Shodan Test at KarateCenter
June 29 - July 1, 2001
Sempai Austin Peterson and I tested for our first degree black belts (shodans) in Okinawan Shorin-Ryu karate. The three day test included:

• every kick, stance, block, strike and kata we had learned
• the practical application of kata (bunkai)
• self-defense techiniques including stick, knife and gun defenses
• sparring in various situations - one attacker, two attackers, sparring from a kneeling position and laying down
• numerous question and answer periods about karate history, theory, teaching, bunkai, school history/lineage and our own views on martial arts
• and whatever else the members of the board decided to ask us.

Our board consisted of :

Sensei Nobuichi "Roy" Oyakawa, 9th dan
Sensei Maria Doest, 5th dan
Sensei Bruce Schram, 5th dan
Hanshi Linda Gross, 8th dan (Seki-Ryu Jiu-Jitsu)
Sensei Tamara Bossett, 2nd dan
Sensei David Fallon, 2nd dan

Click on any picture to see a larger version.

Our board included (from left to right): Hanshi Linda Gross, Sensei Maria Doest, Sensei Roy Oyakawa, Sensei Bruce Schram and Sensei Tamara Bossett

Austin and I performing Kihon Bo kata

Doing jiu-jitsu knife defense with Valerie from the Santa Maria, Calif. Seki-Ryu Jiu-Jitsu dojo

Blocking an overhand knife attack

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Kata is defined as "an organized series of prearranged defensive and offensive movements symbolizing an imaginary fight against several opponents and performed in a geometrical patttern." - from "Shorin-Ryu: Okinawan Karate Question and Answer Book"