Presentation on grading, requirements and taking promotional exams in kendo.

1. BHS Shinsa Workshop
January 24, 2015

2. WHY?
Why do they have ranks in kendo? Why aren’t they
based on tournament results?
Because:
• Ranks provide structure to the dojo.
• Ranks provide a means to measure progress
and goal setting for an individual.
• If the dojo structure was based solely on the
ability to hit someone with a stick, the structure
would rapidly degrade.

3. AJKF RANK CRITERIA
KYU YUDANSHA Kata
1. Chakuso - appearance
• Chakuso 2. Reiho - manners 1. Shisei
• Reiho 3. Shisei - posture 2. Kamae
• Shisei 4. Kamae kata - correct kamae 3. Ashi Sabaki
• Kamae Kata 5. Ashi Sabaki - footwork 4. Kiai
• Ashi Sabaki 6. Kiai & Kakegoe - spirit 5. Accuracy of cut
• Kiai & Kakegoe 7. Kihon Datotsu – basic strikes 6. Maai
• Kihon Datotsu 8. Maai – proper distance 7. Zanshin
• Maai 9. Zanshin 8. Riai
• Zanshin 10. Kiken-Tai-Ichi - unification 9. Uchidachi vs Shidachi
11. Datotsu no kikai – timing 10. Metsuke
12. Waza- yuko-datotsu, renzoku, ohji & shikake

4. Defining requirements for Kyu and Dan Testing
• 6 Kyu – primarily children’s rank, purpose to encourage them to stay
in kendo.
– Put on dogu without assistance
– Minimal footwork – ashi sabaki
– Kihon, kirikaeshi, kote, men, doh – kihon datotsu
– Do kakari keiko with motodachi
– Be able to begin & end keiko properly (reiho)
Note: Children’s hakama need not be correct length.

5. • 5 Kyu – improved skills above 6 Kyu minimum age
10
• 4 Kyu – improved skills above 5 Kyu minimum age
11
– Ashi sabaki – footwork
– Chakuso – appearance (himo tied correctly, no
himo hanging out)
– Kihon – basics improved especially footwork
– Kakari keiko – kakegoe & kiai (show good spirit)
– Reiho – can get on and off the court correctly

6. • 3 Kyu – Adults & Children, minimum age 12,
more than 1 year of practice.
- Kamae kata- correct kamae
- Shisei – posture, stands up straight, back foot
not turned out
- Ashi sabaki – no walking after strike
- Zanshin – follows through after strike
- Kiai – strong kiai
- Chakuso – kendogu on correctly including
hakama & kendogi
- Kihon datotsu – makes valid strikes

7. • 2 Kyu – Adults & Children, minimum age 13,
more than 2 years of practice.
- Kamae kata- correct kamae
- Shisei – posture, stands up straight, back foot
not turned out
- Ashi sabaki – no walking after strike
- Zanshin – follows through after strike
- Kiai – strong kiai
- Chakuso – kendogu on correctly including
hakama & kendogi

8. • 1-Kyu – will be ready for shodan within a
year.
– Reiho – men himo, doh himo, correct hakama length
( Jr. excluded)
– Shinai has nakayui in correct place, tsuba correct
– Ritsu-rei – maintains eye contact, rei posture correct
(bend at waist 30 deg.)
– Back straight at sonkyo
– Correct grip on shinai
– Kensen at correct height
– Feet facing correctly (left foot pointing forward)
– No walking after attack

9. • 1 Kyu continued;
– Strong kiai – kakegoe
– Lifts both hands up – no right hand only on
datotsu (strike)
– Stretches arms out on strike
– Some renzoku waza (at least kote-men)
– Maai – keeps reasonable distance
– Act as a motodachi
– Kata – no major mistakes on sequence &
form

10. • 1 Dan – Shodan
- Appearance – do they look like a shodan?
- Reiho – see 1 kyu description
- Proper kamae – posture & maai
- Keiko – uchi, ashi sabaki, sae, zanshin
- Kata – no major mistakes (1 do over
allowed per person).
- Do not focus on minor problems, do not
punish the person with a bad partner.
- Improved form

11. • 2 Dan – Nidan
• Appearance – do they look like a nidan?
- Reiho - manners
- Shisei – posture
- Kamae kata – correct posture
• Chudan – shinai held correct and kensen correct level
• Sonkyo – back straight
• Waza – Shikake & renzoku waza
– Oji waza – depends on aite
• Keiko – spirit & vigor, strong kiai and kakegoe
– Riai, demonstrate when to attack
– Maai – strike from correct distance, does not get too close.
– Ashi sabaki – solid footwork
– Zanshin – follow through & finish to attack
– Kihon – Solid basic strikes

12. • 3 Dan – Sandan Presence
• Chakuso & Reiho posture and attitude
• Solid basics – strike ( sae and tenouchi)
- Use of hands
- Foot work, no bunny foot or goose step
- Keiko – use of waza, riai – logical attacks
- Kiai & kakegoe – spirit & energy
- Zanshin – finish ready for next movement
• Kata – Tachi 1-7, solid no major mistakes, 3
minor max. Kodachi no major mistakes, minor
OK.

