1.dan examination

[@tamashii14]

These young students are simply amazing! I would love to know what training they recieved to lean the stances and techniques so well!! If only I could my students this disciplined in their karate!!!

[@xenophon456]

These kids are amazing. I have to wonder what their training was like. Such discipline and focus for such a young child.

[@shotojukukai]

Performed better than many older students I’ve seen; even at the adult level. Well done - OSS!

[@KenpoKid77]

I am inspired by these two. Technique is very sharp, especially the young lady. Puts some adults to shame like someone else said. They say there are no bad students, only bad teachers. They obviously have good strong teachers.

[@KenpoKid77]

@Carl2 Actually this is very common in Japan and Okinawa. A lot of preteens receive their shodan there, because in the East shodan is seen as merely the true beginning of training. To them, shodan is equivalent to a child who has learned the basics of walking, and can now learn more complex types of movement. It's in the West that we treat shodan as an endgoal, as a symbol on inward maturity, but not so in the East. Many of the old masters attained shodan long before they were adults.

[@Petatron88]

oh my god, these kids have got perfect stances, perfect arm movements and a great set of hips on them, I have been shotokan for 13 years and still wish my hips were as good as that lol. well done you guys.

[@isaiasoliveira8209]

Fantastic, awesome, incredible...I am really happy with this demonstration.Congratulations.OSS!

[@AllahoAkbarf]

The basics is what have to practice over and over again and it is a huge difference in culture of West & East, they want perfection and not lazy to do the work, here in the West is instant gratification without effort. Best of luck in your training, you understand more than most in the West do.

[@MrDalley]

got my 1st Dan exam in March, I hope I look as good as these 2!, would be interesting to see the rest of their exam, hope they never lose interest, imagine how good they will be in 10 years!

[@CrescentMoonKarate]

Osu! I am very impressed at their intensity. What an excellent example for Karate Ka around the Globe. My best wishes go out to these two young Karate Ka and my congratulations to their Sensei for helping to develop these young students into an excellent representation for the Karate Community. Osu! Robert Torres Yodan - Crescent Moon Karate Dojo, Los Angeles, Ca.

[@rtempestini]

Fantastic! Beautifl form and technique for such young students. Some semsei out there has sharp teaching skills and lots of patience! Congratulations!

[@MrMikeod]

I trained at jks honbu, Tokyo in 2001 and 2002 2 months at a time. The intructors-senseis kagawa, Ishimine, yamaguchi, kanayama etc (asai sensei busy) and trainee inada, were incredible. Each had their own style, strenths and teaching method. The childrens/beginners classes at 1800hrs mon/fri tailored to their needs. With such world class teachers rotated progress is rapid, as correct technique, speed, timing always on display. Dojo atmosphere encourages everyone to try their best.

[@rkc415]

Beautiful, future senseis in the making.

[@manetoufrj]

It is amazing the focus and the technique of such kids. Congratulations on them and their sansei. Oss

[@KenpoKid77]

In Japan/Okinawa, training is done differently. For starters, they start a much younger age around 3-5 yrs old, depending on dojo rules. Secondly, they train more frequently than most Western students, karate is part of many school/college curriculums as well as after school, 3-6 days/week. At that rate, attaining shodan in 2-3 years is commonplace in Japan/Okinawa. Thirdly, the Japanese view shodan as simply the first step in learning real martial arts, having a grasp on the basics only.

[@jorrisaddy6769]

Awesome....very good stances and sharp techniques as well. Kudos to their Sensei

[@RadagonTheRed]

Superior technique from the girl - her kicks and execution of the kihon is lightning fast and demonstrates a very high level of control. I wish I had taken my 1st Dan grading in front of a Japanese panel, makes you wonder how they would interpret my black belt level and skill compared to Shotokan standards here in the UK. I'd like to think I'd still pass, but I think the standard would have to be impeccable. Anyway - *Karate is fantastic! Domo arigato! for reading.*

[@smcgregor72]

thats the way,outstanding disipline this is soo good to see is still alive

[@ClassicModernGentleman]

Fantastic! I was taken back by the focus of the students!

[@bealz3130]

These kids, especially the girl, are awesome. Hope they enjoy it and don't burn out too soon.

[@xCaptainHMorganx]

@THEpillows100 Black belt by definition is a mastery of basic techniques. I haven't seen more than this vid, but for their age it's rare to see such intensity and perfection of waza execution. They no doubt deserve their black belts. You have to consider context.

