I have 10 months to prepare for National Bonsai Examination

BunjaeKorea

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So I have been living in Korea for quite a few years and doing bonsai for a few too. Got a master to train under and it has finally got to the point where he thinks I am skilled enough to go for the written and practical test to recieve national qualifications. There is only one test day per year in December with judges comimg mostly from Korea and Japan......
Problem is that I lecture full time and have family responsibilities so it isn't like I can practice every day although I would love to.
Just wondering if anyone has taken this type of test in Korea or Japan?
 

JudyB

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Wow, that's pretty exciting, what can you do with that qualification? Does it allow you to teach, or give you special responsibilities? I'm trying to envision what a practical test would be like for bonsai...
But it's cool that you've gotten that nod from your teacher. Hope you do well!
 

BunjaeKorea

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Wow, that's pretty exciting, what can you do with that qualification? Does it allow you to teach, or give you special responsibilities? I'm trying to envision what a practical test would be like for bonsai...
But it's cool that you've gotten that nod from your teacher. Hope you do well!
It's what gives official recognition that the person has minimum qualifications to be part of Bunjae Sul (person skilled in bonsai arts)After ten years of holding the title one is confered mastery if approved through another test. Passing this test would give me permission to teach yes....pretty exciting for sure......but my wiring needs work......a lot of work.
Practical test is literally....here is a tree make something amazing while we stare at you with blank faces.......
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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I can imagine practical testing, but written tests?!
Like a biology exam, or what? Art history? Connect the right tool with the right branch? I'm having a hard time envisioning what you could expect.

I'm afraid I can't help, but I'm interested nonetheless.

My two cents on the wiring: Get a tick wire (or a fresh twig), bend it, and then wrap it with thinner wire just like you would wire a branch. It's not just trees that can be wired, it might benefit you to think out of the box on that one.
 

BunjaeKorea

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Pictures say a lot more than a lot of typed words. How about a few of your trees so we can look at your work?
A picture is worth a thousand words eh?
Problem is that I don't really have any of at the shop.....just a few trees I have at home.....some still being developed....don't be too hard on me.....only been at this for 6 years as a noob and 2 with some training so trees have some flaws.
Need to take some pics next time at the shop.
 

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BunjaeKorea

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I can imagine practical testing, but written tests?!
Like a biology exam, or what? Art history? Connect the right tool with the right branch? I'm having a hard time envisioning what you could expect.

I'm afraid I can't help, but I'm interested nonetheless.

My two cents on the wiring: Get a tick wire (or a fresh twig), bend it, and then wrap it with thinner wire just like you would wire a branch. It's not just trees that can be wired, it might benefit you to think out of the box on that one.
My master said that the written part is pretty straight forward and not difficult. As far as I know its just common sense things like dont bare root pines, dont use iron on junipers, dont repot and heavy wire the same year etc ....
Yeah thats good advice....
I am gonna try the twig thing.....my wife will think I am nuts lol
 

Vance Wood

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Believe me I know what it is like to have a dream and what it is like to have people dash it (the dream) to bits on the bitter rocks of truth. If these trees are the results of all of your work and hopes and you are hoping to turn this into a career as a bonsai master your current work wont take you there. I hope you make it and become a great master but I am afraid you are going to have to recover from a great awakening first. You will have to rebuild everything you thought and maybe what you believed but; you are going to have to go through this. I am afraid that It is going to be like a musician that plays well enough to be in a high school band discovering that his abilities do not exceed Comin round the mountain, and Old Mc Donald had a farm. There is an old saying: What does not kill you makes you stronger. I don't mean to be unduly harsh and I say this to you out of kindness not a vicious stab into your heart. I love to see people realize their dreams but you have to understand; a dream without a commitment to improve and the realization of the truth is a delusion.
 

BunjaeKorea

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Believe me I know what it is like to have a dream and what it is like to have people dash it (the dream) to bits on the bitter rocks of truth. If these trees are the results of all of your work and hopes and you are hoping to turn this into a career as a bonsai master your current work wont take you there. I hope you make it and become a great master but I am afraid you are going to have to recover from a great awakening first. You will have to rebuild everything you thought and maybe what you believed but; you are going to have to go through this. I am afraid that It is going to be like a musician that plays well enough to be in a high school band discovering that his abilities do not exceed Comin round the mountain, and Old Mc Donald had a farm. There is an old saying: What does not kill you makes you stronger. I don't mean to be unduly harsh and I say this to you out of kindness not a vicious stab into your heart. I love to see people realize their dreams but you have to understand; a dream without a commitment to improve and the realization of the truth is a delusion.
Actually, I am.well aware of that. But thank you for putting it so kindly. The certification is basic.....mastery well....thats a whole different matter. The trees in the pictures have only been developed for two to three years....and these really arent the best....I fully agree with you.
I have to work a lot more at this I know. I think I am still many many many years away.... but you know....baby steps.
Got to start from the bottom???.
I appreciate feedback from people with experience like you have. Keep it coming..... it wont kill me.....Im practically a cockroach
 

Adair M

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Yes, your wiring needs work. It’s “not bad”, but it’s not “elegant”, either.

Here are a couple things I think will help you improve:

1) use copper.

2) learn to use the proper sized wire so that one strand of wire does the job, with no “doubling up”. On the pine, I see a lot of wire that’s too thin to be effective, and it’s really not doing anything. If it takes thick wire to do the job, use thick wire!

3) finish the ends with a “fishhook” at the tips. This supports the bud (or needles) at the end, and doesn’t expose the cut end of the wire to the viewer. The cut ends are more reflective, and catch your eye.

