Jekyll2022-08-06T20:14:09-07:00http://localhost:4000/feed/tag/thca.xmlA decorative knotting blog.Carol Wang2018-03-05T00:00:00-08:002018-03-05T00:00:00-08:00http://localhost:4000/knot-a-long/the-japan-chinese-knotting-association-testsThere are a number of decorative knotting groups in Japan:<br> <!--more--> <ul> <li> The <a href="https://www.traditional-japanese-knots.com/" title="Just guessing about the 'Association' part">Traditional Japanese Knots</a> Association (日本結び文化学会) <li> The <a href="http://iidamizuhiki.jp/">Iida Mizuhiki Association</a> (飯田水引). I believe that Iida is a region of Japan, and not a style of mizuhiki, although i suppose it could be both, but if it's just a region, then there are probably other mizuhiki organizations? <li> I'm actually quite surprised that I didn't turn up a <a href="https://www.google.ca/search?q=仕覆&tbm=isch" title="google image search for shifuku">knotted tea bags</a> (仕覆) appreciation group, although perhaps they are a subset of the tea ceremony peoples. </ul> <p>The group we are concerning ourselves with this time, however, is the Japan Chinese Knotting Association (JCKA) spearheaded by <a href="http://www2.ttcn.ne.jp/~cyu-gokumusubi/">Ryoko Minami</a> as they have a <a href="http://www2.ttcn.ne.jp/~cyu-gokumusubi/kentei0.htm">series of tests</a> based on the THCA tests. There are currently 4 (5?) tests with an instructor and a researcher tests to come. I'm a little vague on the 4/5 tests as the first test title machine translates as "Quasi-4th level material" followed by a "4th level material" test, so one wonders if there are 2 pages of material for one test, or if they are considered 2 separate tests. In any case, level 1 is the most difficult currently defined test.</p> <p>This is my second attempt at this post since computer troubles ate the first one, so translations of the actual tests in subsequent posts.</p>Carol Wang

There are a number of decorative knotting groups in Japan:

2018-02-23T00:00:00-08:002018-02-23T00:00:00-08:00http://localhost:4000/knot-a-long/the-zgj-thca-tests-concordance<p>At this point I was going to do an analysis of the THCA and ZGJ tests, then synthesize a program that combines the two… But then I (re) found the Japanese tests which I am now in the process of translating. Clearly, I’m going to need to create a spreadsheet.<!--more--></p> <p>In the meanwhile, here is a concordance of the test lists from the ZGJ perspective with the knots or projects without correlants left out for now.</p> <hr /> <p>ZGJ Learning Chinese knot art grading standards - Basic test<br /> (25 knots + tassel + 11 compound knots or projects)</p> <pre> ZB01 = TB01 ZB02 = TB04 ZB03 = TB02 ZB04 = TB21 ZB05 = TB22 ZB06a = TB09 ZB07 = TB07 ZB11 = TB24 ZB12 = TB10 ZB12b = TB15 ZB13 = TB08 ZB13b = TB19 ZB14 = TB12 ZBA01 = TB20 ZBA05-1 = TBA01 ZBA05-2 = TBA02 </pre> <p>ZGJ Learning Chinese knot grading standards - Intermediate test<br /> (30 knots, 14 compound knots or projects)</p> <pre> ZI01 = TI10 ZI02a = TI13 ZI02a = TI11 ZI02b = TI12 ZI03 = TB16 ZI04a = TB11 ZI04b = TI01 ZI05 = TB14 ZI06 = TB03 ZI07 = TB05 ZI08 = TB06 ZI09a = TI18 ZI09b = TI19 ZI10 = TI02 ZI11a = TI06 (2x3 vs 2x2 bao) ZI11b = TI08 (4x3 vs 4x2 bao) ZI11c = TI07 (3x3 vs 3x2 bao) ZI12a = TT10 ZI17c = TT03 ZIA02 = TBA08 ZIA03 = TIA07 ZIA04 = TIA01 ZIA06 = TBA12 </pre> <p>ZGJ Chinese rope knot art advanced standards<br /> (49 knots with 2 mirror knots and 2 inversions, 1 tassel, 4 projects + pick 2 of 6 more projects)</p> <pre> ZA01 = TI04 ZA06 = TI20 ZA07 = TI21 ZA22 = TA21 ZA23 = TA18 ZA25 = TT13 ZA39 - TT05 ZA40 = TT07 ZA42 = TT08 </pre>Carol Wang

At this point I was going to do an analysis of the THCA and ZGJ tests, then synthesize a program that combines the two… But then I (re) found the Japanese tests which I am now in the process of translating. Clearly, I’m going to need to create a spreadsheet.

