Congratulations Dale

Discussion in 'Ninjutsu' started by saru1968, Nov 30, 2005.

  1. xen

    xen insanity by design

    no worries, i just picked up on the wording you used and had visions of the thread turning into a car crash... :)
     
  2. Brad Ellin

    Brad Ellin Baba

    Don't worry about it Christian. You do have the right to question, never let anyone say you don't. And as said above, ranking is different in every organization/art. The hows,the whys and whos. Ours is different from your's. Imagine how boring the world would be if everything was done the same.
    Xen, I imagine you are right about Dale, not announcing it that is. As for the rest, yes, Dale is a real Gentleman.
    No harm, no foul.
     
  3. thepunisher

    thepunisher Banned Banned

    Yeah, I tend to have the tendency to do that sometimes.........
    ;) :D

    Christian
     
  4. texas doc

    texas doc Valued Member

    Congrats Dale, superb job!
     
  5. Jungdo

    Jungdo Valued Member

    Way to go Shihan Dale
     
  6. snake_plisskin

    snake_plisskin Valued Member

    Congratulations, Dale

    Fifteenth dan: Excellent!

    --Scott

    Oh, and for further reference to others reading this thread re:15th dan, try this logic:

    9th to 7th kyu = elementary (primary) school

    6th to 4th kyu = middle or "junior high" school

    3rd to 1st kyu = high school

    1st to 4th dan = high school diploma earned. Begin college years,
    1st through 4th year, freshman through senior.

    godan = graduated college; accepted into masters degree program

    6th-9th dan = earn masters degree with thesis or research; earn doctoral degree, with peer review, multiple tests and reviews by doctoral program teachers, culminating in published dissertation and defense of dissertation.

    10th-15th dan = postgraduate research work and attendant awards, including work with peer-reviewed publications. Includes school-wide, regional, national, and international recognition for outstanding service to the field of study, demonstrated creative ability, substantive critical thinking skill, innumerable physical skill sets, empathic understanding of audience, exemplary initiative, positive leadership, and superior ability to work well both with teams and in times requiring individual virtuosity, with each "dan" being a general indication of one, multiple, or all factors being contributed to as defined by the Department Chair, Department Peer Review Committee, Board of Trustees and President of the University.

    Hope that helps.
     
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2005
  7. Peaceful Tiger

    Peaceful Tiger Happy Member

    Erm, Congratulations Professor Dale :D

    A Phd or doctorate in things that make you go 'Ow!', never thought of it like that. :D
     
  8. Frodocious

    Frodocious She who MUST be obeyed! Moderator Supporter

    Congratulations Dale! :D :cool:
     
  9. stephenk

    stephenk Valued Member


    I like that; I've also heard Nagato-sensei talk about it in the context of age.

    15 was the age where you where handed and sword and shoved into battle as it was your problem then....

    I like that one too.....

    In any case: Congrats Dale!
     
  10. Anvilfire

    Anvilfire Valued Member

    I say congratulations as well :D Many years invested :)
     
  11. Mark_c

    Mark_c New Member

    Congratulations Dale
     
  12. Saz

    Saz Nerd Admin

    Congratulations :)
     
  13. adouglasmhor

    adouglasmhor Not an Objectivist

    Congrats Dale,
     
  14. fire&steel

    fire&steel Valued Member

    Well done Dale. What a party in SF tonight Highland flings and Kaber tossing till the wee hours of the morning.
     
  15. KSprenk

    KSprenk be

    Congratulations man :)
     
  16. SilentNightfall

    SilentNightfall Eien no Ninja

    So Soke has shoved Dale-sensei out into battle wearing a kilt and brandishing a broad sword... Think about that one for a bit, eh? ;) Jokes aside, congratulations Dale. I was only at Daikomyosai on Day 3 so I'm sorry I never got a chance to introduce myself or see the awarding personally, but nevertheless, congrats.

    On a side note, since I was graciously quoted from so long ago... To thepunisher... Most traditional Japanese martial arts go up to 10th Dan. The person holding a rank is usually the head of the art. If the highest rank in a system is below 10th Dan, it's quite possible the head of the art who held 10th Dan passed on before awarding his rank to any of the system's senior members. Hatsumi-sensei, as the story usually goes, promoted a few people to 10th Dan who then thought they "knew it all" and so he decided to bash them with the "humility stick" and add an additional five ranks. But hey, I'm guessing the same problem can still occur at 15th Dan and, as I'm sure Dale can tell you, there's still more to learn even at that level so anyone that thinks differently may need another bashing from the same stick. Maybe we'll all see the day of 16th-20th Dan. Who knows? The important thing is, do we need to care? No! If an instructor can show me something valuable, I don't care what rank they have. Anywho, I hope this helps and congrats one final time, Dale!
     
  17. Dale Seago

    Dale Seago Matthew 7:6

    Thanks, Folks

    No, I wasn't going to announce it, but apparently spies are everywhere. :p

    It feels a bit weird knowing I've received my last promotion from Hatsumi sensei, because I still feel like a beginner and there is still SO much to learn from him and from the Japanese shihan even after these 22 years of training.

    I never saw it coming. . .Soke's class on Sunday, 11/27 was packed, as it usually is just before Daikomyosai. I'd already been through Nagato sensei's class just before Soke's, so I was nicely warmed up and tenderized already. :D As he customarily does, Soke called a mid-class tea break; I stood around and chatted with people for about 10 minutes, then decided I'd better grab a drink right then if I was going to at all, and made my way through the crowd to my pack at the other end of the dojo.

    I'd just gotten there when I heard Soke calling, "Dale Seago-san!!" and I thought, "Oh crap, we're starting again and he wants me to demonstrate something!". So I went plowing back through the crowd back toward the kamidana, where Soke was standing with a bit of space around him.

    Holding a menkyo, which he handed to me when I finally got up there. :eek:

    He then began doing calligraphy and ink paintings for people who requested them, as he typically does on Sundays. I'd never asked him for one before; but this time I did ask for something specific. . .something he himself says constantly.

    He brushed the kanji for "Gambatte" -- "Keep going!". :)

    Regarding the question that was raised about the possibility of a 15th-dan rank in a martial art (great comparison with academics, Snake!), here's how I put it in my own website FAQ:

    While the 11-15 grades are considered to be "within 10th dan" -- there is (so far!) no such thing as a "15th dan uniform patch", for instance -- the rank certificates do actually say 11th dan, 12th dan, etc.
     
  18. JibranK

    JibranK Valued Member

    Well sir, knowing Soke, this may not be your last :D
     
  19. saru1968

    saru1968 New Member


    well good things happen to good people, i look forward to meeting you in the uk next year.


    any more info yet?

    :)
     
  20. Peaceful Tiger

    Peaceful Tiger Happy Member

    That goes for me too! :)
     

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