Six years ago, our work was based on the cascade principle, projects were limited in time, mixed teams worked on them - bank specialists, and an external contractor. It took about two years to implement any large-scale task, then the teams were formed anew.

In the state of the bank was significantly less than outside the state. This approach was completely inefficient: there was no constant product development, and outsourced developers - carriers of key expertise for the project - could at any time be transferred to new task. The outdated technologies that the bank used did not arouse much interest among IT specialists.

The question has matured by itself: how to become more efficient?

• Significantly increase the number of developers in the state
• Shift from temporary projects to continuous product development
• Improve

The agile philosophy (scrum methodology) helped to achieve a positive result in solving these problems.

Not everyone was enthusiastic about the changes.

In 2016, we decided to create cross-functional scrum teams with the involvement of colleagues from the business. New roles of scrum-master, product owner began to appear. But, of course, it was not without difficulties: according to the scrum methodology, teams should sit together. Not all business colleagues were enthusiastic about the news that they would have to leave their usual offices and move one floor to the developers. However, after the move, many saw the advantages of this approach: issues began to be resolved much more efficiently and without delay.

Stanislav Filippov

Previously, I was in the role of a customer, and when they told me that the task would take a long time to complete, I did not understand this - it seemed like nonsense work, but it takes so long to complete.

But then, when I plunged into everything, I realized what pitfalls there are. After the move, we began to interact more closely with colleagues, I began to better understand the entire product and the full cycle of its creation. Plus, I took some tasks for myself - for example, where you need to code. With this approach, the development process has accelerated.

"Xu Ha Ri": how to know the truth and become a master

To understand why initially not everything worked out, the Japanese principle "Shu Ha Ri" helped. The “Shu” stage is strict adherence to the rules; at the “Ha” stage, these rules are realized, when they can no longer be followed so strictly. With the transition to the “Ri” stage, you become a master and can improvise. At the very beginning of our journey, we immediately went to the “Ri” stage - this was our main mistake. The reasons for our other failures also surfaced.

Over time, the understanding came that teams cannot completely avoid conflicts. The scrum process itself is structured in such a way that it provokes controversy. But, as they say, truth is born in a dispute. It is important to bring the emerging conflict into a constructive plane in time. Now it is difficult for us to imagine that our teams cannot agree among themselves for two or three months. This is the merit of both the teams themselves and our scrum masters, whom we deliberately selected with an unusual profile: they are mostly people with no experience in IT, but with education in the field of psychology, who are initially more prone to empathy and working with conflicts.

Tangible results

We have become faster. Previously, the implementation of a small task took 9 months, now every two weeks we launch some new product functionality. The product owner and developer are part of the same team, they do not need to spend time detailing unnecessary requirements. This approach saves about 30% of the development cycle. We have become three heads cooler in terms of automating all internal processes, new frameworks are replacing outdated technologies.

Now we have development and IT-architecture in our bank - it's not just project support, it's a key expertise for any banking product, so 90% of all our IT specialists work on staff.

In order to be able to improve our professional skills and hone our skills in working in a scrum team, we created the IT Academy. We have formed a community of innovation champions and have our own RND (Research and development). Now our developers can go beyond their competences and gather a team to test their hypotheses or try new technologies. This makes it possible to see how your product benefits the bank as a whole.

There is no limit to perfection

Now the implementation of agile in the bank is in full swing: more than 30 teams are working on the new methodology. Now we are close to LeSS, which will allow us to scale scrum inside. For a large bank, this is important: we have complex products behind which there are many applications. To work with such services, a special team must be created that is able to take any task from the backlog, regardless of what application or technology it is done on.

Within this team there should be the necessary competencies: a lawyer, a marketer, a PR specialist, an accountant, business colleagues. Such a team is able to carry out end to end product delivery.

From now on, all product development will be built around LeSS. Here we see both the potential in changing the speed of the release of the product, and new interesting opportunities for our IT specialists.

The difference in regards

Analyzing our own experience, we answered the question: what should banks, which are initially conservative, do in order to become attractive to the developer? First you need to understand that attractiveness is not something amorphous, but quite specific things that IT specialists pay attention to when choosing a job:

• Scale of tasks
• Comfortable environment
• Humanity

Today, having got into the IT department of a large bank, a specialist must end up in a technology company. The main factor attraction is a complex task and Newest technologies. They give rise to interest in work and force to develop. Provide your IT specialists with the conditions they are used to: simplify bureaucratic procedures as much as possible, provide the opportunity to work on modern high-quality equipment.

Work built according to the scrum methodology provides more opportunities for both the implementation of interesting, practically significant tasks and the implementation of your ideas. And, of course, daily comfort and human attitude are important. Do not force digital professionals into the narrow confines of a dress code and a fixed schedule. Creating a technical product is also a creative process, and for it to be successful, you need maximum freedom.

Vitaly Alexandrov Chapter from the book “Email Marketing Strategy. Effective mailings for your business»
Publishing house "Mann, Ivanov and Ferber"

Step 3 Import the current database into the distribution service.

Automation - SU

At this level, we run basic automatic scripts: welcome chain, reactivation letters. For successful work we should already have a debugged mailing service.

Behavioral Segmentation - SU

We begin to receive sales data from CRM directly to the mailing platform. We use data on the average check, total amount purchases to send emails to customers based on their purchase history.

case

What they did: used an information occasion - winning a race - to remind the subscriber about the online sportswear store.

What was used: user purchase data. We singled out subscribers who bought goods of a certain collection - the winning team, and those who bought sports goods with logos and in the corporate colors of other teams participating in the competition.

Hypothesis: subscribers who have already been interested in a certain brand and bought goods from the collection will react positively to the newsletter.

