Who can you learn shodo?
The Highest technical title "Shihan"
Who can you learn Shodo from?
The best is a calligrapher with the highest technical title called “shihan”. As we told in the lesson “The World of Shodo”, there is a system to certify the technical skill level of writing called “Kyuu” and “Dan” in Shodo.
Shihan who stands at the top can give you comprehensive knowledges and skills from the fundamentals to an advanced level. If you learn from shihan, you can surely learn how to write beautiful Shodo correctly.
There is no unified standard in the certification of Kyuu and Dan grades but each Shodo group has established it independently in Japan. If you pass the standard, you will be given a Kyuu, Dan grade or shihan qualification.
Even if the standards differ for Shodo groups, people must practice quite a bit and get the highest Dan grade and pass the exam to acquire shihan in any of the groups. The way to reach shihan is sometimes tough and severe. It is not the position that anyone aiming at can reach.
A Professional Shihan - Saisui Shimoda
In fact, there are a certain number of calligrapher with shihan in Japan, but in reality, it is said that there are many nominal shihan that they have never guided students. In other words, even though they have a higher technical skills, they can not be called a teacher.
From this point of view, Japanese calligrapher Saisui Shimoda has an advantage because Shimoda has been teaching Shodo to a cumulative total number of 150,000 people for about 13 years since acquiring the title of shihan at the age of only 23. (The number of people she teaches is still increasing now).
She has learned Japanese calligraphy from her grandmother, a calligraphy master shihan, from an early age. Her parents and brother are also shihan, professional calligraphy teachers. Since she grew up in a calligraphy family, she has spent a lot of time training shodo. Currently she has been teaching at the Shimoda Shodo Association, where has a history of 50 years since her grandmother established and 300 students study.
She not only points out mistakes, but always finds the good points of the students and tells them about it. So her lessons are very popular with students in the class.
So what we want you to know is that she not only has a high level of writing skills, but also has extensive training experience. She knows the mistakes that beginners often make. You can learn correct and beautiful Japanese calligraphy from her. The advice you receive from her will be detailed, accurate and will help you improve your writing skills.
Shihan Shimoda has created a free lesson to acquire basic knowledge of shodo for those who want to start shodo from now on. In the lesson, you can learn how to hold a brush, how to use an arm, sitting posture, and how to use tools, which are essential knowledge for beginners. >> Go To “Acquire The Basic Knowledge Of Shodo (1)”.
