End of Summer Grading at Ligo Dojo
August 7, 2008

On August 7, sixteen Ligo Dojo students graded for new rank to demonstrate the fruits of all their hard training over the summer. We are experiencing a period of rapid growth and aside for one 5th kyu (yellow belt) testing for 4th kyu (green), all testing students were either 9th or 10th kyu (orange belts) testing for 8th kyu (blue) or stark beginners (white belts) testing for 10th (orange). Please keep that in mind when you watch the video clip. Sixteen students testing included five women. Ages ranged from 13 to 55.

About the video clip: The grading focused on basic technique and kata (formal excercises); this vido clip, however, focuses on kumite (fighting) because it's more exciting. All Ligo Dojo students train for full-contact fighting, yet many of them actually participate in hard fighing rarely, such as at their gradings. Our first and foremost concern is always safety and you will see that these students fight harder than the dojo down the street, and yet they walk away with smiles and congratulations. You should give it a try: day by day you will attain a level that surprises you. Consider that any dojo that teaches you anything less than real kumite may not be preparing you for real self defense. And spiritual benefiits? Mas Oyama's teaching was that they are far more readily available during this type of training than in training that doesn't appraoch the real thing. Remember that all these sudents are within their first year (and most of them half year) of training.

click here to watch video clip