What did you get: the mailing gave twice the click rate compared to the average for the month and three times the conversion with the same average bill. That is, we increased sales from the segment by six times compared to regular mailing.

Disadvantage of this segmentation: I had to take not the entire base. Our segment accounted for 35% of all buyers. But the rest can always send another newsbreak.

Consumer Segmentation - SU

This is the superhero level. We already use the purchase history and information about the activity of reading newsletters, and also add data about user behavior on the site. As a result, we should see a user profile in the CRM system with a lot of data about him. Now we collect absolutely all the data about him and can use them to hyper-personalize communications.

What is hyperpersonalization? This is the level of communication where 99% of messages are collected and sent automatically, using data about the user's behavior and purchases.

Table 5 Efficiency Curve

Having implemented most of the mechanics of the SU level, you will most likely encounter a problem: the results did not live up to expectations. The system brings money, but the interest of users in communications is constantly decreasing. Email open rates are dropping.

What to do? There are two ways: to test or find insights and launch new communications.

Intermediate level - XA

At this level, you start testing different hypotheses. If you didn't pay attention to testing at all at the SC level, then here it will become your main task. A / B tests on time, subject, sender name, content in the body of the letter - this is what you are betting on. And it really starts to boost results.

Test one. Online store

Through A/B testing, we found (Table 6) that the menu in emails with promotions diverts the attention of subscribers from the main offer, so it was moved down in promotional emails (Fig. 1).

Table 6 Menu testing results in emails

This is what the sale email looks like now.

Rice. one. Personalized sales email with menu below

Remember that test results cannot be scaled and transferred from one business to another.

The same mechanics can work great for one company, and for another, working in the same field, not have any noticeable effect. Be sure to consider this circumstance before you start implementing something new.

Second test. Services sector

We tested the name of the button in the email.

The test showed that the “Learn more” button was clicked 2.5 times more often (Table 7). However, those who clicked on “Submit an application for a card” ended up leaving more applications on the site in absolute terms than the rest - the conversion to an application here was three times higher.

Table 7 Testing the buttons "Learn more" and "Submit a request for a card" among subscribers

Each test is important to evaluate in terms of the long-term results of its results. That is why you need to test the headers as a last resort.

Well, you will find out that with a dot at the end of a sentence, letters open better. But in the next test, you most likely will not confirm this. Too many factors influence the open rate, they are always different, and they cannot be guessed.

Consider the element testing table (Table 8).

Table 8 Testing different email elements among subscribers

It has nine elements that are important to test in mailings. Each test has its own purpose and detailed commentary on how to conduct it and interpret the results. Separately, I will pay attention to the criterion of importance. It is either LR (Long Run) or SR (Short Run). For example, after testing the headline and even finding some interesting patterns, you are unlikely to be able to use the result in the future. This is due to the fact that many factors influence the header: weather, time of sending, sender's name. And all these factors are more significant than the headline text. The priority of testing one or another element is indicated by color: light gray - in the first place, dark gray - in the second.

Maximum level - RI

At this level, you yourself write the constitution, and not just obey the basic law. You compose, test and launch new mechanics that are not mentioned in any textbook. These are insights for your audience, and they only work for you.

At this level, it is critical to have all the data about the user's purchases and behavior at their disposal. After all, the more information, the more insights and the better results you can achieve.

You can skip the HA stage and go directly to the RI stage. This is possible thanks, oddly enough, to the love for the client and the desire to satisfy his needs as fully as possible. The difference is that split tests are focused on probing the client and guessing his requests. Some worked, some didn't. But really significant things and breakthroughs are made without split tests - due to a call to action that resonates in the human heart.

Example. News digest of the real estate agency

whole year we were working on a digest for a luxury real estate agency. During this time, there was a certain seasonality in the indicators associated with the specifics of the business.

As you can see from the graph (Fig. 2), the unique Click Rate is less subject to seasonality and is in the range of 6.7-10% during the year. At the same time, we set ourselves the goal of making it so that subscribers click on objects, and not on category buttons, menus, or logos.

Rice. 2. Real estate agency email marketing metrics

If we just removed unnecessary links from the letter, we would immediately get a strong decrease in Click Rate and a drop in traffic on the site. Therefore, we began to act in stages, improving and tightening the letter template. Every month we measured the result, expressed as a percentage of clicks on blocks that were “useful” for the client (Table 9).

Table 9 Clickability of valuable blocks

What did you get. Over the year, we increased the share of “valuable” clicks on real estate objects in different parts of the email to 95.4%. At the same time, they did not lose in clickability (excluding seasonality).

Summary

There are three levels - SU, HA, RI. Every company and every person goes through these stages, just like email marketing. At the same time, the company is making its way from no communication at all to a level where it begins to take into account first data on the activity of reading newsletters, then data on purchases, and, at the highest level, information on customer behavior. The more data we have, the more accurate we can make an offer and the happier your client will be.

This matrix helps to understand one simple idea: you don’t need to invent an electric car while everyone around you drives carts. Take the simplest actions that will immediately give results, and after that, start improving working mechanisms and inventing new mechanics.

2. The principle of a peaceful warrior

The essence of this principle lies in one phrase: “Give as much as you can without demanding anything in return”, that is, do good. If we move from philosophy to practice, we see the following. Apparently, all your competitors first of all think about how to cash in on the client as soon as possible, “squeeze out” as quickly as possible. But this approach will not work for a long time: people see falsehood. Against the background of such companies, it is very easy to stand out by saying: "Keep a free audit, I do not require anything in return." For example:

• marketing agencies can perform a free audit advertising campaigns;
• production can provide free samples;
• online stores can give gifts, free shipping;
• brands can give gifts or give promotional codes for books / taxis.

The mechanics are next. The user went to the site, he was shown a pop-up - a pop-up form for collecting contacts.

