Nidan Grading

Several months ago I started documenting my training for the Grade of Nidan in Kyokushin Karate, unfortunately I did not continue updating my progress, mainly as I was training so hard and continually thinking about the grading I really did not feel like writing about the process. But now that it is over it’s time to write about the experience.

To start with where did I start this process?
After returning to training after a 7 year break (I’ve previously posted about this break here - www.mackaonline.com/CMS/node/58) I was beginning to get my body back into some sort of shape, still not ideal but improving, when my instructor asked me to consider grading for Nidan, this was a great honour but gave me some concerns as I was still not back to the level I felt was appropriate for my current grade of Shodan let alone attempting to grade for Nidan, my Sensei insisted he felt I was ready to grade as I had 4 months to prepare and I had shown my old dedication and commitment to training since I had been back.

So down a path of training as hard as I could to get to where I needed to be, I was already getting up early in the mornings, so this was the time to put in the extra training I needed, including some weights work, running and basic technique training, and then training in formal classes 3-4 times a week. The hard part of all of this training was not the intensity or the amount of training I was doing, the biggest issue was balancing recovery periods with the training and always in my mind that I could not afford any medium to serious injuries, even minor injuries (minor strains, bruising, etc…) were a concern as my body needed to recover to operate at peak performance during the formal trainings as many technical things had changed during my years of reduced training so I had to repefect my technique, learn new combinations and several new katas along with modifications to the other kata I already knew and some new bunkai of the kata, in all I had to work on around 46 katas (some were variations on the same kata – in ura and in tate) and I could not afford to have ongoing injuries hindering my continual training regime.

So the final test was the grading held on the 2nd December 2007, I went into the grading with some ham string problems on my left leg and strained quadracept in my right thigh (I did think I has recovered from this but I found out later in the fighting that the injury was still there….)

We started earlier than normal to try finish before the heat of the day hit (it was forecast for 31degrees Celsius or 88 degrees Fahrenheit that day – it reached 32degrees Celcius….).
The details of the grading are a little vague, but we went through the usual for a karate grading with basics and combinations, with the stamina testing done 2 hours into the grading (70 push-ups on knuckles, 100 squats, 150 full sit-ups), then kata and self defense work (requirements for Nidan were for 2 defences against the following attacks: Headlock, single handed rear wrist grab, 2 handed rear wrist grap, single handed front wrist grab, 2 handed front wrist grab, 2 handed choke.) and finally the fighting component.
The requirement for my grade was 15 fights showing clearly that I had the upper hand against all lower grades, well the fighting was difficult as by that stage all of us were exhausted (which is actually the point, it is about how well we can hold ourselves in combat even when exhausted), we’d had two people vomit through heat and exhaustion and it would have been 3 if I had not been distracted by one of the other guys. But during the first 5 fights I was hit on the right thigh and found out very quickly that my injury had not fully healed, which caused quite a few problems for the remaining fights as I was unable to use my right leg for kicking and it was difficult to kick with the left using the right as the supporting leg. At some stage during the fighting I sustained cracked ribs (no idea when or by who).
But that was the negative side of things, on the other side I was able to hold my own against all fighters including a couple of guys who had been fighting full contact tournaments during the year (these guys were attempting the same grade as myself). I achieved 3 knockdowns during the fighting.

But details of the grading aside, the end result is what matters I guess
And the end result in this case was I successfully graded to Nidan.

Now the most interesting thing about completing the grading, on the Thursday previous to the grading I received my final result for my University Degree (Engineering- Mechatronics), indicating I had been successful in completing my degree and I was eligible to graduate.
Now many people felt this was a major achievement and I should be very proud, etc, etc…
But from my perspective I’m still not sure if I am more proud of the Degree or completing my Nidan grading, in many ways I feel the Nidan grading was a greater achievement, as it pushed me to my limits mentally and physically, whereas the University degree was more a lot of work over and extended period of time (8 years part time study while working full time).


In summary, I’m proud of both achievements, but what is probably more important to me is continuing to improve in both areas.
This is the one aspect of my character that has kept me achieving all of my life, it is not the individual achievements that are important, it is continuing to achieve more and pushing myself further. After completing large challenges like my studies or my Nidan, I will often take a break for up to 2 months but I will then look for the next challenge or goal I want to achieve.
I have proven in the past if I do not do this, I will end up depressed, lethargic and aimless usually suffering poor health and falling into many negative habits (poor nutrition, excessive alcohol consumption, no fitness).
Understanding or accepting that the goal is not what makes life worthwhile, it is instead the journey that is important,
Understanding this has really helped me through my life, and will continue to drive me into the future, now I have completed these two goals, my new goals or challenges are to dedicate more time to my family, spend more time working on this website to provide something of interest or use to others, and to continue improving my Martial arts (aiming for Sandan in 3 years or so) and of course putting my engineering skills into use.

I hope this article may give you some ideas to help you with your own life, whether it just give you some incentive to go out and set some goals, or it has made you stop and think about what is more important, achieving your goals or the journey to get there, and of course never forget to take a break now and then reflect back on what you have done, and then go forward again..

Cheers
Macka


Ian McGregor is an Electrical Engineer working in the timber industry in Australia. With a keen interest in Personal Development , Home brewing, Control system engineering, Martial Arts.
He currently blogs about his Personal Development journey at http://www.mackaonline.com
and about his interest in home brewing at
http://brew.mackaonline.com