Goal achieved!

As mentioned in a previous blog, one of my goals for the past 5 years or so has been to achieve a total of 10 (degrees) of black belts. I am pleased to say that I have now reached my goal!

Despite that fact that I only just got my 3^rd dan, I have completed the syllabus for Hakkoryu up to 4^th dan and this was awarded to me last night. For those who are still wondering why I have managed to grade so quickly, please remember that:

a)    Hakkoryu grades have their own standard and are based on mastery of a set of  approximately 20 techniques only;

b)    I am training one on one with some very good instructors five days a week at the Honbu; and

c)     Over a quarter century of training gives a handy foundation.

 

Of course, this means little to anyone except me, but now I have the following dan grades:

4^th dan Hakkoryu Jujutsu (graded by Okuyama Soke at Honbu);

http://www.hakkoryu.com/

4^th dan Arjukanpo Budo (graded by Vince Palumbo of ICMA and Brian Dossett of Combat Spirit International);

http://www.fighttimes.com/magazine/magazine.asp?authorid=172

1^st dan Doce Pares Pangamot (graded by Vince Palumbo of ICMA and SGM Cacoy Canete of Doce Pares); and

http://www.doceparesinternational.com/

1^st dan Shito-ryu karate (graded by John Boswell and Sadaharu Fujimoto of Shobukai Shitoryu).

http://www.shoubukai.com/top.html

Incidentally it is only recently that I feel confident that I am a black belt holder, rather than just owning a black belt. I now feel that I have reached an all-round level of competence that I feel proud of. I feel that my weaknesses in striking, clinch fighting and ground fighting have now been diminished to an `acceptable` level. I now feel that I have a solid foundation on which to build and specialise in a specific area or areas of my choice, rather than always have to balance training in all those ranges. My focus should now be on building skill and deeper understanding rather than achieving grades.

However, I still have some unfinished business before establishing a dojo in Australia. I am one belt short of obtaining my shodan in Judo and have not yet been graded in Koryu Uchinadi Kenpo Jutsu.

I visited a judo club, the Shidokan, with my son this afternoon. We will be returning next Saturday for a trial lesson. The Shidokan is owned by 7^th dan Kodokan Judo instructor Yasuo Terasawa, who is also a bone-setter (physiotherapist). I plan to train with my 3 year old son in the kids class on Saturday afternoons, then return in the evenings for the adult class. It would be wonderful to receive my shodan in Judo in Japan, but I have no intent to compete at this stage of my life and in Japan I have heard it is almost impossible to grade without competing. At least I can continue to develop or maintain my Judo from Australia, and grade sometime after my return.

http://members3.jcom.home.ne.jp/higasio-miya_nakuradou/terasawadoujou5.html

As for Koryu Uchinadi Kenpo Jutsu (a modern martial art based on intensive research into classical Okinawan martial art training methods), I have been leading a very small study group at the Australian Embassy in Tokyo three afternoons a week. As I do not have an experienced training buddy, it is difficult to continue to develop my own skills, but this is helping me keep the drills fresh in my mind and allowing me to experiment a little. I look forward to an opportunity in the near future to test for my black belt in this system as I have now been training in this for several years and feel quite comfortable with much of the syllabus.

http://www.koryu-uchinadi.com/index1.html

This might sound strange coming from someone who has not run a club for 15 years, but my main goal in the martial arts is not to be the best martial artist, but rather the best martial arts instructor I can be. Once I have achieved the two goals listed above, it will be time to focus on this last stage. I am very excited about the prospect of teaching all I have learned and thank those who have contacted me to ask when I will be teaching in Australia next.

So… one goal achieved, many more to come. No rest for the addicted!