You will recall from the second post in this series that Jan de Jong developed his shodan grading based on his needs for black belt instructors to accompany him when teaching in Europe at that time.
You will recall from the abovementioned post that the nidan and sandan gradings were developed by JDJ to complete the 'technical' grading system so that he could promote his senior instructors to higher grades on an honorary basis, which they richly deserved.
You will also recall from that post the following graphic of the shinken shobu no kata gradings in the JDJ jujutsu grading system.
This analysis brings to light an issue within the martial arts in terms of gradings.
Gradings are supposed to be related to progression. Progression in what and how is that assessed?
There is progression in JDJ's SSnK gradings in terms of the number of defences to be demonstrated in a 'reflex' fashion. Isn't that just a collection of defences? That is how JDJ's jujutsu system has been uncharitably described, but it is something that should be considered.
Is the progression that the defences in higher gradings are of a higher degree of difficulty? In this case, no! In fact, if the defences increase in degrees of difficulty with each higher grading, the efficacy of the fighting system should be questioned. The higher the degree of difficulty, the greater chance for an error in performance in a 'real-life' situation.
Many aikido grading systems have the same defences/techniques and/or kata demonstrated in each successive grading. The progression is subjective, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The candidate is expected to perform the same defences/techniques and/or kata 'better' with each successive grading. That is progression, but it also relies on a system with core defences/techniques, tactics, etc. What are the core defences, techniques, tactics of JDJ's jujutsu system? I defy anyone to attempt an argument in support of that question.
One of the ways in which the JDJ grading system fails is in the dramatic escalation in the SSnK defences in shodan and then a return to the norm in nidan and sandan. The nidan and sandan defences are not of a higher degree of difficulty in terms of performance or attack than that of shodan. Hell, you could teach and expect a student at the rokkyu level to do many of the defences in nidan and sandan.
Word of advice to those within the JDJ grading system in any of the ryuha that have not significantly changed the grading system, those attempting nidan and sandan, it is significantly less onerous than shodan in terms of the SSnK grading; it is significantly easier and should take significantly less time to train and grade. I should know because that was my experience when I trained and graded the SSnK gradings in nidan and sandan.
However, this is one of the reasons why I am totally opposed to time restrictions imposed on practical gradings within the JDJ jujutsu grading system. They make no sense. In fact, JDJ was also totally opposed to such restrictions. If you're good enough to do the grading you deserve the grading, irrespective of time between gradings.
That is why I was able to complete the technical grading system along with my instructors. Only five were graded sandan by JDJ: Peter Clarke, Rob Hymas, Paul Connelly, Greg Palmer, all my instructors, and me. I had obviously spent significantly less time within the JDJ jujutsu system than all of my instructors, however, I was their technical equivalent and was thus graded to the same level as them.
The JDJ jujtusu grading system needs serious adjustments. It is a good system, a world-class system, but it needs serious adjustments so that it makes constructive sense. There is a lot more to the JDJ dan grading system than SSnK gradings, and those gradings tend to make constructive sense, but the heart of the JDJ grading system is the SSnK gradings.