13. • 4 Dan – Yondan Presence
• Chakuso & Reiho posture and attitude
• Complete basics – strike (sae and tenouchi)
• Seme – takes center, uses ashi seme &
kizeme
• Keiko – use of waza, riai – logical attacks
• Kiai & kakegoe – spirit & energy
• Zanshin – finish ready for next movement
• Kata – Tachi 1-7, solid no major mistakes, 3
minor max. Kodachi no major mistakes, 3
minor mistakes.

14. Mental preparation on SHINSA
Before the SHINSA
1. Train yourself so that you
are in good condition to
perform to your best
ability in the exam
2. Develop correct posture,
kamae, and striking form
3. Through repetition make
this your way of doing
kendo
4. Spiritually focus yourself
in every keiko to develop
your KI
5. Every keiko is your test
Courtesy (reiho) before
and during the match
1. Before the match, build up
your fighting spirit (Ki) and
do correct rei – get your
mind right to dominate
2. Concentrate during each
keiko to keep your ki
strong from the start (rei)
till the finish (sonkyo)
3. Focus and maintain the
spirit at your highest level.

15. Maai (distance) (2)
• Using your shinai, sense and feel the opponent
and link this with your footwork to penetrate the
opponent’s spirit. Mentally cut them. *Sen-no-Ki
(Initiative)
• Using your internal power (Ki) without stopping
your mind, penetrate their kamae and their ki by
unifying your body and mind centering through
your hips.
• Understand your uchima

16. Maai (distance)(1) Sandan up.
• Stand up in To-ma, make a strong posture, then
get in issoku-itto maai little by little and gain an
insight using your “minds eye” (enzan no
metsuke)
• Sense the opponent’s ability from contact with
Ken-sen (tip to tip or edge to edge), sensing
their Ki (kizeme) Have the “conversation” -
dictate
• Vocalize your Ki with full energy  bring it up
from your tanren and mentally attack with your
Ki from within you. Visualize the cut – mental cut
before physical cut.

17. 3 Components of the Match
• Exploration- have the conversation with
the shinai, learn how to attack with
Kizeme.
• Strike – First strike damages aite
confidence, establishes control.
• Control – Dictate the rhythm and pace of
the match, your timing.

18. Posture
• Maintain posture before, during and after
the strike especially for Dan ranks
• Poor posture is the result of too much
upper body and no hips (footwork)
• Work on posture with lower ranks that you
can dominate to get the habit of good
posture.

19. Seme-ai Keiko (Engage in Infighting)
• Contact of Sword (Conversation)
Strength, Toughness
• Ashi-Seme = Pressure by footwork
(distance and timing)
Skill, Proficiency (ability to control the
rhythm of the engagement)
• Vocalization (Ki-sei)
Vigor

20. Random Points
• Do not concede opponents strike
• Control the opponents shinai
• Use seme and shibori to control the center
• Kill the opponents kamae with downward
pressure on their shinai to create chance (
nori-men).
• Don’t make too many hits (this is a big
problem for 3 Dan and up).

21. Opportunity of Striking created from the interval of
engagement (Ma-ai)
• The opportunity to strike is created at Issoku-Itto (one-
step, one-sword) from To-ma
• Pressure from mind’s eye (sunren), visualization,
spiritual guts, and the use of footwork to penetrate the
opponent’s center by the use of your ki (ki-seme). Take
the center with your shinai; moving out the opponent
from the center creates an opportunity to strike
• Death-defying strike (sutemi) becomes Uchi-seme
(pressure from your strike becomes the opportunity to
strike again)
• Moving forward becomes Tsuki-seme (pressure from
Tsuki)

22. Review of Concepts
• Breathing
• Kamae (one motion from sonkyo)
• Kisei ( Ki, momentum, focus, mental
energy, full of spirit)
• Kizeme – mental attack
• Ashi-seme – use your footwork
• Sutemi – go for broke, a single blow to win

23. Death-defying Strike
(Sutemi no Datotsu)
• Death-defying strike opens the way to the
next strike (uchi-seme)
• D-d strike connects and links to Zanshin
• D-d strike is the basis of success because
there is no hesitation
• D-d strike is the way to survive
To attack without fear of death, to risk it all for success. In Kendo
to initiate an attack with no regard to the outcome