[@davz0r]

Its crazy how good these kids are for their age, seriously. they are 1/4 to 1/5 of my age yet better than I am...

[@KenpoKid77]

Yeah, karate training tends to be a very subjective experience. The nature of the art ultimately encourages one to train according to their own personal philosophy and value system. So it's natural that different people from different background will have different approaches to it. I personally think that's what makes karate so wonderful, it's not meant to be a cookie cutter experience where everyone thinks the same.

[@tampakendoclub]

Very impressive ~~ so kawaiiiiii but so intense... I just hope they continue their journey for long time...

[@laserkej]

they both started when they were 3 years old

[@roninleon]

whoa! Such kame and what great form! You don't happen to have them performing their kata do you?

[@kinhojack]

fiquei emocionado com a tecnica dessas criancas, espero que um dia eu tenha alunos asism OSS

[@Loyal2law]

I. Am. Speechless. O_O! Where do these children come from?! First, 2 future world boxing champions at almost the same age, now them?! So, 7 yrs. old is the new Sensei now o_O? I am literally shaking my head, & I haven't closed my jaw after watching this. They give "Don't Judge the Book By it's Cover" a new meaning O_O!

[@KenpoKid77]

Mas Oyama started karate at 14, but remember, he is not a native of Japan, he moved there from Korea in his early teens. But even he started studying martial arts back in Korea at age 9. Kenwa Mabuni was a sickly child growing up, as was Gichin Funakoshi's son Gigo. Hence their parents had them start training a little later in life...

[@jeff127999]

Fantastic technique, puts me to shame after 10 years training. Well done.

[@KenpoKid77]

Not just talking karate, but Japanese budo in general. There's a Japanese tradition that has children start on the 5th day of the 5th month of their 5th year. Hidetaka Nishiyama, Tsutomu Ohshima, Isao Obata, Hironori Ōtsuka, and Hirokazu Kanazawa - all 1st generation Shotokan students - started martial arts by age 6. Kanazawa was 2nd dan in judo in high school. They started Shotokan later in college; it was still a fairly new art at the time...

[@JohnBeckers1986]

Its not the amount of years you have train but the amount of hours you train in these years. If you train for 2 hours a week it wil take you a long time to reach a higher level, but if you train for 10-15 hours a week you wil progress a lot faster.

[@Shadymeister]

well done, excellent work

[@bajerfan]

Really gret. Precise techniques, good stregth and great balance.

[@KenpoKid77]

You ask what has become of karate today, but in fact this is a centuries-long tradition in Japanese/Okinawan/Chinese martial arts, not just karate. In the West we view shodan as a certain level of mastery, an endpoint. But in their culture it only means you're an advanced beginner, hence it's the beginning of your real journey of mastery. Over there, if you're not shodan by at least 20, you're considered a slow learner. Miyamoto Mushashi was already a master swordsmen by age 15...

[@jason41760]

I like this it is by far the best Ive seen of the younger Dan Grades....Sharp and fast. Well focused,To be honest I have seen some adult dan grades with less techniques and some that are sloppy.This is inspirational.....Right wheres my Gi.lol No seriouse they are good.

[@alexgabryel]

Outstanding......Great kime....and kiai....for their age....Better than some big guys...... ; ))))

[@FoodCubes]

Little boy has incredible precision and coordination.

[@Tianshanwarrior]

love it, very skillful

[@gessica7347]

adorei esse video, essas crianças são feras...

[@Shoen]

they are very good. the kihon of my 1 dan is completely different!

[@disclaimer05]

Sad but very true. I think its the culture difference. Over the years students at my dojo have gotten frustrated about it taking too long to acquire a black belt (5-6 years) and that Sensei makes do basic drills every class. We learn some flashy things, but Sensei has always believe that you use basic techniques (Kihon) during real life confrontations, so you must perfect them. My Sensei's teacher, Master Fusei Kise, is from Okinawa and Sensei teaches very traditionally.

[@samowins9931]

Beautiful Technique and Balance! Great job kids!!!

[@KenpoKid77]

@cosmicburrito2 Agreed. MA is part of school curriculum in Japan and Okinawa, and then there's training after school. That many hours, it's not uncommon to see a karateka get their shodan in 2-3 years. Shodan has different meaning there than it does in US. Here's it's viewed as an endgoal,there it's just a beginning to a new stage, like having learned how to walk. Shodan means you get the basic idea of karate...sort of. So in some respects it's acceptable, if the child is physically ready.