The pop-up (Fig. 3) gave, for example, a free video. The person subscribed to the mailing list and received the promise in the letter. Everyone is satisfied. The consumer has benefited, you are the potential customer.

Rice. 3. An example of a pop-up for collecting contacts on the site

Rice. 4. Welcome Letter Example

The second expression of this principle is to give benefits, to give bonuses without warning, to provide content for free.

Letter from Booking. I booked the hotel and was told about three places near it that would be great to visit. They also sent information about the weather (Fig. 5). Not super useful, but nice.

Letter from Ostrovka. This practice was also adopted by Russian hotels. So, "Island" gave a compliment in the form of a guide to Vladivostok, where I booked a hotel (Fig. 6).

Rice. 7. Useful letter from a fitness club

In principle, World Class could not send me such materials. But they do it because they want to be useful.

There are many such examples. There is only one meaning: to give free content, brochures, courses, samples. After you give something away for free, the customer is more likely to buy from you because they now believe they are getting more than just the product for your price.

Consider what you can give. Surely there is something free for you, but for people very valuable.

3. The principle of hyperpersonalization

The essence of the principle: to offer only what a person really wants to receive. If he looked at some products on the site, show them in the mailing list and give analogues. If we are talking about a man, do not send him a selection of women's perfumes - address him by name and emphasize that he can choose these products as a gift. If he often flies by plane, it makes sense to indicate the amount of accumulated bonus points in the mailing list.

Let's look at a few examples. Below is a letter from a grocery retailer, where literally everything is personalized (Fig. 8).

Rice. eight. Maximum email personalization

Let's analyze what exactly is personalized:

• appeal in the preheader of the letter;
• address by name at the beginning of the letter;
• saved amount;
• the number of points awarded;
• individual selection of goods (fig.) based on the history of purchases with discounts.

Rice. nine. Card Product

Such personalization saves time when choosing a product, improves the impression of the company and makes communications useful.

As the base grows, refuse general mailings, even at the strategy planning stage, lay the transition to fully personalized content in mailings in six months or a year. Against the backdrop of constant information noise, people are less and less likely to listen to what does not concern them in any way. And more and more often they look at those companies that can satisfy their interests.

4. LTV principle

No step in email marketing should be taken without considering the consequences for the customer. If you launch a sale mailing list to those who recently bought an item from you at a higher price, be sure that they will either forget about you forever, or unsubscribe, or send you to spam. In general, they will make it so that you will no longer reach them.

Email marketing is a channel that allows you to increase revenue per person over a long period. If there is less one person in the database, then the revenue from the channel will automatically decrease in the future.

Let me illustrate this thesis with an example. We considered how cohorts of new buyers buy from one of our ecommerce clients. Each new thousand subscribers brought 800 thousand rubles. revenue within four months with an average check of 6 thousand rubles.

Therefore, before launching a new trigger, consider how it will affect future customer revenue.

Summary

We have analyzed four principles on which the email marketing strategy is based.

1. From simple to complex.
2. The principle of a peaceful warrior.
3. The principle of hyperpersonalization.
4. LTV principle.

Follow them and you'll get results you don't even expect.

The first time the client confirms the subscription to the newsletter, leaving his email on the site and clicking on the "Subscribe" button. The second time he confirms by clicking on the link in the letter that comes immediately after he subscribed to the newsletter on the site.

“In a person's life there are stages of comprehension of the doctrine. At the first stage, a person learns, but this does not lead to anything, and therefore he considers himself and others inexperienced. Such a person is useless. In the second stage, he is also useless, but he is aware of his own imperfection and sees the imperfection of others. In the third stage, he is proud of his abilities, rejoices in the praise of other people and regrets the shortcomings of his friends. Such a person can already be useful. At the highest stage, a person looks as if he knows nothing.

Shu - implies strict adherence to the rules and instructions of the teacher. The task of the student is to focus on the action, to hone its execution. He, by repeated repetition, masters all the rules and techniques. When this happens, Xu's level is reached. Learning moves to the next stage.
Ha - at this stage, the student stops blindly following all the rules. He thinks about his actions, changes the rules, tries to break them, builds a new system of his own rules. He also learns new techniques from other teachers.
Ri - at this stage, the task is to get rid of the rules, go to a new dimension (Tao), where there are no rules, but there is a natural course of things. When the body is finally freed from all rules, the Ri level is reached and the Xu phase begins in a new dimension.
The English version of the wiki has a more extensive explanation.

Here is another interpretation that describes the dangers of these three stages.

There are three stages in any teaching.
- Non-critical. In order to assimilate any teaching at the level of knowledge, it is necessary to approach it uncritically, with complete confidence. Become his true fan. Get the moral right to retell it. Anyone who skips the first stage becomes a dropout. Anyone who gets stuck on it becomes a zombie.
- Structural-critical. In order to assimilate the teaching at the level of understanding, it is necessary to approach it constructively and critically with the desire to improve it, improve it, eliminate its internal contradictions and inconsistencies with facts, give it harmony and beauty. The one who skips this stage becomes a defector, and the one who gets stuck on it becomes an eternal student.
- Destructive-critical. In order to assimilate the teaching at the level of overcoming it, it is necessary to discover its limits, its limitations and inability for further development without a radical restructuring. Destroy to the ground and reveal suitable elements for building another, more perfect teaching. One who starts from this stage, skipping the first and second, becomes ignorant. The one who does not skip any of the three stages, who goes through them consistently and without cunning, becomes the successor.

