Attached you find a japanese documentary made for japanese viewer. It was then bought from National Geographic and spread throughout the world.
It shows the 8.DAN Test for modern Kendo, the most popular martial art in Japan.
This test ist considered more difficult then that test for becoming a lawyer, which is rather difficult in Japan too.
This documentary shows one very memorable mindset. One which is still valid in Japan today BUT never was valid for most of the europeans practicing japanese martial arts.
It shows that even a winner of the All Japanese Kendo Tournament, having the 7th DAN in Kendo fails 4 times to pass this test.
It shows that winning tournaments is not the key to mastership.
It also shows that winning tournaments is the necessary prestep to handle just a test.
It shows that the tests are examined by referees, who all must have the 8.DAN for a minimum of 15 years before they are allowed to judge.
This movie shows that self exploration is the only key to success. It shows that you always need a master before you become one by your own.
It shows that the way is a long and hard one.
And it shows one deniable truth.
A 8.DAN in Kendo MUST win the fights against a younger one.
THIS was and is the main reason, why there are so many martial artists outside and nowadays also inside Japan, who abolish randori in their schools, because they all know they would fail against a hasty young student.
Here ANYBODY can see the access to true mastership.
And the conclusio is very clear:
Never accept any graduation from someone, who does not have this graduation for a very long time.
Never accept any graduation from someone, who did not make a test in front of japanese masters.
Never accept any graduations from someone, who can not challenge you in a fight.
The only possible persons are in Japan and not in Europe. They had never been.
It was just because of so many egoistics. They built big societies of any kind of martial art with the goal to make them grow as fast as possbible.
The result was that unqualified people handed out licenses, made too young students teacher so that they can get students again for selling them certificates.
It became a money game.
A game which I always refused to play.
Against all odds I stood and stand so that in this dojo the old ancient martial art is thaught so that YOU get the chance to become a real master of your life, your love and your martial art.
Therefore in the Budo Institute there is only ONE test a year.
You can participate to that test after you had trained for one year.
If you pass this test the way to SHODAN (1.DAN) needs minimum 6-8 years. (Calculate your own for higher DAN grades)
As I made clear in Japan more then 10 years ago the students of the Budo Institute shall only make their DAN graduations in front of Japanese masters, after I did DAN examinations in Japan.
This was promised by Soke Hisashi Nakamura witnessed by Tosihisa Sofue 8.DAN, Masayuki Toyoshima 8.DAN, Miyosi Morita 8.DAN, Shuji Nakamura 7.DAN of the Takeda Ryu.
How else can someone be proud and SURE that what she/he did was good, valid and has future?
How else can someone keep his/her honour and motivation in training?
How else can someone become a master?
Of course there had been some students, who left before a test, or left because of not passing the KYU test in the Budo Institut.
They got DAN Tests in other school, other clubs, some are even teaching today.
What shall I say?
Some things are very simple and clear.
Like this mindset, like this habit of living, like this way of training.