[@Jimmy36507]

If we can bring up children in this way, the future looks good, their concentration is amazing for their age, if I could get some adults like this I would be happy .

[@KenpoKid77]

@Karatekid29 They do it differently in Japan & Okinawa. To them, shodan is equivalent to a baby learning how to walk. Over there, karate is part of school PE curriculum, and then they train after school, so they have way more hours per training day than most Western kids. It's not uncommon to see high schoolers reaching nidan there. In fact, if you're over 20 and still haven't gotten shodan, they tend to think you're a slow learner

[@ThePurdude]

@demediator not the "western" way, but the westerners who choose not to train their students in the japanese way or the westerners who do not actually have a lineage from the japanese way or the westerners who had trained for a short while from the japanese, but thought they knew enough to start their own programs.

[@TheDiegofelix]

os piás são fora do sério... espero que o meu exame de kuro obi não seja tão puxado... oss

[@DemonCisco]

These two brown-belt kids are just as good or better than most of the fully grown Black-belts I have seen in reality in a Swedish Dojo.

[@Neil_Mitra]

man these kids are so sharp at such a young age...1 kyu teenagers at my dojo have trouble being this sharp....japanese children will take over the world.....

[@Nwwwwwww]

@Sadoruro Have to agree. When I did karate (unfortunately only for a shirt while), a kid who had trained all his life and had better technique than most adults got told that he probably won't get his next belt (brown I think) until he has gained a considerable amount of mass and size. I think it's only reasonable, and also important for the credibility for the whole art and its the belt system.

[@ZLuca86]

@laserkej in my dojo we do karate for 10 years before the 1° dan's examination...

[@1976kumite]

Impresionante!

[@MrSk8guyJr]

Incredible! These kids are way better than every black belt student where I train.

[@KenpoKid77]

Sad to say, cockiness and pride live in every country my friend. Best thing you and I can do is to show them a better way and remain humble.

[@ThePurdude]

@CoswayCleaningSuppli it actually helps to organize the classes.

[@ВладимирГого-в4к]

Profanation of the idea and philosophy of karate! 1-Dan for at least 20 years!

[@SempaiMarc]

In my dojo you have to be 16 to test for black belt. Takes no less than 5 yrs of training to be considered, even for junior. But these two are very impressive.

[@Simson616]

not strength but also maturity of character and living the philosophy of the sport. giving a black belt to a small child is like saying that this child would have a more rational and sophisticated view on life and its challanges than most adults or even its parents. this can never be right.

[@LordXerfes]

@laserkej so ur telling be they got trough 19 belts,in this age,plus having only 3 years to do it?

[@juliecrowe3557]

Really and truly, Karate is a matter of strength. If you don't have it, you can build it up, but the best strength is natural strength

[@KenpoKid77]

...And when I say the West, I mean modern Western culture, because in ancient times it was very different. Spartans started training their kids for fighting as early as age 7, Ninja as early as age 5. Children can and will rise to a higher level of ability if the adults in their lives train them the right way, with the right balance of love and discipline. This video is solid evidence of that.

[@ptboyindenver]

Not surprising to see Yamaguchi Sensei at the table. Their technique looks just like him. Oh, by the way he's one of the best instructors in the world.

[@abrasilfilho]

Muito bom mesmo! Impressionante! Very good! Awesome! Oss

[@Atmegaown]

@Karatekid29 They get it because they earned it... They learned everything they had to, to get to the next belt. When you know everything you may wanna lvl up too right?

[@jongleurbon]

Very well,but ,how many KATA,are required for first DAN? And what is theirs name?...Please!

[@GoGoVengo]

This is how more kids in western films should be. self empowered and discipled.

[@warhamerdude]

@laserkej Three years? I trained for Karate for 2 years and only got up to yellow belt with white stripe. I have done and do: Karate Kendo Shaolin Kung Fu Fencing

[@Simson616]

That would also fit with what my master told me about the japanese "pre-dan" training process.

[@macrobioticman]

Man they are just awesome, so cute :-)

[@xCaptainHMorganx]

They are ridiculously cute! But seriously? If they are that impressive at this young age, just imagine how impressive they'll be later on down the road. That was great.

[@xRyuBu]

That's just because they're disciplined. I used to know someone who trained 4 times a week called Sean whose now in the GB team. He was like these kids, disciplined.

