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Kyudo Blog #6 - Shodan And Beyond

If there is one thing which I think is characteristic of Kyudo, it is that it is a lifelong pursuit. Moreso than perhaps a lot of martial arts. And this is maybe more true abroad than in Japan. I don't know.

I certainly don't think it is unique to Kyudo to think "it will take a lifetime to master this". That, I think is common to most martial arts. Rather, I think Kyudo lets that sink in a lot quicker and is almost a core philosophy. I don't think you'll find many beyond shodan or nidan who haven't accepted or internalized this.

Growing up, I knew people my age who had black belts in Karate while I was still in high school. I met people with 7th, 8th and 9th-dan in various martial arts, and they are effectively everywhere. Most dojos, for most martial arts have at least one really high ranking member. And many have multiple.

It isn't absurd, in most martial arts, to be able to set practical timeframes for achieving certain high ranks or even to be qualified to teach by the governing body. 

For Kyudo though, at least in North America, simply having a 7th-dan in the same country as you is something that seems borderline miraculous. Even attaining just 3rd or 4th dan is a process which can take several attempts and span years. And 4th dan is not eligible for renshi which is the lowest level for IKYF to consider you an instructor.

I just passed shodan (or 1st-dan). I'm going on 2 years of practice. That might sound quick, but outside Japan it is my first formal rank of any sort. There is no colored belt system. And shodan is given out MUCH more readily than other dan ranks (I think in an effort to encourage people to continue). Just 6  months earlier however, and I'm certain I would have failed. 

And, even this time I was ready to accept that I had failed. Ready for that before it even started. Not that I went in expecting to fail. Nor did I think that I wasn't ready for it. It is simply not the nature of Kyudo. Passing tests in Kyudo is very much like practicing it. The target is always infinitely smaller than the space around it. The path to success in Kyudo is likewise much narrower than the numerous paths to failure.

That likely sounds overly flowery and perhaps conceited. But it FEELS worlds different from my belt tests I remember taking in Aikido. I'm not sure I would have passed if I forgot a kata completely. But memorization was more or less the key component. It is the reason I was ready to test for my first belt within about 6-8 weeks. And while I have no doubt that the quality of the execution of the kata becomes a factor higher up, the results speak for themselves. People attain rank in other martial arts much faster and with greater regularity.

In Kyudo, I could have memorized the hassetsu and the full taihai process in a similar timeframe. I still would not have been ready for the shinsa any sooner. 

I was ready to try again. And again as often as needed. And I think that the reason is that achieving higher ranks is only an indirect objective. I want to get better and I want to show pride in my home dojo. Attaining ranks is simply a byproduct of those things. Yes, I want to see that I've improved. Yes, I want to show that our instructors and our dojo are amazing. But I also don't want the slightest bit of that to be unearned. 

And yes, I know I'm talking only of myself here. And that the motivations of others will be different. But I think that Kyudo attracts people of a particular mindset. A mindset with a lot of commonality. I believe that these words will resonate with a lot of Kyudoka even if their reasons are different because they will see slivers of the same things. 

In a martial art where, once you pass about 2nd-dan (nidan) all future ranks could take exponentially more time, you need a mindset that isn't deterred by failure.

The reason I wrote this and reflected on my own recent shinsa was a video and short by another Kyudoka. And it was so relatable. I saw the title of his short and thought "Oh no! He's going to quit.". As you may have guessed from this however, no he isn't planning on quitting.

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