And here is more on this topic in Hagakure, about the usefulness of a person at every stage.
“In a person's life there are stages of comprehension of the doctrine. At the first stage, a person learns, but this does not lead to anything, and therefore he considers himself and others inexperienced. Such a person is useless. In the second stage, he is also useless, but he is aware of his own imperfection and sees the imperfection of others. In the third stage, he is proud of his abilities, rejoices in the praise of other people and regrets the shortcomings of his friends. Such a person can already be useful. At the highest stage, a person looks as if he knows nothing.
These are the general steps. But there is also another stage, which is more important than all the others. At this stage, a person comprehends the infinity of perfection on the Path and never considers that he has arrived. He knows exactly his shortcomings and never thinks he has succeeded. He is devoid of pride, and thanks to his humility comprehends the Way to the end. Master Yagyu is said to have once remarked, “I don't know how to defeat others; I know how to conquer myself."
Study hard all your life. Every day become more skillful than you were the day before, and the next day more skillful than today. Improvement has no end.
From NLP

Four stages of learning: 1. Unconscious ignorance 2. Conscious ignorance 3. Conscious knowledge 4. Unconscious knowledge.

Another article on this topic.

The author of this article is Yukiyoshi Takamura

Note.Sensei Takamura I wrote this article as part of the Shindo Yoshin Ryu Instructor's Guide. Although written specifically for instructors, there is so much value in this article that we decided to make it accessible to everyone.

The concept of su-ha-ri, literally translated, means mastering the kata, moving away from the kata, and abandoning the kata. Training in classical Japan has always pursued precisely these goals and took place within the framework of precisely this educational process. This unique approach to learning has existed in Japan for many centuries and has become a means of preserving many traditions of old Japanese knowledge, including such diverse areas as martial arts, flower arranging, theater, poetry, art, sculpture and weaving. While the concept of su-ha-ri was so successful that it has survived to this day, new approaches to teaching and learning are now changing this old Japanese method of transferring knowledge. Whether the traditional arts of Japan and the goals they pursue will be successfully passed on to a new generation depends entirely on today's teachers and their wisdom regarding the strengths and challenges inherent in the concept of su-ha-ri. In this article, I will talk about su-ha-ri and the unique applications of this concept to the glorious tradition of the Takamura-ha Shindo Yoshin Ryu jujutsu school of martial arts.

Soden: the initial level of education.
Su(mastering kata)

Kata, or form, is at the heart of teaching in traditional Japanese schools. This is the most visual representation of the school's knowledge, embodied in seemingly simple concepts or sequences of movements. Because kata is fairly easy to master, it is often mistakenly believed that kata is the most important aspect in determining a student's ability or progress. Indeed, if the kata is taught correctly, then in the form of ura, that is, in a hidden form, such information is indeed contained, but this information lies deeper than the surface (omote) of ordinary observation.

If the student does not fully devote himself to mastering the omote level of kata, he is doomed to forever remain a beginner, incapable of advancing to the true depths of knowledge that are hidden from him in the form of ura. In order to truly experience su and master the kata, the student must submit himself and his ego to the need to master a seemingly random set of exercises that are repeated over and over again. Very often this initial level, the soden level, is intended to challenge the student's ability to concentrate and his desire to learn. In addition, in some rigid traditions, the purpose of the kata is to create physical discomfort. Overcoming physical discomfort in these types of kata is the first level of training to mentally focus solely on one task. As the student progresses through the various kata, he will come across various manifestations of stressful situations or situations in which they try to divert his attention. As these complicating points intensify, the student learns to respond to information and stress in an increasingly effective manner. After some time, neuromuscular reactions begin to occur on an intuitive level, and on a conscious level, the student is no longer controlled. When this level of kata is mastered and performed satisfactorily enough, the student is considered to have reached the first level of training. With subsequent training, he will have to master more complex kata, which will become even more diverse tests for him, but now the mental methodology of training will begin to work - and the first goal of kata training is considered achieved.

Difficulties in learning at the soden level.
At this level, kata can be learned on your own. In the end, it is just the repetition of physical exercises, which, by overcoming oneself and following the instructions, allow one to gain personal experience. It may seem like an exaggeration, but anyone who knows the basic kata can take students to prepare them for the first level of training. Some students are even able to reach this level from manuals, such as books. However, this approach puts the student in a dangerous situation, especially when mastering the kata, which must be performed in pairs. The lack of scrupulous attention of the teacher to the correct external form and proper timing leads to great difficulties. Simply put, the teaching ability of low-level instructors suffers from the fact that their own training is itself quite mediocre. Because of this, they instill the wrong skills in their students, and later they have to relearn. This is not only potentially dangerous - it can even discourage the student from learning. This kind of training has led to the fact that many excellent promising students, having received such an experience, abandoned their studies and dropped out of training. Careful instruction even at the most basic level of kata training is absolutely essential. Basic skills are the core of the correct execution of all actions, and should not be underestimated.

Chuden: Intermediate level of learning.
"Su" at the level of wonderful.

At the Chuden level, the study of kata includes a new element. This element is application, or bunkai. The student is shown the deeper reasons for the need to master the kata and the structure of the kata. The scenario in which the kata is performed is also studied and evaluated. However, this study and evaluation is limited to the pure performance of the kata without any variation. It is only through such a rigorous training regimen that the kata can be demonstrated to the student at the level that the student is able to comprehend. In the process of teaching, the teacher helps the student begin to understand the essence of the ur - those aspects that are hidden under the surface of a purely physical form. For some disciples this becomes a revelation, for others, from a certain moment it was already obvious. In any case, the teacher must accurately present the basic concepts at a more abstract level than before. This allows you to chart the path to the next concept of su-ha-ri.

Ha(departure from kata).