[@Yautja297]

@Ballowall and thats what i meant actually^^ that a belt shouldn't only represent technical skill but also your maturity.. but thats just my opinion^^

[@chitah6]

The sarcasm must be missing in my reply. I started young as well, 5YO. And I have been at this for 33 years. I also train in a "non Kata" style, BJJ. But I also teach karate, in addition to BJJ. I still train kata everyday and it is extremely helpful. Many find it to not be helpful, that is their opinion. It is NOT a waste of time, IF it is taught correctly and it is looked at as a training tool.

[@cinimatics]

@Yautja297 How do you know they don't? Just because your 6 can't mean your not mature. Heck you almost have to be to have the motivation to be that good.

[@assassin465]

Thank You!!!!!!!!!! I appreciate your comment

[@00boxer00]

@ZLuca86 Im afraid there are many black belts out there that are no where near as good as this even after 10 years.

[@biakuya]

that's the best young girl martial artist i've ever seen and i've seen a lot

[@KenpoKid77]

This is how it's done in Japan/Okinawa. They start earlier, train more frequently and take it more seriously than the Western world in general. You must remember, shodan means "first degree" for a reason. That's the point where real training begins. Before that, you're still crawling in the kyu ranks. Their training philosophy is, "1,000 days to forge the spirit, 10,000 days to polish it." Meaning 1,000 days = about 3 years to black belt, 10,000 = about 30 yrs to mastery.

[@thato794]

gosh these kids are good

[@KenpoKid77]

I agree 100% that karate today is a far cry from what it used to be in the old days, though I believe it's due more to the passing down diluted teachings and financial greed. Karate is at its best when all areas of training (technique, balance, speed, power, etc.) are given their proper attention, with the understanding that it is a martial art, not just exercise...

[@ajisakti]

laserkej... do you know when did they start their training?? my son is 2 yo. i wish i can take my kid to start karate. i want to start too... :D

[@oleczuz]

very inspiring...need to train more...

[@Joegoulart]

この空手家にお目出度う御座います。 本当に凄い昇段試験をやりました！ (^_^) b

[@kraiovyi]

Children have very good technique! Done!

[@shogunsan21]

Very very good, for such young children

[@Shindai]

Good lawd that's impressive.. how long did they train before this?

[@adrianachiabrera]

my God... they're fantastic !!! how old are them ?!

[@AllahoAkbarf]

WOW, these kids look better than 99% of people in US that train and act as if they know martial arts. hahaha, this was great.

[@KenpoKid77]

Whoa...where did that come from?? Just making conversation. Never said nor implied that they were inherently better than anybody at anything , I just said they naturally excel, period. I also said perhaps it's because they have a better grasp of TMA culture, which would include stricter demands from parents and teachers, like you said. And if that's the difference b/w their culture and others, then all cultures can learn from that. So you basically helped make my point...thanks for your help! :)

[@zwierze]

these kids are wonderful

[@assassin465]

Pardon me because I dont know much about karate. But how is it possible for a six year old to be a black belt? He must have started at age 1 lol. And do you think 14 is a good age to start shotokan?

[@TA_Tactics]

forget anyone else. they put me to shame! incredible

[@Sadoruro]

That was not a question of styles. That was a question of method how to teach and transmit karate. The method to teach changed when karate went to away from japan. Even in shotokan or more recent style. That was just about old teaching method vs new teaching method.

[@Epie_x5]

Actually as a 1st Dan myself, I have learnt that whatever colour belt you are it does not display strength, it shows that you have gained more knowledge about Karate. I'm pretty sure these children are remarkably strong for their age as well.

[@bushidobonce]

just superb aren't they, exceptional children.

[@mrtraditional31]

Wow, very amaizing. I am not surprised that these kids are trained so goodl. If I came from the typical americanized/non traditional school seeing this, I would be very embarassed.

[@josefmagno]

excelent wish i have half the tecnique of this boy and this girl

[@joopsnoop]

I don't know. I think if I had three months and some good training from a good teacher and lots of ring work, and with a big dose of good luck, I might survive a round or two with one of them.

[@Yautja297]

@Ballowall i think maturity has to do something with experience in life and behaviour. When you're that young you can't have a clear mind of your own, with your own opinion, you may talk as an adult but you're not one because you talk like one. About the motivation: I think true motivation also comes with maturity, they probably are motivated because their parents motivated them. I don't want to make you angry or anything but thats just my opinion ;)