Southern California
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SCKF Shinsa Notes

  • See the latest SCKF shinsa regulations (approved 12/1/2018)

  • Starting in 2010, applicants testing for 4kyu shall demonstrate basic skills at the shinsa (see notes below)

  • Starting in 2013, applicants testing for yudansha ranks will use the two-person rei procedure (see notes below)

  • Starting in 2022, applicants testing for 2kyu and below shall be tested on kihon kata (see notes below).
Kihon kata (bokuto ni yoru kendo kihon waza keiko ho) for kyu applicants
  • applicants requesting 6kyu through 2kyu shall be tested on kihon kata as follows
    • 6kyu: kihon 1-2
    • 5kyu: kihon 1-4
    • 4kyu: kihon 1-6
    • 3kyu: kihon 1-9
    • 2kyu: kihon 1-9
    2kyu shall test at the shinsa; 3kyu and below shall test at the dojo.

  • sequence of verbal commands and performance
    • applicants pair up 9 paces apart, shinai at sageto
    • "Bokuto ni yoru kendo kihon waza keiko ho"
      • applicants perform beginning reiho
        (ritsu rei through separating to 9 paces apart)
    • "Kihon ichi: ippon uchi no waza. Men, kote, do, tsuki"
      • applicants perform #1 then separate to 9 paces apart
    • "Kihon ni: renzoku waza. Kote men"
      • applicants perform #2 then separate to 9 paces apart
    • "Kihon san: harai waza. Harai men"
      • applicants perform #3 then separate to 9 paces apart
    • "Kihon yon: hiki waza. Hiki doh"
      • applicants perform #4 then separate to 9 paces apart
    • "Kihon go: nuki waza. Men nuki doh"
      • applicants perform #5 then separate to 9 paces apart
    • "Kihon roku: suriage waza. Kote suriage men"
      • applicants perform #6 then separate to 9 paces apart
    • "Kihon nana: debana waza. Debana kote"
      • applicants perform #7 then separate to 9 paces apart
    • "Kihon hachi: kaeshi waza. Men kaeshi doh"
      • applicants perform #8 then separate to 9 paces apart
    • "Kihon kyu: uchiotoshi waza. Doh uchiotoshi men"
      • applicants perform #9 then ending reiho
    • applicants leave the court
  • see reference video
Kihon test for 4kyu applicants
  • applicants testing for 4kyu and below shall demonstrate basic kendo skills
    • opening reiho (rei, sonkyo, kamae)
    • kirikaeshi: two times (a standard repetition)
    • three men-uchi
    • three kote-uchi
    • three do-uchi
    • two kote-men-uchi
    • closing reiho (sonkyo and rei)

    4kyu shall test at the shinsa with a motodachi provided by SCKF; 5kyu and below shall test at the dojo by the dojo instructors

  • notes
    • motodachi will lead opening and closing reiho
    • tachiai will announce kamae (stand up from sonkyo), the kirikaeshi and uchikomi sequences, and soremade (see duty notes for the commands)
    • for kirikaeshi
      • no taiatari; motodachi will step back to allow several steps after the initial men
      • motodachi will block sayu-men
    • kenshi will go through on all basic strikes
      • when going through, kenshi will pass on the motodachi's left side (motodachi will step to their own right to allow kenshi to go straight)
      • motodachi will show opening for men, kote, and doh targets as in kihon kata #1. For kote-men: motodachi will raise kensaki to the left for kote, then move kensaki to the right and step back for men (as in kihon kata #2).
Two-person rei procedure for yudansha applicants
  • applicants testing for 1dan and above will bow in for jistugi using the same procedure used in AUSKF kodansha examinations
    • as one person finishes jitsugi, the new person times their entry so as to perform their opening rei at the same time as the closing rei of the person completing jitsugi
    • the new person enters at the side closest to the examiners (so that the examiners can see their number)

  • example for a group of four applicants A,B,C,D, with examiners at the top
    1. applicants A and B
      • A is on right side of examiners, B is on left
      • A and B begin with normal reiho 
        A  x  B
      • tachiai calls "hajime"
      • A and B perform jitsugi until tachiai calls "yame"
      • C prepares to enter on the left side of A
    2. applicants A and B finish and applicants B and C start
      • tachiai calls "sore made", A and B sonkyo etc
      • as A stands and starts taking 5 steps back, C steps in
      • the stepping is timed so that C stands on the left side of A, ready to rei
      • A, B, and C rei at the same time 
        C
A  x  B
      • A withdraws while B and C take 3 big steps in, sonkyo, etc
      • tachiai calls "hajime"
      • B and C perform jitsugi until tachiai calls "yame"
      • D prepares to enter on the right side of B
    3. applicants B and C finish and applicants C and D start
      • tachiai calls "sore made", B and C sonkyo etc
      • as B stands and starts taking 5 steps back, D steps in
      • the stepping is timed so that D stands on the right side of B, ready to rei
      • B, C, and D rei at the same time 
              D
C  x  B
      • B withdraws while C and D take 3 big steps in, sonkyo, etc
      • tachiai calls "hajime"
      • C and D perform jitsugi until tachiai calls "yame"
      • A prepares to enter on the left side of C
    4. applicants C and D finish and applicants D and A start
      • tachiai calls "sore made", C and D sonkyo etc
      • as C stands and starts taking 5 steps back, A steps in
      • the stepping is timed so that A stands on the left side of C, ready to rei
      • A, C, and D rei at the same time 
        A
C  x  D
      • C withdraws while D and A take 3 big steps in, sonkyo, etc
      • tachiai calls "hajime"
      • D and A perform jitsugi until tachiai calls "yame"
      • if this is the final group of the division, A and D end with normal reiho 
        A  x  D
    The procedure for a group of five applicants A,B,C,D,E is the same, except in item 4 participant E steps in to be on the left side of C to perform jitsugi with D, and an item 5 is added where participant A goes to the other side of the court and steps in to be on the right side of D to perform jitsugi with E.

    The procedure for a group of three applicants A,B,C is the same, except in item 3 participant A goes to the other side of the court and steps in to be on the right side of B to perform jitsugi with C.

  • if another group follows in the same division (say A,B,C,D is followed by J,K,L,M), both J and K will perform the two-person rei procedure to start their group as A and D finish their group
    • A and D perform jitsugi until tachiai calls "yame"
    • J prepares to enter on the left side of A
      K prepares to enter on the right side of D
    • tachiai calls "sore made", D and A sonkyo etc
    • as A and D stand and start taking 5 steps back, J and K step in
    • the stepping is timed so that J stands on the left side of A and K stands on the right side of D, ready to rei
    • A, D, J, and K rei at the same time 
      J     K
A  x  D
    • A and D withdraw while J and K take 3 big steps in, sonkyo, etc
Recent revision history
  • 03/20/23: move 2kyu kihon kata testing to the dojo
  • 09/06/23: move 2kyu kihon kata testing back to the shinsa

 

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