2018-02-22T00:00:00-08:002018-02-22T00:00:00-08:00http://localhost:4000/knot-a-long/the-thca-instructor-test-with-comparison-to-the-zgj-tests-plus-a-japanese-preview<p>The THCA has a specifically labelled instructor or teacher test consisting mostly of hoop flowers (turks head mats) and hollow mystic knots with a few fun cloverleaf and mystic knot variants. The ZGJ set of tests cover perhaps a third of the (admittedly repetitious) content here. The ZGJ advanced test also sprints completely into the wilderness, relatively speaking, with complex and involved projects.<!--more--></p> <p>Earlier this week, while matching Taiwan to China tests, I was thinking about asking some Korean and Japanese nodologists to kibbitz/offer opinions but then I had the revelation that their organizations probably (maybe?!?) had their own tests. It was at this point that I re-discovered in my archives incomplete information about the Japan Chinese Knotting Association (JCKA) and <a href="http://www2.ttcn.ne.jp/~cyu-gokumusubi/kentei0.htm" title="JCKA test hub still working as of Feb 20, 2018">their tests</a>. I considered mixing in the hardest JCKA test but it looks like they are still developing their <a href="http://www2.ttcn.ne.jp/~cyu-gokumusubi/kenteishihan.htm" title="stub page">instructor test</a>. That said, I am still thinking about translating the beginner/intermediate tests and correlating them with the Taiwan and China tests. In any case, I have put out feelers to both Japan and Korea and will let you know what I find out.</p> <hr /> <p>檢定分級-師資 (jiǎndìng fēnjí-shīzī) <b>THCA Teachers / Instructor Test</b><br /> (26 knots with 3 inversions and 2 rotations, Pages 47-48)</p> <pre> 01. 4股3花(單平結) (4 gǔ 3 huā (dān píng jié) / 3B4L) 02. 6股5花(單平結起手) (6 gǔ 5 huā (dān píng jié qǐ shǒu) / 5B6L) 03. 4股5花(五福) (4 gǔ 5 huā (wǔfú) / 5B4L) 04. 6股7花(七巧) (6 gǔ 7 huā (qī qiǎo) / 7B6L) 05. 5股4花(鈕釦環) (5 Gǔ 4 huā (niǔkòuhuán) / 4B5L button knot var) 06. 7股6花(鈕釦環) (7 gǔ 6 huā (niǔkòuhuán) / 6B7L button knot var) 07. 5股6花(六合) (5 gǔ 6 huā (liùhé) / 6B5L (six unity)) 08. 7股8花(八珍) (7 gǔ 8 huā (bā zhēn) / 8B7L (eight treasures)) 09. 盤長 90°位移(一) (pán zhǎng 90°wèiyí (yī) / centre rotated 2x2 mystic (a)) 10. 星辰結(八耳) (xīngchén jié (bā ěr) / octagonal stellar knot) 11. 心形股長結(一) (xīn xíng gǔ zhǎng jié (yī) / heart shaped mystic knot) 12. 心形股長結(二) (xīn xíng gǔ zhǎng jié (èr) / heart shaped mystic knot inverted) 13. 盤長 90°位移(二) (pán zhǎng 90°wèiyí (èr) / centre rotated 2x2 mystic (b)) 14. 酢漿草結(複翼) (cù jiāng cǎo jié (fù yì) / square cloverleaf + vertical fig 8) 15. 星形結 (xīng xíng jié / 4 pointed star knot) 16. 六角盤長 (liùjiǎo pán zhǎng / hollow hexagonal mystic knot) 17. 五角盤長 (wǔjiǎo pán zhǎng / hollow pentagonal mystic knot) 18. 水滴 (shuǐdī / hollow teardrop mystic knot) 19. 心形結(一) (xīn xíng jié (yī) / hollow heart shaped mystic knot inverted) 20. 心形結(二) (xīn xíng jié (èr) / hollow heart shaped mystic knot) 21. 回菱 (Huí líng / 5x5 hollow mystic square knot) 22. 十字菱 (shízì líng / 5x5 mystic square w cross void) 23. 三角盤長(一) (sānjiǎo pán zhǎng (yī) / hollow 5 mystic triangle) 24. 回菱 (Huí líng / 5x5 hollow mystic diamond knot) 25. 十字菱 (shízì líng / 5x5 mystic diamond w ‘x’ void) 26. 三角盤長(二) (sānjiǎo pán zhǎng (èr) / hollow 5 mystic triangle inverted) </pre> <hr /> <p><b>Test Item Concordance</b> In addition to 3 inversions, 2 of the knots are copies of other knots but rotated 45° .</p> <pre> TT01 = -- TT02 = -- TT03 = ZI17c TT04 = -- TT05 - ZA39 TT06 = -- TT07 = ZA40 TT08 = ZA42 TT09 = -- TT10 = ZI12a TT11 = -- TT12 = TT11 inverted TT13 = ZA25 TT14 = -- TT15 = -- TA16 = -- TA17 = -- TA18 = ZA23 TA19 = -- TA20 = TA19 inverted TA21 = ZA22 TA22 = -- TA23 = -- TA24 = TA21 eigth turn TA25 = TA22 eigth turn TA26 = TA23 inverted </pre>Carol Wang

The THCA has a specifically labelled instructor or teacher test consisting mostly of hoop flowers (turks head mats) and hollow mystic knots with a few fun cloverleaf and mystic knot variants. The ZGJ set of tests cover perhaps a third of the (admittedly repetitious) content here. The ZGJ advanced test also sprints completely into the wilderness, relatively speaking, with complex and involved projects.