In the traditional Japanese concept of su-ha-ri, ha is the first hint of allowing the student to be creative. This happens the first time he does a henka waza, or variation. This is called "deviation from existing form within the form" or "orthodox variations that adhere to the rigid form of the main kata". It is now that the student is directed to monitor any reaction to the failure of the kata in its purest form. In this situation, especially careful instructions are required from the teacher, since excessive deviation from the basic form will lead to careless execution of the technique or even to its complete distortion, and blindly following rigid frameworks can destroy the talent for intuitive understanding of what lies under the surface. The goal now is to stimulate this talent, but this creative experience must be carefully regulated within the boundaries of the main kata. The kata must remain recognizable as a kata. If a kata deviates too much from the standard, it ceases to be related to the original and becomes a different expression of the technique. At this level of learning, it is essential to avoid such deviations.

Ha, at the level of wonderful.

When a student discovers the boundaries within the main kata, he begins to see that the possibilities for learning are almost endless. His skills are now increasing in leaps and bounds, something he has not experienced in the past. At this stage, the best students demonstrate their potential for the first time. Ryu concepts and forms come together in a way that stimulates the student's mind. Now he appreciates the kata more fully and understands the wisdom of the technique that lies in them. Therefore, many teachers believe that this period in the progress of students is the most fruitful, and the results of the teacher's work are fully manifested.

Difficulty learning at the level of marvelous.

At this stage, one should firmly adhere to the root concepts of the tradition. Departure from the concepts that define the art allows the student to progress in a direction not envisioned by the art's founder. In order for the ryu to continue to maintain its identity and its core, one must stay strictly within the boundaries of the kata. Going beyond certain limits at this stage can be disastrous for the student, and the ability to achieve his highest potential is compromised. At this stage of learning, teachers often fall into the trap of moving away from rigid structures. They misjudge the student's progress and believe that his level of understanding is much higher than what is actually achieved. At this intermediate stage of learning, the student's mind and technical skills must be constantly tested. Sometimes overzealous students try to get too far, too fast. This trend should be avoided, otherwise it will interfere with further progress and learning.

Joden: advanced level of training.
Ri(rejection of kata)

Some students of modern martial arts feel that kata and su-ha-ri are too restrictive and old-fashioned. In fact, this position is flawed because it misinterprets the purpose of the kata. Like many armchair professionals, such people have not been properly trained in kata beyond the level of Joden and make judgments about things in which they lack the qualifications that would enable them to understand these things. Like many observers who have no experience of truly deep learning, they view kata as an art in itself, rather than as a complex teaching tool that lies just on the surface of the very core of the concepts of the art being studied. Kata "is" an art - in a flawed interpretation. This is the same as thinking that the dictionary gives a complete picture of the language. Unfortunately, many of the old martial arts traditions in Japan unwittingly contribute to such a distorted understanding by overemphasizing the role of kata. Very often, in such schools, important root elements and knowledge were lost in antiquity, and what remains is omote, or the upper sheath of kata. Since nothing but kata is left in such schools, they often bury their mokuroku (technical arsenal) a second time, presenting kata as the primary driving force of ryu. When this happens, the school inevitably degenerates into a state of simplistic dance, in which the ura and the application of the kata become secondary goals. These traditions are completely dead. They resemble skeletons who are trying to imagine that they are the whole person.

"Ri" - what is it?

It is difficult to explain what ri is, because it is not so much studied as it is approached. This is the kind of performance that just comes after the levels of su and ha have become an integral part of whoever worked them. It is mastering the kata to the point where the outer shell of the kata ceases to exist. Only the underlying truth remains. It is a form in which the form is not realized. It is an intuitive execution of the technique, as effective as the form that preceded it, but completely spontaneous. Technique, which is released from the limitations that are the result of the process of conscious reflection, really becomes a vase of meditation in motion. For one who has attained ri, observation becomes his own expression of reality. The mind becomes capable of operating at a much higher level than was previously possible. To the casual observer, it seems that the one who performs the technique is almost clairvoyant, able to anticipate events and forestall attacks even before they happen. In reality, the observer is bewildered by the inertia of his own thinking. When the level of ri is reached, the time between observation and the corresponding reaction is reduced so much that it is practically not perceived. This is "ki". This is "musin". This is "yu". It's all of this together. This is a manifestation of the highest level of military skill. This is what we call "wa" in Takamura Ryu.

The level of technical performance inherent in ri is beyond the capabilities of many students of the art. Most people are simply not able to reach it, this advanced level of expressing the possibilities of the school. Often, however, those who never reach this level of technical mastery become excellent teachers, able to take the student to the edge of mastery, even if they themselves cannot make the leap to intuitive performance - ri. Some observers do not want to recognize such a restriction, which does not give everyone a pass to the elite. This kind of thinking seems strange to me. To such observers, I would like to remind you that not all human beings are innately capable of achieving mastery in their chosen field. As human beings, we are all endowed with certain talents and shortcomings. It is these individual abilities and shortcomings that make us human beings different and unique creatures. To try to deny this truth is to try to deny the existence of what constitutes our individuality. With this in mind, it is necessary to be humble and remember that mastery in one area does not guarantee even average ability in another. Similarly, mastery of technical execution does not always guarantee teaching excellence.

Learning difficulties at the Joden level and beyond.

When a student has mastered the level of ri steadily, he masters all the technical knowledge that the sensei can teach him directly. The process of instruction and teaching must now change. The teacher must also allow the change in the nature of the bond between himself and the student. From that moment on, the student fully carries the traditions of the school and is bound by the keppon (blood oath), which means control over his ego and recognition by the student of the fact that without his teacher and his school, he could never realize his student potential. He must know for sure that he owes everything he has to his teacher's devotion to his teaching work, just as his teacher in turn owes his teacher. His behavior should reflect that he is eternally indebted to his school and should always be modest in the presence of a teacher. In the same way, the teacher must allow the student to exercise autonomy and be able to express himself in a way that he was not allowed before. More like a leader and a person showing the way, a teacher with a joyful heart should stand next to his student. He, too, must be humble and aware of his responsibility to the school and continue to live in accordance with the principles and standards that he taught his student. His learning task is complete. Now he is not a father, but a grandfather.

