8th Kyu Grading (for Gi & Hakama)

Original post on our club's previous forum

Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2004 9:45 am Post subject: 8th Kyu Grading (for Gi & Hakama)

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It's our club's tradition that beginners should pass 8th Kyu grading before putting on Gi & Hakama (the Kendo cloth & skirt). Normally after 2 months learning and training, all beginners are expected to perform Suburi well. This is the first grading for our beginners.

The items in the 8th Kyu grading will include:

1. Kamae
2. Footwork: forward-backward, right-left, and diagonally.

 suburi: The act of swinging the shinai up and down vertically or diagonally.
3. Joge-buri: vertically
4. naname-suburi: diagonally

kukan-datotsu: Image an opponent in space, and strike the targets.
5. Men
6. Kote
7. Do
8. Side Men
9. Kote-Men
10. Kote-Do

That's all and please don't worry too much.

Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 3:58 pm    Post subject: What virtues do the hakama pleats represent?

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What virtues do the hakama pleats represent? 

仁 Jin (benevolence) 
義 Gi (justice) 
禮 Rei (manners) 
智 Chi (wisdom) 
信 Shin (faithfulness, trustfulness) 

From: 
http://www.kjartan.org/swordfaq/section08.html