Grant
Wakeman, Head Coach, NKJJK (London)
When
I started Jujitsu at the ripe old age of 24 and I looked at the 4th
Dan Sensei and thought that they were more akin to Gods, than mere
people, I mean, who could possibly be that capable and not posses
super human strength, lightning quick reflexes and a special awareness
more akin to Spiderman.
Now
some 22 years on (Gulp!), I find myself being asked if I am ready
for the June grading to …4th Dan…surely they can not mean me, I am
only a club instructor after all…I possess none of the above qualities,
I am middle aged, averagely fit and have the eyesight of a new born
puppy, without my glasses (those who I have trained with will attest
to my aggressive squint).
As
it happens they were talking about me and my two other ‘partners in
crime’, Sensei Ed Garvey and Sensei Ricky Alder (both of which are
10 years my junior, fitter and have more capable eye sight).
That
was December 2007 and here we are 7 months on and I am sitting nursing
my Back, my foot and my throat, but feeling quite relaxed and almost
surreal (we are talking after the event I hasten to add). We have
actually managed to get our 4th Dan…all of us, without any real serious
drama.
Going
back to those winter months in December, January, February, March
and even some of April (bad year for rain 2008) it was a tough decision
to make for all of us as we all have young families that we would
much rather have been looking after; but the grading required some
sacrifice and 3 nights a week was the minimum we would get away with
if we really wanted to achieve our 4th Dan. So the families were duly
relegated to the 2 nights a week and some weekends and we started
to try and put some sense to words like "HOJO" and "EMBOS"…..!
As
time progressed, we actually started to get to grips with the syllabus
and, it even made some sense in places, not much and not actual clarity,
but at least murky style muddy water.
We
consistently trained in all the bits we would be required to demonstrate
(basically everything, or so it seemed) and found that even with the
3 hour classes we were doing, we were having trouble getting everything
done.
The
difference in the previous Dan grades and the 4th Dan, is that you
have to develop and perform techniques that you yourself have made
up; so you are given a belt and told to "just make up 10 techniques".
Have you ever tried to do something with a long length of wiggly material?
It has a mind of its own that defies all logic – try and catch a punch
or wrap it around a limb and the law of sod means that 90% of the
time you end up tying yourself in knots whilst your Uke looks on bemused
at how you actually managed to tie your right hand to your head, without
any help from him!!
Then
there’s the Baton techniques: here too you can achieve a perfect strike
to the back of your own Head, or even the odd dead leg, without even
thinking (this is probably the problem!). Obviously we all eventually
learnt from our mistakes and hopefully had something new (I very much
doubt that) for the sensei to see on the day.
The
Yon Dan grading starts with the physical Jujitsu, 11 wrist locking
sets, followed by 11 combination locking sets; defence against knife
and then our own baton and belt techniques and finally some 18 extensions
to the grading techniques from white through to brown belt.
Of
course this is only the start, with every possible open hand kata
and weapons kata to perform (paired and solo) and as luck would have
it, we were all split up to make the grading go faster. My Ukes (I
had 3 in total for the day) stated which side of the paired katas
they knew and I dutifully had to swap to my unpractised side (you
are not required to swap sides until the 5th Dan – that would be before
you turn water into wine or some other miracle then!).
As
you now know, all must have been Ok as I managed to pass the grade,
but the act of swapping to my worst side, it made an already nervous
feeling even more uncomfortable, if that is possible. All in all,
I now realise that 4th Dan is nothing but more of the same, albeit
longer, with more to remember, but still Ju-Jitsu as we know and love
it; with no special god-like powers or special senses, just good old
training and practice to perform the moves on the day.
I
do however, remember just 0how I felt when I was a Kyu grade preparing
for the day and believe me; some things never change! I would like
to thank all the sensei that helped us achieve our goal on the day,
sensei Brian and sensei Terry for their unbiased marking and especially
sensei Lee, Steve and Simon for their enthusiasm and kindness in letting
us bend their body’s for our gratification and especially sensei Ricky
Izod for taking time to correct and assist our clumsy technique and
finally to all North Kent, sensei and students, who have endured my
training without complaint: Thanks!
Grant
Wakeman runs the London branch of the North Kent Ju-Jitsu Kai
- www.nkjjk.co.uk
ENDS