Unfortunately, it is precisely at this time - the time when the teacher is most needed by the school - that many do not cope with their task. Instead of demonstrating self-confidence and pride in the accomplishments of their students, they fall prey to vanity and insecurity of spirit. This is because they assume that the end of the respect that the students had for them is coming - an end that in reality does not exist. Often this problem manifests itself in the fact that the teacher tries to restore such a connection between the teacher and the student, which does not allow the student to realize his mature position as a leader within the school. Some teachers perceive deviations from their own path as students' rejection of what they have been taught. Although in order for a student to achieve a higher level of self-expression within the school, some knowledge does have to be discarded. Some teachers are reluctant to admit that deviations from their teaching at this level are actually a manifestation of the student's personality, maturity and confidence. This confidence - and this must not be forgotten - was conveyed to the student by the teacher as part of an agreement between student and teacher. The teacher must remember his duties and treat the student as a member of the school. He must humble his heart and remember the time when he himself was a disciple. He must do this in order to continue to be an effective leader on the Path.

Conclusion: white becomes black and then white again.
This is a call to every member of the school to know their duties and to regularly look into the mirror of the kamidana (home altar) - a mirror that reflects the pure truth. And humbly ask the kami to help him look into his own heart and his motives critically, to hear a quiet voice that can become a harbinger of vanity and the search for profit. Only the path of truth, the teacher and the student can go through the process of su-ha-ri, responsibly fulfill their duties and transfer knowledge and wisdom to the followers of the school.

Features of traditional education

In traditional bu-jutsu training, there are three levels called Su Ha Ri .

In Japan, the concept of "Su Ha Ri" is used not only to describe the general progress of evolution towards the study of martial arts, but also as a whole life cycle relationship between student and teacher.

"su"- hieroglyph "protect, protect" implies the exact adherence to tradition, the exact reproduction of the taught technique. This stage is often referred to as the "collar".

The hieroglyph "Su" has two meanings "to protect, protect". This double meaning describes the relationship between student and teacher in the early stages of martial arts training, which can be compared to that between parents and their children. The student must absorb everything that his teacher shares with him, must strive for knowledge and be ready to accept any comments and constructive criticism. The teacher should nurture the student in the sense of looking after his interests, caring for and encouraging his progress, much as a parent nurtures his child while it grows. "Su" emphasizes learning the basics in an uncompromising manner so that the student has a solid foundation for later stages of learning and that all students perform the technique in the same way, although personal qualities, body structure, age and ability they are different.

"Ha"- hieroglyph "break, break, break the rule" implies full adaptation in understanding the basic techniques, the transition to variable practice (hank), internal awareness of the most important components of the style (literally “a flash of consciousness or inner insight”)

"Ha" is another concept with a corresponding double meaning - "break, break, break the rule." Having passed a significant stage of training, when the student comes to "inner insight", he begins to free himself from the "collar" in two directions. From a technical point of view, the student overcomes the fundamentals and begins to apply the principles acquired in the process of practicing basic equipment, in a new, freer and more creative manner (Hank's vase). The individuality of the student begins to show in the way he performs the technique. At a deeper level, he also experiences liberation from blindly following the instructions of the teacher, he begins to reflect (doubt, ask questions) and discover new things for himself more at the expense of own experience. This stage can be frustrating for the teacher, as the path of the student's own discoveries leads to countless questions beginning with "Why...". At the "Ha" level, the relationship between teacher and student resembles that between a parent and his adult child; the teacher is the master of the art, and the student can now be an instructor to others.

"Ri"- the hieroglyph "separate, release" implies independence and freedom, when having received knowledge you move away from it on the basis of what you have comprehended yourself, by uniting Shin (kokoro) - spirit, Gi (waza) - technology and Tai - body.

"Ri" is the stage in which the student, now of high rank, departs from his mentor, having absorbed everything that could be received from him, but this does not mean that there is no longer a connection between the student and the teacher. In fact, everything should be just the opposite, the bond between them should be stronger than ever, almost like between a parent and his adult son or daughter, who now have their own children.

Although the student is now completely independent, he retains the wisdom and patient guidance of his teacher, so that their relationship is enriched by the experience they share. But now the student develops and learns more through his own research, rather than through instruction, and can give vent to his own creative impulses. The student's technique now bears the imprint of his personality and character. "Ri" also has a double meaning, the second meaning of which is "to release". As the student seeks inner independence from the teacher, the mentor must in turn release the student.

"Su", "Ha", "Ri" is not a linear progression. It's more like concentric circles, so "Su" is in "Ha" and both are in "Ri". Thus, the basics remain the same, only their application and the softness of their execution change as the student advances in learning and his personality begins to get a taste of the technique being performed. Similarly, student and teacher are always bound together by close relationships and knowledge, culture, experience and tradition.

Ideally, "Su", "Ha", "Ri" should be expressed in the fact that the student will surpass his mentor, both in knowledge and in skill. This is the source of the development of art as such. If the student never surpasses his mentor, the art will at best stagnate. If the ability of the student never reaches the ability of the master, the art will begin to fade. If the student can assimilate everything that his mentor gives him, and then achieve an even higher level of skill, the art will improve and flourish more and more.

In Ryu, there is the following systematization of learning: Shoden, Chuden, Joden, Okuden. However, the passage of the levels "Su", "Ha", "Ri" on the basis of the studied techniques depends only on you, and is not transmitted to you by others.

In ancient times, Bujin (warrior) reached the level of "Ri" in battles, risking his life.

