Click here for 2007 grading requirements information.

Set-Up:

• Head table for the Judges/Referees.
• Table to the right (as seen when facing the table) of the head table for the Secretary.
• There will be a tachi (bokuto) and a shi-jo (jo) starting line – six large paces apart, with the head table centered between these lines. The tachi line is on the left and the shi-jo line is on the right. (as seen when facing the head table)
• The tachi and shi-jo lines will start six to ten paces away from the head table and will be long enough to accommodate up to four tachi and four shi-jo.
• There will be one Director, who will stand six to ten paces from the farthest tachi/shi-jo pair (from the head table) and will be located in the centre of the tachi/shi-jo lines.
• There will be an Usher located farther back from the Director and closer to the tachi line.

• There will be examination scoring and comment forms for each judge with each candidate’s number (no name).
• There will be ballots (approx 3”x3”) for each judge at the head table.
• There will be the examination scoring results sheets at the Secretary's table with each candidate’s number and name.
• Each candidate will have an identifying number on their left chest (usually written with black marker on masking tape) to identify them to the judges.
• Each candidate will cover any and all crests with masking tape.

Numbering:
The numbering system used for a Jodo-only examination will be –
1K – 01 (1K = ikkyu , 01 = first candidate) ~ 1K – XX (XX = last candidate number)
1D – 01 (1D = shodan …….
2D – 01 (2D = nidan ….
etc

The numbering system used for a Jodo / Iaido / Kendo  examination will be the same as above with the addition of the letter “J” (J = Jodo) placed after K or D. (ex. 1KJ – 01 or 1DJ – 01)

The Examination Procedure:
Candidates will line up with their partner on their respective tachi/shi-jo lines, beside the Usher. They will line up according to their numbers (shi-jo).

The head judge will signal to the Usher that they are ready to begin (raise hand) and the Usher will announce “nyu-jo”, indicating that the first four candidates  and their partners should enter the testing area (jo – tsune no kamae / tachi – bokuto at rest, teito), on the tachi and shi-jo lines, evenly spaced out (approx four paces between them). The remaining candidates will stay back with the Usher.

The candidates will bow to the judges and remain facing the judges. The tachi will be in one of two positions. If the tachi is NOT testing at that moment, but is only a partner for the shi-jo that is testing, then tachi will sit in seiza. If the tachi is testing then tachi will remain standing and facing the judges.

The judges may require (if the numbers on their chests are not clearly visible to the judges) that each candidate (starting with the shi-jo closest to the head table and ending with the tachi farthest from the head table) announce their number to the judges. Only those candidates testing at that moment will announce their numbers.

The head judge will indicate they have seen/heard each candidates number (raising hand) and the tachi in seiza will stand and the partners will face each other.

The Director will announce “hajime” and the partners will bow (sogo no rei*) and begin their five kata. When they have completed all five kata they will bow to each other once more and wait until all candidates have finished and bowed.

Ikkyu tests:
The Director will announce “tai-jo” and the candidates will turn to the back and walk out of the testing area down the tachi/shi-jo lines.

Dan tests:
The Director will announce “shi-uchi kotai” and the candidates will walk towards each other and exchange weapons in the prescribed manner. Both will move aside and they will walk to their new positions and face each other. (tsuneo no kamae and tachi down at rest)

The Director will announce “hajime” and the partners will bow (sogo no rei*) and begin their five kata. When they have completed all five kata they will bow to each other once more and wait until all candidates have finished and bowed.

The Director will announce “tai-jo” and the candidates will turn to the back and walk out of the testing area down the tachi/shi-jo lines.

The above process will be repeated until  all candidates have tested.

*Sogo no Rei, shi-jo turns jo down and bows and then immediately brings jo back to tsuneo no kamae, tachi keeps (or drops) sword down to teito and bows and the immediately brings sword up to taito shisei (hip) position