Tsurugi Bashi Kendo Kai

Kyu Grading

Grades from 1st kyu and above must be awarded by a national kendo federation recognized by the International Kendo Federation; in this country, this means the British Kendo Association. Grades up to and including 2nd kyu, instead, are awarded locally by the individual dojo.

Tsurugi Bashi aims to hold 4 grading sessions per year: one at the end of each academic term and one in the long vacation.

People with no prior kendo experience are taken in as 6th kyu ("white belt" in other martial arts) when they join Tsurugi Bashi. The grades awarded by this dojo are from 5th kyu to 2nd kyu inclusive. Higher grades are not awarded locally: you will have to attend a BKA examination session.

Tsurugi Bashi requires the candidate to attend a minimum of 15 practice sessions between gradings. An attendance record is kept by the secretary for this purpose. Ensure that your name is recorded every time you attend.

The following list gives the detailed requirements for each kyu. The candidate for a given grade must fulfill all the requirements for that grade and all the ones before it, although not all of them will necessarily be tested on the day. The particular selection of points to be tested is at the discretion of the examiners, may vary from exam to exam and from candidate to candidate, and will not be communicated in advance. In other words, be ready for everything up to your chosen grade.

There is no charge to attempt the examination, so long as the candidate paid the dojo fee for the term. Kendoka shall obtain their own shinai as soon as possible. Wearing hakama and kendogi is allowed as soon as desired, but it is not compulsory before 5-kyu.

5-kyu exam

After this, the kendoka shall wear hakama and kendogi, and have own bokuto)

Having practiced for at least 15 sessions since 6-kyu (i.e. since joining)

Being able to wear and fold hakama and keikogi in the proper way

Being able to count from 1 to 10 in Japanese: ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyu, ju.

Being able to perform the following types of suburi:

1. Jo-ge suburi
2. Men-uchi-ni-kyo-do suburi
3. Zenshin-kotai-men suburi
4. Zenshin-kotai-sa-yu-men suburi
5. Sonkyo suburi
6. Mata-wari suburi
7. Kote-men suburi
8. Haya suburi

Being able to perform men-uchi

Being able to strip, reassemble and maintain the shinai (including tying the nakayui, but not the more elaborate knots in the tsuru)

Being able to perform Kihon 1 and 2 of the Bokuto-ni-yoru Kendo Kihon Keiko-ho

Being able to perform Ippon-me of the Nihon Kendo Kata

4-kyu exam

After this, the kendoka may and shall wear armour)

Having practiced for at least 15 sessions since 5-kyu

All the requirements for 5-kyu, plus:

Being able to perform kote-uchi

Being able to perform kirikaeshi

Being able to perform tachi no kata no 2-hon-me

Being able to name the shinai parts in Japanese: chigiri, take, tsukagawa, tsuba, tsubadome, tsuru, nakayui, sakigawa, sakigomu.

3-kyu exam

Having practiced for at least 15 sessions since 4-kyu

All the requirements for 4-kyu, plus:

Being able to carry, wear and pack bogu properly

Being able to perform do-uchi

Being able to perform kote-men

Being able to perform kirikaeshi as motodachi

Being able to show good form in ji-geiko against a senior

Being able to perform tachi no kata no 3-hon-me

Being able to perform a basic uchikomi-geiko sequence: men, kote, do, kote-men, kote-do, men

2-kyu exam

Having practiced for at least 15 sessions since 3-kyu

All the requirements for 3-kyu, plus:

Being able to perform sashi-men

Being able to perform hiki-men

Being able to perform tachi no kata no 4-hon-me and 5-hon-me.

Being able to demonstrate the 5 kamae

Being able to show good form in ji-geiko against a senior

Being able to perform the more difficult knots of shinai maintenance (e.g. tying a new tsuru to the sakigawa)

Being able to perform the following uchikomi-geiko sequence: men, kote, do, kote-men, kote-do, men+tai-atari+hiki-men, men+tai-atari+hiki-kote, men+tai-atari+hiki-do, men