Bujutsu is a fighting technique for life.

Ryu is not a sport or a game in which there are rules and dangerous techniques are prohibited.. It is not easy to restrain an attacker without hurting him.

Do not slander others and do not feel contempt for them.

Eizan (mountain) is high, and Kamogawa (river) is respected, although it is lower.

Other Ryuha (old Ryu) have their own individual qualities that have their own advantages. Thus, the reviling of other schools is extreme rudeness, baseness and a manifestation of one's own vanity and arrogance.

Trust is a source of strength and harmony. It is important to cherish honor, trusting a mentor, trusting oneself. Don't lose your self-respect, don't break trust, don't let vanity grow into arrogance.

From Ryuha's training manual.

Historical sources that tell about the traditions of the development of the diverse systems of martial arts in Okinawa and Japan note the existence of many centuries ago in these systems, schools, styles of various teaching methods, as well as monitoring and evaluating students' knowledge. At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, these traditions formed into a clear system of attestation tests - exams and awarding students with different levels of gradation - ranks - Kyu, or Dan.

At its core, certification exams (tests) are a kind of control of knowledge and technical skills acquired by a student over a certain period of time of his training. But, on the other hand, certification exams are a demonstration of the foundations and ideology of the style and school of karate. Therefore, it is extremely important to approach the exams, primarily from a stylistic point of view.

In different schools of karate, they may approach the process of conducting these exams in different ways, which is primarily due to the philosophical and ethical canons of these schools. For example, in some schools, attestation exams can be held in the form of a kind of conversation between a teacher and students, during which the degree of maturity and moral preparedness of students for the corresponding qualification category is ascertained. It can be assumed that such conversations, for all their depth, still do not allow assessing the quality of the students' performance of technical techniques and combat skills. Other schools of karate see the meaning of exams in conducting a large number fights that go on almost without interruption, with a constant change of opponents, believing that only through such tough tests is the true spirit of the master tested. Of course, only well-trained and physically strong masters can pass such tests. But, remain open questions versatile technical, moral, mental and theoretical training.

There is another approach to organizing and conducting certification exams, which involves monitoring all aspects of the student's preparation: theoretical knowledge, ethics and philosophy of karatedo, the level of technical and combat training, as well as the degree of physical fitness.

The system of teaching, and, consequently, the conduct of attestation examinations and the award of qualification technical categories, schools Koshiki Jutsu-Koshiki Karate in accordance with the traditions of Shorinryu - Okinawate, and later Japanese martial arts, which is based on the philosophical concept of SHU HA RI, is built on a three-level principle.

SHU HA RI- 守破離 - the concept of Zen Buddhism of knowing the world around, learning various arts, obtaining any skills and knowledge lies in the philosophical foundations of most Japanese martial arts.

Doctrine SHU HA RI is inextricably linked with two other philosophical concepts: SHITEI and DOJOKUN (DOJOKUN).

concept SITEI Literally, you can translate "Teacher (si) and student (tei)." Applied to martial arts concept SITEI covers the entire spectrum of relationships between a teacher and a student that arise in the process of transferring knowledge and technical skills and comprehending the path of “DO”.

In the process of learning, a special relationship is established between the student and the teacher, which in the practices of Zen Buddhism, and as a result of their development, and in martial arts, are called "DOCUZAN"(translated from Japanese - "to strive for excellence independently"). In the traditional schools of Okinawate, the teacher devoted a lot of time to confidential conversations with students, during which the philosophical foundations of the world order, relationships between people, and, of course, the fundamental principles of martial art were revealed. It was believed that students who do not participate in such conversations comprehend martial arts only superficially, not understanding the full depth of the phenomena and the deep secrets of art.

Unfortunately, the trends in the development of martial arts in general, and karate in particular, that have developed in recent decades, which are mainly aimed at obtaining momentary results and external effects (this is due, among other things, to the restructuring of most of the combat systems in a sports way) completely exclude this, one of critical aspects teaching.

Philosophical concept "DOJOKUN"(Dojokun) is essentially a set of fundamental ethical standards student's behavior - Shisei, defining and guiding his correct self-development.

The principles of Dojokun make a connection between the philosophical basis of such a comprehensive concept as “The Doctrine of the Way of “DO”” - DOKYO, and the assimilation and practical application formal technique of karatedo - JUTSU.

dojokun contribute to a smooth meaningful transition from the intellectual accumulation of knowledge to the practical development and application of karate techniques.

dojokun, as a kind of code for comprehending karatedo, formulated for the first time by the outstanding master of Okinawate Sakugawa (Sakugawa), and consisting of five basic fundamental principles - Kaisetsu (Kaisetsu), became the ideological basis of almost all schools and styles of Tode - Okinawate karate:

• know thyself
• know the world around
• adhere to noble motives and aspirations, be devoted to your teacher
• always observe etiquette
• do not be aggressive in thought, word or deed.

Concept SHU HA RI considers three stages, three levels of knowledge of the world as a whole, and for each individual, his life path in particular. Each of the stages of development of an individual (student, if we are talking about martial arts) covers a certain stage of learning the path of "DO", which is not so much due to some time frame, but rather is determined by the level of development of the individual experience, skill and intelligence of the student.

insight KOSIKI JUTSU is also based on these philosophical principles.

The first level of knowledge level "SHU" - 守.

Level "SHU" covers student ranks from 10th to 1st Kyu. Students who are on this stage development are called "Myudansha"(Myudansha).

