Maybe it's me, but I don't think I really expected anything... WOW! from it, and don't think I've gotten anything such, either. Not seeing auras everywhere, not beeing able to tell the next few things about to happen or some such. To me it's all about your Taijutsu, how you understand it, and what goes with it.

Looking back at DVD where I've been caught on film one might say that things started to "shape up" after the Sakki-test. And I hope I still am.

My take.

Does passing the test automatically mean you are a master ? No! But it does open your eyes to a skill level you never would believe you could posses.when I sat for my test in March ,05 what amazed me was the fact that I was so calm in a packed room of onlookers. I cleared my mind and it was if hatsumi was not even in the room. I was just breathing and there he was. It felt like he poked me in the back with his finger like he wanted to see if I would flinch. Of course the thing is he never actually touched me. It was like I felt his energy or his mind but somehow I knew there was no danger in this so I didn't move an inch.Then I realized I was rolling and I saw the sword hit the floor. After the tests were over hatsumi came up to me and my instructor the late Shihan Jim Geary. He looked at me and said good test then he looked my instructor and said good test.To me that was pretty cool. What I experienced was not a holy cow roll or die sensation. It was more like Hatsumi pushed me out of the way. The test has nothing to do with your mind. So if anyone is testing soon learn to clear all thoughts. Your body will pass the test. If you pass feel proud then remember you still know nothing.

Keep training
Brian

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But, technically it does give you the right to teach the art as you see fit. I thing the problem comes in when people look at this responsibility as a right. It is easy to think of it as an accomplishment and not the awesome responsibility it is. I remember feeling totally inadequate as a teacher in my knowledge of the Bujinkan and it changed my attitude to learning the history of the Ryuha.

I guess this is true for all ranks. We have all learned of people who feel that they have acheived a rank and are really something. Some even feel they can't learn anything more from Soke, how silly. I often thing about stories about Soke giving people rank to make them go away. It won't work on me, I'll keep coming!

Marty

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Actually, no it doesn't (to be picky).

Passing the Godan test means that you passed the Godan test.

It doesn't even mean that you're a Godan - you still have to fill out the form, fork over the fee, and get your Godan grade first before you're a Godan.

At that point you're still not entitled to teach. You have to pay for Shidoshikai membership and get a Shidoshikai membership card/menjo before you have the right to teach. And then you have to keep up your Shidoshikai membership payments year after year in order to maintain that right.

So, no, passing the test does not technically give you the right to teach the art at all, in and of itself.

Being a Bujinkan instructor is about Shidoshikai membership, not about having passed the Godan test. Although you cannot become a Shidoshikai member without taking the test, the two are still separate things. You could almost say that Shidoshikai membership is about your relationship to others (students, the Bujinkan organization) and that the Godan test is about your personal relationship to Sensei.

Shawn

I agree with Marty when he said that passing the test gave us a responsibility. On the night I passed, while riding the train back to the hotel. My instructor told me that it is now my responsibility to bring a student to be tested. It is up to all of us to not just instruct but to teach. Then that student also has this task ahead of them.

The people who saw me take the big swing know better than I what happened physically. I don't really remember actually moving.

But I do remember the feeling. For me, it was like being in love and dancing - just me and sensei, the rest of the world disappeared, time slowed to a crawl, he leading and me following, not resisting, in synch, and then we both moved.

What Shawn said - taking the test and moving means something to you and sensei, but to nobody else until you've paid your dues. It doesn't qualify you to wash Soke's socks, never mind teach. You could be x-dan and teach, so that's not what it's all about, ne? Teaching is about Shidoshikai.