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SCKF Promotion Regulations

Approved 12/1/2018

Table of Contents

  1. General Promotion Regulations
  2. Shinsa Committees
  3. Kendo Promotion Regulations
  4. Iaido Promotion Regulations
  5. Jodo Promotion Regulations
  6. External Promotion Regulations

I. General Promotion Regulations

  1. As a member of the All United States Kendo Federation (AUSKF), the Southern California Kendo Federation (SCKF) has the authority to administer promotions according to the following:

    1. SCKF may conduct examination events ("shinsa") to award ranks of 4 dan and below.
      1. SCKF shall report the awarded ranks to AUSKF and pay the required certification fees for each passing applicant.

    2. SCKF shall approve members applying for shinsa outside of SCKF as required by AUSKF's regulations and SCKF's internal regulations.

  2. Examination board requirements 
    Examination   Examiners    Number  Passing Criteria
-----------  ------------  ------  --------------------------
kyu - 1dan   4 Dan & over    5     Consent of min 3 examiners
   2dan      5 Dan & over    5     Consent of min 3 examiners
   3dan      5 Dan & over    5     Consent of min 3 examiners
   4dan      6 Dan & over    6     Consent of min 4 examiners
    1. Examination boards shall be set by the Shinsa Committee (see section II).
    2. Each examination board shall be presided over by a head examiner.
    3. If multiple examination boards are set for a shinsa, a chief examiner shall be appointed by the Shinsa Committee to oversee all examination boards at the shinsa.

  3. Grading shall be Pass or No Pass (either approve new rank or not).

  4. Age and practice time requirements 
    Req Rank  Minimum Age  Minimum time in practice
--------  -----------  ------------------------------------------------
  6kyu         8       6 months practice
  5kyu         9       6 months as 6 kyu or 6 months practice
  4kyu        10       6 months as 5 kyu or 1 year practice if not 5kyu
  3kyu        11       6 months practice as 4 kyu
  2kyu        12       6 months practice as 3 kyu
  1kyu        13       6 months practice as 2 kyu
  1dan        14       6 months practice as 1 kyu
  2dan         -       12 months practice as 1 dan
  3dan         -       24 months practice as 2 dan
  4dan         -       36 months practice as 3 dan
    1. "Minimum time in practice" means time practicing regularly (not just a calendar interval from the previous rank). Time is as of the day of the shinsa.
    2. 4 kyu is the highest rank that may be applied for by an applicant with no rank. The applicant must have been practicing for a minimum of 1 year.
    3. Applicants who possess a rank cannot skip a rank.

  5. Examination applications and fees
    1. An application package shall consist of the application and all documents required by the Shinsa Committee.
    2. Examination fees shall be set by the SCKF Board of Directors.
    3. Application packages and fees are due by the date set by the Shinsa Committee.
    4. A new application and fee payment are required each time an applicant applies for examination.
    5. Requested ranks on applications are subject to the requirements set forth in the age and practice time requirements and the requirements set forth for kendo, iaido, or jodo, as applicable.
    6. SCKF member application
      1. Application packages are processed through each SCKF dojo, including collection of examination fees.
      2. Applicants must have the approval of their dojo head instructor.
      3. Applicants must be paid members of the SCKF and AUSKF by the deadline set by the Shinsa Committee.
    7. Non-SCKF member application
      1. Non-SCKF applicants must be current members of AUSKF and must have the approval of their AUSKF member federation president.

  6. Written examination
    1. Written tests are due at the beginning of the shinsa, as specified by the Shinsa Committee.
    2. Written tests are required for 1 kyu applicants and all yudansha applicants.
    3. Written tests must be in English.
    4. The applicant must pass the written test to be awarded the requested rank.
    5. Applicants who do not pass the written test may retake the written test once. The test is to be resubmitted as designated by the Shinsa Committee.

