Again, congratulations. I went through one kenjutsu test -- each one was 15 minutes or so? -- and although I did well, I didn't pass, and I do so poorly stresswise when that many people are looking at me that I said I would never do it again. I get the concept of a formal test ceremony, blah blah blah, but nobody does their best in testing and I have always wondered why our skills can't be judged in class, when we ARE usually doing much better.
In All-Japan Iai, the formal test format isn't just ceremonial - it's a deliberate method of putting pressure on the tester. Since we cannot validate iai techniques in actual combat, the test format tries to approximate the stresses of a match by applying social pressure. Further, Iai in particular is about cultivating the mind as well as the body - but the mind is invisible, formless, and cannot be observed by judges - so part of the test is to see if your mind is calm enough to override your body and remain slow, focused, and precise in spite of the audience.
While my performance was not my best, it wasn't my worst either - it was an honest snapshot of how much I had really learned and internalized, and when I go back and watch the video Angyl took of it, it'll reveal aspects of technique that I need to return to and polish relentlessly before my next test.
Oh, I understand that the purpose is that the testing environment makes people uncomfortable and potentially examines how they would perform under less-than-ideal circumstances. And of course, you don't want to actually put the student in a life-threatening situation. But the physical responses of someone in an actual fight are going to be pretty different from the physical responses of someone in a testing environment. (At least, they definitely are different in my case.)
I suppose the most "legit" test would be to surprise the student with an attack. *laugh* Maybe tell them, "sometime in the next week, someone will break into your home and attack you with a bokken. You must defend yourself. If you pass, then you get to level up." That way you know it's not just a random burglar. :)
Congratulations! One of the reasons I haven't gone back to kendo was the fact that to progress any further I would have had to memorize the kata, and I simply don't have the memory for it. The sparring I always loved, the kata I dreaded. The fact that you can not only perform them fluently, but note stylistic flourishes is a credit to your skill.
The whole idea is that you do them (kata, etc.) so often that you aren't performing them with your mind anymore, but muscle memory. Muscle memory is what you're going for in the long run, because in an actual fight your brain isn't going to be helping you at all. :)
If by "perform them fluently", you mean "perform them adequately". I watched the video of myself last night, and on the one hand I'm happy with my progress after four months, but on the other hand I have so, so far to go to be where I want to be.
During the year I did Kendo (I was a rokkyu. Go me!), I think we did kata practice for something like half-an-hour, once every three months. Dunno how anyone is supposed to learn a kata at that pace - especially when you need to round up a partner to practice with. Solo kata are easier to pick up and retain, and practicing three nights a week doesn't hurt either...
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While my performance was not my best, it wasn't my worst either - it was an honest snapshot of how much I had really learned and internalized, and when I go back and watch the video Angyl took of it, it'll reveal aspects of technique that I need to return to and polish relentlessly before my next test.
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I suppose the most "legit" test would be to surprise the student with an attack. *laugh* Maybe tell them, "sometime in the next week, someone will break into your home and attack you with a bokken. You must defend yourself. If you pass, then you get to level up." That way you know it's not just a random burglar. :)
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During the year I did Kendo (I was a rokkyu. Go me!), I think we did kata practice for something like half-an-hour, once every three months. Dunno how anyone is supposed to learn a kata at that pace - especially when you need to round up a partner to practice with. Solo kata are easier to pick up and retain, and practicing three nights a week doesn't hurt either...
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