Intellectual level "SHU" involves strict adherence to the rules of the school to which the student belongs, and the instructions of the teacher, under whose guidance he is studying. The student must feel like a particle large team. Must learn to correctly comply with all the laws of the school, follow the generally accepted requirements and norms of behavior. The task of the learner is to focus on obtaining information and technical skills, their reflection, repetition, and the desire for improvement in their repeated and systematic implementation. Through repeated repetition of all the material received and continuous improvement the quality of the performance of technical elements and their combinations, the student begins to understand the hidden meaning of the knowledge gained at this stage of knowledge. When this happens, the SHU level is reached. Learning moves to the next stage.

Level "HA" - 破.

Level "HA" is considered the first master level, and covers the qualification ranks from 1st to 4th Dan. Students who reach this level are called "Yudansha"(Yudansha).

At the “HA” stage of development, the student, following all the rules and laws of the school, begins to analyze his actions. When performing both individual technical elements and their combinations, the student must try to combine the requirements of the school, the style of martial arts to which he belongs, with his individual experience, skill level, personal physical, mental and spiritual data, as well as emotional mood. At this stage of development, the student can study and analyze the experience and practices of other schools and trends, thus enriching the technique of his school.

Level "RI" - 離

Level "RI" is the level of grand masters, and covers qualification ranks from 5th to 10th Dan.

Students who reach this level are called "Kodansha"(Kodansha). Level "RI" extremely important in the development of every martial artist, because it assumes a parallel development of personality in two directions. On the one hand, the master remains a student of his school and continues its traditions and uses the arsenal of its techniques and forms, and on the other hand, he must develop further individually as a person, and bring something new and progressive to this knowledge. This process requires the highest moral qualities from the student. When the "RI" level is reached, the "SHU" phase begins in a new dimension.

All these principles later formed the basis of the style. Shorinziryu Kenkokan Karatedo founded in the middle of the 20th century by master Kaiso Kori Hisataka.

In the Koshiki Jutsu system as her style, technical basis laid down traditional destinations Okinawate, which are part of a group of styles united by a common style concept - Shorin, and in particular, Shorinryu according to the Matsumura school, as well as one of its modern versions - Shorinziryu Kenkokan karatedo according to the Kaiso Kori Hisataka school. Therefore, the basis of certification in Koshiki Jutsu is, first of all, the control and evaluation of theoretical knowledge, quality control of the performance of technical elements and their combinations - Waza, as well as technical complexes - Kata, based precisely on this style base.

Hansi M.V. Krysin, studying Shorinziryu Kenkokan karatedo for 25 years, as well as other areas of karate and Japanese martial arts, significantly expanded this area of ​​\u200b\u200bmodern karate, which was reflected in the creation of his system Koshiki Jutsu. From a diagram showing the main components of the system Koshiki Jutsu, it can be seen that the main attention is paid to the study and development of technical elements that should be further implemented to carry out high performance technology self defense. Koshiki karate, being just one of constituent parts preparation of students for the fight - KUMITE, which is part of the system Koshiki Jutsu, is aimed exclusively at the development of its sports and competitive component. Therefore, during certification, competitive duels are not held among the certified students, and the level of their training in the ability to fight is evaluated only by objective indicators - the results of their personal participation in competitions in Koshiki karate of different levels.

For the development of Shorinziryu Kenkokan karatedo and Koshiki karate in our country, Hanshi M.V. Krysin in 1991 created Shorinziryu Kenkokan Karate-Koshiki Karate Federation of the USSR, which in 1992 was transformed into the Federation of Koshiki Karate of Russia. One of critical issues that the Federation had to decide was the development of a methodology for teaching the Shorinziryu style, and, of course, a methodology for conducting attestation exams for awarding students with qualification categories - KYU and DAN. The result of this painstaking work was written and published by Hansi M.V. Krysin in 1998. Attestation requirements for awarding qualification categories in the style of Shorinziryu Kenkokan karatedo.

In 2013 The certification requirements have been revised and supplemented with new sections. The system of awarding qualification categories and their corresponding qualification belts has become fundamentally new.

10 KYU 9 KYU

8 kyu 7 kyu

6 kyu 5 kyu

4 kyu 3 kyu

2 kyu 1 kyu

1 DAN

3rd Dan - "Sandan" (Sandan) and 4th Dan - "Yondan" (Yondan)
colored belt, on which stripes of black and white alternate evenly

Fifth Dan - "Godan" (Godan) and Sixth Dan - "Rokudan" (Rokudan)
a colored belt on which transverse stripes of red and black evenly alternate.

7th Dan - "Nanadan" (Nanadan) and Eighth Dan - "Hachidan" (Hachidan)
a colored belt on which transverse stripes of red and white color alternate evenly.

The ninth Dan is "Kudan" and the Tenth Dan is "Yodan"
single color purplish red belt

Clearly define the requirements for each qualifying category from the 10th KYU to the highest master ranks - Dan, this system allows instructors and coaches to build their methodological work more productively.

A new system of qualification belts has been adopted, in which new color solutions for student and master belts have been introduced, which allows trainers to be more flexible in the certification process and create new motivational prerequisites for teaching students.

Remaining practically traditional for the Russian Koshiki Karate Federation, the new edition of the Certification Requirements was supplemented by sections focused on in-depth study of self-defense techniques, both against an unarmed opponent and an opponent armed with various objects.

Particular attention in evaluating the performance of the examined students of the technical complexes - Kata, is paid to the quality of the performance of individual technical elements and their combinations.

Taking into account the unconditional historical priority of the development of Koshiki karate and Shorinziryu Kenkokan karatedo (possibly another spelling of the name of the style - Shorinjiryu Kenkokan karatedo) in our country Hansi M.V. Krysin and the Federation of Kosiki Karate of Russia, all organizations trying to study and practice Shorinziryu Kenkokan Karate and Koshiki Karate should take into account that the use of the Certification System adopted in the Koshiki Karate Federation is unacceptable and may be considered as an encroachment on the intellectual property of the Federation.