4) put little bends into the branches. Many people wire the branch, bend the branch down, and that’s it. Try not to let there be a perfectly straight section on a branch. Put little curves in. The wire is there, use it.

About the shimpaku (and pretty much any juniper):

Pay attention to the bottoms of the pads of branches. Yes, we want the tops of the pads to be nice soft clouds. But not the bottoms. The bottoms should be fairly flat. With the woody structure showing below, and the green foliage above. I try to have no foliage “spilling over”.

6FE04C66-5689-491D-BDEC-63287E2811C3.jpeg

See how you can see the little supporting branches under the pads of foliage? That’s what you want.

Good luck! I think you can do it!

Practice, practice, practice!
 

bonhe

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So I have been living in Korea for quite a few years and doing bonsai for a few too. Got a master to train under and it has finally got to the point where he thinks I am skilled enough to go for the written and practical test to recieve national qualifications. There is only one test day per year in December with judges comimg mostly from Korea and Japan......
Problem is that I lecture full time and have family responsibilities so it isn't like I can practice every day although I would love to.
Just wondering if anyone has taken this type of test in Korea or Japan?
It is very nice to know there is a kind of examination like it! I never imagined there is a bonsai exam! I wonder why American bonsai field doesn’t have this kind of exam!! Maybe because we don’t have any recognized bonsai society like other fields.
Anyway, I wish you luck in your examination!
Thụ Thoại
 

BunjaeKorea

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Yes, your wiring needs work. It’s “not bad”, but it’s not “elegant”, either.

Here are a couple things I think will help you improve:

1) use copper.

2) learn to use the proper sized wire so that one strand of wire does the job, with no “doubling up”. On the pine, I see a lot of wire that’s too thin to be effective, and it’s really not doing anything. If it takes thick wire to do the job, use thick wire!

3) finish the ends with a “fishhook” at the tips. This supports the bud (or needles) at the end, and doesn’t expose the cut end of the wire to the viewer. The cut ends are more reflective, and catch your eye.

4) put little bends into the branches. Many people wire the branch, bend the branch down, and that’s it. Try not to let there be a perfectly straight section on a branch. Put little curves in. The wire is there, use it.

About the shimpaku (and pretty much any juniper):

Pay attention to the bottoms of the pads of branches. Yes, we want the tops of the pads to be nice soft clouds. But not the bottoms. The bottoms should be fairly flat. With the woody structure showing below, and the green foliage above. I try to have no foliage “spilling over”.

View attachment 228208

See how you can see the little supporting branches under the pads of foliage? That’s what you want.

Good luck! I think you can do it!

Practice, practice, practice!
Firstly, that is a gorgeous tree. Secondly, thank you very much for the advice. 2 to 4 are great and doable....however for some reason copper wire is really hard to source here is mind bogglingly expensive. I have only ever seen it on the best trees and my master wont even tell me where to get it.

I see what you mean about the pine. There are some anealed copper wires on there, I basically stripped electrical wiring and anealled them according to @sorce 's advice. Thats been my only access to copper so far.
In the event that I cant use copper is there another formula for choosing wire thickness? For example 1mm copper wire= 1.5 mm aluminium wire or something of a mathematical approximate like that?

I see what you mean about the juniper from your great example pic. Will get onto that shimpaku as soon as I can get more wire!
Thanks so much again!
 

BunjaeKorea

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It is very nice to know there is a kind of examination like it! I never imagined there is a bonsai exam! I wonder why American bonsai field doesn’t have this kind of exam!! Maybe because we don’t have any recognized bonsai society like other fields.
Anyway, I wish you luck in your examination!
Thụ Thoại

I finay located their website which is surprisingly hard to find. There are three levels with a weird numbering system.
2nd Degree (which is what I am going for and the most basic rank) displays the needed skills to work on standard trees without guidance of a master and gives permission to take the 1st Degree test in the future. Permits entry into shows at national level and provides international recognition.
1st Degree- Middle level, allows working on 'grand heirloom trees' (old, valuable and show quality) without a masters oversight.
Master Degree........an insanely difficult test that takes more than four hours......difficult to pass etc..

I think you are right. China has nationally recognised Penjing schools. Korea has a nationally recognised Bonsai Association (under the control of the Agricultural University and ministry of agriculture) and as far as I know Japan have the equivalent. Standards between Korea and Japan are similar but.....Bunjae and Bonsai are slightly different fields and bunjae seems to lie in between penjing and bonsai leaning toward one or the other depending on the particular region and master.

I think it would be great if they did something like this overseas. Thanks for the well wishes.
 

0soyoung

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In the event that I cant use copper is there another formula for choosing wire thickness? For example 1mm copper wire= 1.5 mm aluminium wire or something of a mathematical approximate like that?
There is and equivalence like that or double the thickness.

But, what I've noticed is that with aluminum one needs to bend the branch into position as the wire is applied, whereas copper wire can be wrapped on and then the branch positioned. It is a matter of degree, of course, but the work hardening effect with copper is very real and quite absent with aluminum. Notably Dan Robinson uses nothing but aluminum wire (see YouTube too).
 

Adair M

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There is and equivalence like that or double the thickness.

But, what I've noticed is that with aluminum one needs to bend the branch into position as the wire is applied, whereas copper wire can be wrapped on and then the branch positioned. It is a matter of degree, of course, but the work hardening effect with copper is very real and quite absent with aluminum. Notably Dan Robinson uses nothing but aluminum wire (see YouTube too).
Note that Bill Valavanis uses nothing but copper! Even on deciduous!

The work hardening effect is what makes copper so much more effective than aluminum.
 
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