Orange Belt Exam
By Tali Bargil
On November 22nd, 2006, Ido and I successfully passed the orange belt exam.
The exam, I found, was very intense. An hour and a half in which time Amir covered all the basics: traditional kata, groundwork, throws and stand-up. He looked for the small details in the exercises, the nuances that make the difference between successfully completing the task and just going through the motions.
I learnt a lot from that experience and from the experience of getting together outside of practice to train. During those evenings on the lawn next to our old dojo, Ido and I, along with friends who came to help, were able to practice on different levels: the physical and grounded level, where every move and stance is crucial, and the level of understanding the importance of the moves and positions. I think that these experiences enabled us to look differently at everything we did after that.
I used to be a non-believer in the system of exams in Ninjutsu, however I think that as time passes and as I learn more about both myself and the art, I understand that exams are not meant to show others what I can do, but rather allow myself to better understand what it is that I do.
A full length video was shot, but for now here are two pictures taken during the exam.