24. Creation of Strike from Pressure (seme)
• Seme (pressure) Defense
• Center-axis –
seme w/ waist, (koshi, tanren, visceral)
seme w/ Ki
• Linear –
seme w/ foot,
seme w/ Tsuki
• Curvilinear –
seme w/ body,
seme w/ strike (uchi seme)
Death-defying
Strike
(Sutemi no Datotsu)
SemeStrike =Linear StrikeSeme = Curvilinear

25. Principle of Strike motion
• Tame
(in responding to an attack or
producing a waza to remain
emotionally calm--staying
relaxed physically and
mentally)
• Flexibility
• Leverage
Tame of Strike motion (staying
relaxed during the strike)
Tame to resist opponent's
pressure (controlling the
opponent’s attack by remaining
calm)
Flexibility of the body
Flexibility of the arm, wrists and
hands during the execution of a
strike
Leveraging action of the shinai
(teko)
Leverage of the arm

26. Advanced Concepts
• San Satsu no Ho – the 3 kills, sword-
waza-spirit
• Mitsu no Sen – the 3 attacks, sen sen no
sen (strike at the start, just before the
opponent goes, when their mind is on
offence). Tai no sen – in the middle of
their attack. Go no sen- just after

27. The points of SHINSA
1-Dan ~ 3-Dan
1. Correct way of
putting on Do-gi and
Courtesy
2. Proper posture
3. Strikes that meet the
basic requirements
4. Full of spirit
4-Dan ~ 5-Dan
1. Level of applied skill
2. Level of discipline
3. Rate of match

28. The points of SHINSA (cont.)
6-Dan ~ 8-Dan
1. Riai (a logical reason for your action)
2. Personality, Dignity (your kamae,
demeanor and keiko demonstrates these
attributes)

29. Grading Worksheet
• Group 1st Dan 10% learned kendo basics / sufficient skills
• #___ age___
Pass / Fail
• Match #1 Valid Strikes     Failed Strikes   

• Match #2 Valid Strikes     Failed Strikes   

• uchi  seme  riai-kikai  sae  kamae  maai  keiko 
reiho 

30. Shinsa Standard of AJKF for
Kodansha levels
• Rokudan: Profound knowledge of principles; excellent
skills the same as godan, but the riai must be
demonstrated even more. Demonstrate a strong control
of the center, efficient use of waza and footwork, and
mental control of the opponent and situation.
• Nanadan: Fully acquired a profound knowledge of
principles with outstanding skills. (Demonstrated by
kamae, seme, riai and movement.) All aspects of the
previous ranks must be present, along with an essence
of dignity that speaks to quality kendo. This dignity
shows both on and off the court in the person’s life.
• Hachidan - A person who is eligible for 8-dan shall have
fully acquired a profound knowledge of Kendo principles,
mastered Kendo spirit, and demonstrated perfect skills.

31. Difference in 6-, 7-, 8-Dan
• Skill level (true ability, strength increase
with each level)
• Riai (each level demonstrates a greater
understanding of logical actions)
• Personality, Dignity (rank, beauty)
• Time duration (presentation of Kendo skill
in short period of time) 2 minutes or less

32. Necessary condition at the exam
• Condition before the exam -- Mind-set and
physical condition
• Manners for Tachiai -- Concentration of Ki
• Appearance, dignity, posture -- Durable Ki
• Push (Seme ai) -- Utterance, enhancing Ki
Attack with mind, push, and hit
• Strike -- Uniting with mind, sword and body (ki-
ken-tai)
• Zanshin -- Posture of mind and body

33. Sufficient condition at the exam
1. Beautiful appearance
2. Strong kendo
3. Flexibility (slow/fast/strong/weak)
4. Quick response, immediate response
5. Opposition, harmony and cooperation,
relationship of opposition
6. Superhuman feat and human technique
(hesitation, fear)
7. Requesting the very best Ippon

34. 34
Summary
1. 素直な心 (sunai na kokoro) Open-mindedness, to
accept at face value, to accept without reservation.
2. まとめる力 (motomeru chikara) Ability to unite
3. 自信と過信（心の内と外） (Jishin to Kashin) Self-
confidence and overconfidence (inside and outside of
mind) correctly assessing your ability and level.
4. 殺人刀と活人剣 Setsuninto and Katsuninken = Hari-
waza and Ohji-waza , sword that takes life –sword that
gives life.
5. 観て頂く mite itedaku (two interpretations) 1. Being
humble and having your kendo watched, 2. Watch and
steal a person’s waza. Mitori-geiko – to learn by
watching someone and see their good/bad points.
Then reflect on your own kendo.

35. Author: Jeff Marsten, 7dan, Kyoshi
www.americankendo.com