  7. Certification
    1. SCKF shall register awarded ranks with AUSKF for each passing applicant, pursuant to the AUSKF certification fee schedule.
    2. Each SCKF member dojo is responsible for collecting certification fees for its passing applicants and submitting the fees to SCKF by the date set by the Shinsa Committee.
    3. Non-SCKF passing applicants are responsible for submitting their certification fee to SCKF by the date set by the Shinsa Committee.
    4. SCKF shall receive completed rank certificates (menjo) from AUSKF and distribute them to the applicant's dojo for final distribution.

II. Shinsa Committees

  1. SCKF exists to support kendo and the related arts of iaido and jodo.

  2. The SCKF Shinsa Committee is composed of separate subcommittees for each art.
    1. The chair of each Shinsa Committee shall be appointed by the SCKF President. In principle, the chair shall hold a "kodansha" (5 dan or above) rank in the art.
    2. The term of each Shinsa Committee shall coincide with the biennial elections of the SCKF Officers. There is no term limit for Shinsa Committee members.
    3. Each Shinsa Committee shall oversee the administration of shinsa and promotion regulations for its specific art.

  3. The SCKF Shinsa Advisory Board is composed of separate subcommittees for each art.
    1. Each Shinsa Advisory Board shall be appointed by the SCKF President.
    2. In principle, each Shinsa Advisory Board shall have no more than two members who are members of the same dojo.
    3. Each Shinsa Advisory Board shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Shinsa Committee for its related art.
    4. The current SCKF President, the current AUSKF President, and the current AUSKF Vice President of Promotions may not be members of the Shinsa Advisory Board.
    5. Each Shinsa Advisory Committee shall rule on SCKF members applying to shinsa external to SCKF for its related art (see section VI).

  4. For special committee regulations for each art, see the specific promotion regulations for kendo, iaido, and jodo.

III. Kendo Promotion Regulations

In addition to the items described under General Promotion Regulations and Shinsa Committees, this section describes special regulations for kendo promotion.

  1. The Kendo Shinsa Advisory Board shall consist of five standing board members and one alternate member, who shall serve if one of the standing board members is unavailable to serve. All members shall hold the rank of kendo 7 dan or higher.

  2. Yearly Kendo Shinsa
    1. SCKF shall conduct two kendo shinsa per year.
      1. The spring shinsa shall be held in principle on the third Saturday of April.
      2. The fall shinsa shall be held in principle on the third Sunday of October.
      3. Specific shinsa dates shall be set by the Shinsa Committee.
    2. The location for shinsa shall be secured by SCKF.

  3. SCKF shall conduct the following training:
    1. Examiners workshop, at least once per year
    2. Kendo kata seminar, at least once per year
    3. Kendo referee (shinpan) seminar, at least once per year
    4. Kendo yudansha training (shido geiko), at least eight times per year

  4. Examiner qualifications
    1. In principle, each examiner must have participated in the following training
      1. Qualified examiner's workshop at least once within the past two years
      2. Qualified kendo kata seminar at least once within the past two years
      3. Qualified kendo shinpan seminar at least once within the past two years
      4. Qualified kendo shido geiko at least once within the past six months

      The Shinsa Committee shall determine which training events are qualified.

  5. Additional requirements for 3 dan and above applicants
    1. Each applicant must have participated in the following training
      1. Qualified kendo kata seminar at least once within the past two years
      2. Qualified kendo shinpan seminar at least once within the past two years
      3. Qualified kendo shido geiko at least once within the past six months

      The Shinsa Committee shall determine which training events are qualified.

