dan just means you're serious about wanting to learn. Third dan is where most people stop; serious kenshi are around fifth dan. Seventh dan is really, really hard, and the test for eighth dan is supposed to be one of the hardest tests in the world. National Geographic even did a special about it at one point.

   My first kyuu test is in two and a half weeks or so -- I'm really nervous about it. Even though it's such a minor ranking, it's my first real step into the world of kendo.