Admin is the bit everyone needs these days. To train with Gibshot you need two important things:
Dojo etiquette: Which seems dated but in traditional shotokan it is important to understand behaviour and respect for not just senior members but junior members. You cannot respect yourself without respecting others first. Respect is earned through experience and proficiency, though not necessarily excellence.
Dojo License: Our licensing is through SEKU please download the form below, complete it electronically if you wish and pay the annual fee. Send it to the address on the form. Once you receive your license your sensei will then be able to advise you and upcoming examinations.
Grading examinations: Generally GibShot “gradings” are approximately every four months. Your sensei will ensure you are ready and capable for any examination you are entered into so you can be confident if you train hard, minimum twice a week, do your best and show you are capable of the techniques expected of you at that grade level you should be successful. Of course sometimes you aren’t but your instructor will tell you why and what you need to do to be successful next time.
These are the grades/colours used to denote rank which are called “kyu grades”:
Everyone starts with a White belt unless they graded at a previous club.
Orange (9th kyu)/Red (8th kyu)/Yellow (7th kyu) /Green (6th kyu)
Purple (5th kyu)/Purple & white stripe (4th kyu)Brown (3rd kyu)
Once attaining brown belt students must at some point before taking their Shodan exam attend a minimum of 3 SEKU Black & Brown belt courses. These courses are at a higher level and take students out of the comfort of their home dojo against students from other clubs. You want to know what you’ve been taught works right?
Brown with single white stripe (2nd kyu) there must be a minimum of 6 months between 2nd and 3rd kyu exam.
Brown with 2 white stripes (1st kyu) there must be a minimum of 1 year between 1st kyu and attempting the Shodan (1st degree) Black belt examination.
On attaining a 1st degree black belt it is generally accepted that at this point with over 4 years training under your belt (literally), you start to learn shotokan karate having now achieved a good base from which to start. Karate is a slow burn, good karate has no short cuts and is a lifelong path which a student follows without an end but many achievements along the way. It doesn’t make you tough, aggressive or a fighter. It does give you a sense of achievement more than anything else it gives you self confidence and better able to cope with life’s little foibles.