    2. Other consideration shall include referee skills, including actual time refereeing at qualified tournament events.

  6. Grading method for kendo examinations
    1. Kendo basics (kihon) test
      1. The kihon test shall be set by the Shinsa Committee.
      2. 6kyu and 5kyu examinations are conducted by the dojo head instructor with results approved by the Shinsa Committee.
      3. 4 kyu applicants shall take the kihon test at the shinsa with a motodachi provided by SCKF.
    2. Kendo jitsugi (practical test)
      1. 3 kyu and higher applicants shall perform jitsugi at the shinsa.
      2. 1 dan and higher applicants shall use the two-person rei procedure at the beginning of jitsugi.
      3. 4 dan applicants shall perform kirikaeshi, once striking and once receiving, at the start of their two turns at jitsugi.
    3. Kendo kata test
      1. 1 kyu and higher applicants who pass kendo jitsugi shall perform kendo kata at the shinsa

      2. Kata tests
        Req Rank  Test
--------  ----------------------------
  1kyu    reiho and kendo kata #1-3
  1dan      "         "     "  #1-5
  2dan      "         "     "  #1-7
  3dan      "         "     "  #1-10
  4dan      "         "     "  #1-10
    4. Test results for kihon test, jitsugi, and kata are final.
      1. An applicant passes if the majority of the examination board return a "Pass" score.
      2. Applicants automatically fail if they do not appear at the prescribed time during the examination.
    5. Applicants who do not pass the kata test may retake the kata test once within one year of the examination.
      1. A new application form must be submitted along with the required fees.
      2. Applicants who do not pass the kata retest or do not retest within the one year period must retake all portions of the examination and submit new applications along with the required fees.

IV. Iaido Promotion Regulations

In addition to the items described under the sections for General Promotion Regulations and Shinsa Committees, this section describes special regulations for iaido promotion.

  1. The Iaido Shinsa Advisory Board shall consist of three standing board members and one alternate member, who shall serve if one of the standing board members is unavailable to serve. All members shall hold the rank of iaido 4 dan or higher.

  2. Yearly Kendo Shinsa
    1. SCKF shall conduct up to two iaido shinsa per year.
      1. The spring shinsa shall be held in principle on the fourth Sunday of April.
      2. The fall shinsa shall be held in principle on the fourth Sunday of October.
      3. The Shinsa Committee will determine which ranks a shinsa will cover.
      4. Specific shinsa dates shall be set by the Shinsa Committee.
      5. Depending on the situation, the Shinsa Committee may decide not to hold a spring shinsa or fall shinsa (or both).
    2. The location for shinsa shall be secured by SCKF.

  3. Grading method for iaido examinations 
    Req Rank  Test
--------  ---------------------------------------------------------------
  6kyu    reiho and seitei kata #1-4 (test at dojo)
  5kyu      "                     "        "
  4kyu      "                     "  (test at shinsa)
  3kyu    reiho and five designated seitei kata from #1-7
  2kyu      "        "                               #1-10
  1kyu      "        "                               #1-12; written test
  1dan      "        "                                 "         "
  2dan      "        "                                 "         "
  3dan      "        "                                 "         "
  4dan      "       five seitei/koryu kata; written test
    Notes:
    1. The time limit is 6 minutes to perform reiho and kata.
    2. 6kyu and 5kyu examinations are conducted by the dojo head instructor with results approved by the Shinsa Committee.
    3. 4kyu and above examinations are conducted at the shinsa.
    4. "Designated kata" are chosen by the Shinsa Committee and announced at the shinsa.
    5. 4dan examination shall consist of two koryu kata selected by the applicant followed by three seitei kata from #1-12 selected by the Shinsa Committee.
  4. Test results are final.
    1. An applicant passes if the majority of the examination board return a "Pass" score.
    2. Applicants automatically fail if they do not appear at the prescribed time during the examination.
    3. Applicants automatically fail if they exceed the prescribed time limit for reiho and kata.

V. Jodo Promotion Regulations

Until such time as SCKF has a sufficient number of jodo practitioners ranked 4 dan or higher:
  1. SCKF shall not conduct jodo shinsa.
  2. The Iaido Shinsa Advisory Board shall serve for jodo (see the iaido promotion regulations).

VI. External Promotion Regulations

See External Shinsa Application Notes for directions on applying to shinsa outside of SCKF.

 

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