Hi,
I have many questions about Anzan flash method.
I calculate about 2 months on soroban. When it comes to make calculate on soroban it is easy.
How long should I train on soroban to move to next step which is Anzan Flash method?
I already added 5 one digit numbers in 4 seconds.
Is there anyone on this forum who can calculate 3 digit numbers addition?
Maybe you have some hints or clues in training. How long takes you to get to this level?
Kind regards,
Peter M.
Start visualising calculations.
Put a number on the imaginary soroban and do some manipulations.
Like I said in different threads, focus on the mechanical part of the calculations.
Focus on just moving beads in your mind quickly.
Also, use an app, like Simple Soroban for Android. This one gives you random calculations to do.
Do them on the soroban, then repeat them in your mind.
This should give you a good start.
Thanks for the answer.
I use Simple Soroban aplication everyday when I don’t have sheets.
I bought soroban and I have made a decision to train 1 hour daily.
I found website The generator - Soroban Exam, which suportts me with training sheets.
I have tried to calculate on soroban with “Simple Soroban” aplication, but it was difficult to jump from soroban to tablet and otherwise. It distracts me a lot. So I decided to have calculations on the paper.
I put the soroban on the page and simply calculate as fast as I can.
I try to train on real soroban instead of Simple Soroban application because it is more sensual (touch, sound of the beads).
I noticed that some calculations comes to me automatically, which is realy amasing.
I also use Anzan Flash Method applications for visualization training.
I have some difficulties with imagination of four lower beads.
I start to train my visualization proces much more.
Thank you Kinma.
Here are my other questions:
How long it takes to calculate as fast as Japanese children? (When I train one intensive hour daily)
One year, two years?
Maybe there are some other clues for boosting calculations on soroban?
Alright, so you have software to generate random calculations.
Excellent.
Start with replaying, in your mind of course, calculations you did on the physical soroban.
Replay them in your mind and see if you do the same movements. It is important to stress you do this several times in a row. This reinforces the finger muscle memory you need to build up to make this process purely mechanical.
This trains your mind to ‘see’ and virtually feel and hear the beads.
Also make it a habit to set up all numbers you come across in your mind.
This helps to see more and more digits.
Try to see 2 digit numbers in your mind. If this is easy, work on 3. Work towards your limit and then focus on expanding that.
For Anzan first make sure you can do the calculations mechanically.
With this I mean that your brain does not need to think anymore about moving beads and is thus free to work on adding the numbers. If you do not do this, anzan will become a frustrating experience.
You need to do this in order for your mind to stop thinking about the intermediate numbers.
Then, and only then is your mind free to use the imaginary soroban for Flash Anzan.
This is a good start. Do this on the soroban an then repeat it in you mind.
See how quickly you can do this in your mind.
I bet that with a little practice you can add the 5 digits in 1 or 2 seconds soon.
Then move on to 2 digits additions.
Another tip is to always use the same bead movements.
A 5 added to 6 is a different movement from a 5 added to 2.
A 9 added to 8 is a different movement from a 9 added to 0.
Even so, always do the same movement.
Think about a 5 added to 6. Do the exact same movement in your mind.
Do the left column first (adding one) and then the right column (subtracting 5).
Or vice versa if that feels better.
However; decide on the 2 movements and then always carry them out in the same way!
This is what I mean by that the process needs to become mechanical.
You should not have to think about the addition. Your fingers should just move.
These are children that know only that way of representing numbers.
That makes it really fast for them to work within that system.
We work with another system and because of that it takes more time, practice and dedication to reach that level of speed.
However; it probably takes a couple of months of serious practice to just be able do the calculations relatively quick.
Then assuming you have a visual mind and can quickly see several columns of beads in your mind you can work on serious speed.
Again, this is not so much about mental calculation as it is to mechanize a mental process.
Use only one way of moving beads so your mind does not have to figure out what to do.
Analyze your performance. Find out where you spend most time in a mental calculation and work on improving that.
Do drills.
Add one to 1, then to 2, then to 3, etc.
Then add 2 to 1, 2, 3, etc.
Up to 9 and later up to 100.
Thanks for reply, Kinma.
I will try this out.
Fast calculation is amazing. I will to my best and train hard.
Is anyone here who calculate as fast as japanese children?
Here are some more tips.
Find out where your weak points are.
For most people this is either one of these two:
Keeping track of 2 digits is not too difficult.
4 might be a lot more difficult. Or 5. Or 6.
If this is true for you, then work on either one of these 2 issues, but not on both.
In other words, don’t make it too difficult for yourself.
Create drills for taking care of a carry and at a later date create drills for visualizing more and more digits.
Don’t try to do too much. Focus on improving one part at a time.
I am not.
The carry is not a problem.
When it comes to tracking results it is troublesome.
I have tried from the beggining to see soroban results as a whole.
3 digits calculation is hard to visualize. I hardly do two digits numbers addition 
One digit is easy. One second per addition is enough for me.
I will focus on the fundation, one digit calculation. If I will be “mechanical” enough, fast enough,
do one digit calculation without hesitation and effortlesly I will procede to two digit number.
And further to 3 digit and 4 digit.
Now there are only three words:
Practice, practice and practice.
It`s nice to be a member of this forum. Where are helpfull people with the same passion
and problems.
Kind regards,
Peter.
Here is an idea.
For visualization purposes, would it be an idea to put the numbers on your fingers first, and only then visualize them in your mind?
You could use the Chisenbop way of counting from 00-99 for this using both hands.
If you lose the number on the imaginary soroban, a least you still have it on your fingers, so you can quickly retrace a bit and do it again.
Here is a primer:
