Rank Testing and Areas to Improve

Last week, my instructor spoke to me about preparing to test for Ikkyu (1st Degree Brown Belt) in Shorin-Ryu sometime in the first half of 2013. He also mentioned that, if I can improve in the areas I need to improve in, and I pass my Ikkyu test, that I can likely expect to test for Shodan (1st Degree Black Belt) sometime in 2014. This is a terrifying idea to me!

The primary area that I need to work on improving before my Ikkyu test, let alone my Shodan test, is my kihon (basics). It is no secret that my martial arts journey started in Shuri-Ryu, and from there I added judo and eventually moved on to Shorin-Ryu. My journey has been a good one, and I have learned a great deal--and will continue to learn--but it has not been without its problems. While my Shuri-Ryu training developed very strong basics, those basics do not all fit Shorin-Ryu.

There were some subtle differences that I have been able to fix, such as the angle of my rear foot in zenkutsu-dachi (front stance) or the position of my hand in jodan-uke (high block/receiving). Some of the differences have given me a lot more trouble, however. In particular, I have issues with shuto-uke (sword hand block/receiving) and neko-ashi-dachi (cat foot stance).

Shuri-Ryu Shuto-Uke and Neko-Ashi-Dachi (Photo by Mike Oliveri)

In Shuri-Ryu, the stance tends to be rather long and wide, as most of the stances in that style, and I became very comfortable and stable in that position. From it, I am able to stand, move or strike with relative ease. The shuto-uke comes at a downward angle, and is supposed to end with the elbow one fist's distance away from the ribs, with the rear hand covering the solar plexus. In Shorin-Ryu, however, the stance tends to be shorter and narrower, and the shuto-uke comes more straight across, ending in a straight upright position that covers the head, with the rear hand reaching past the body. Even after two and a half years of training in Shorin-Ryu, my Shuri-Ryu cat stance and sword hands still sneak through. I have a very hard time feeling stable and powerful in a Shorin-Ryu cat stance, and my Shorin-ryu sword hands feel weak (plus that upright position is very difficult for my shoulder to manage).

Shorin-Ryu Shuto-Uke by Nakazato Shugoro

At a deeper level, I also have to modify my methodology to be more in-line with Shorin-Ryu concepts. Primarily, the fact that I still use straight-line, hard-style power that I developed in Shuri-Ryu, as opposed to the more combined circular-and-straight, soft-and-hard speed that is more indicative of Shorin-Ryu. As hard as it will be to fix my cat stance and sword hands, it will be even harder to change how I move, overall.

I have a lot of hard work ahead!