Guidelines for Kyu and Shodan Exams
Remember these are guidelines - use them to aid your practice.
On a test, you may be asked to demonstrate techniques which are not on this list.For that, the only preparation is to train regularly.
5th kyu (white belt):
- bokken swing
- forward and backward rolls
- tai no henko
- suwari-waza shomen-uchi ikkyo
- standing:
- shomen-uchi ikkyo
- shomen-uchi irimi-nage
- katate-dori shiho-nage
- several variations from basic attacks:
- katate-dori, aidori, ryote-dori, morote-dori, tsuki
- take ukemi from a partner
- jiyu-waza
- kokyu-ho
4th kyu (blue belt):
- bokken swing
- suwari-waza and standing:
- shomen-uchi (ikkyo and nikyo)
- kata-dori (ikkyo and nikyo)
- standing:
- shomen-uchi irimi-nage
- tsuki kotegaeshi
- yokomen-uchi shiho-nage
- several variations from basic attacks:
- grabs: katate-dori, aidori, morote-dori, ushiro-ryote-dori
- strikes: tsuki, shomen-uchi, yokomen-uchi
- take ukemi from partner
- jiyu-waza
- kokyu-ho
3rd kyu (blue belt):
- bokken – four direction strikes
- suwari-waza and standing:
- shomen-uchi (ikkyo thru yonkyo)
- kata-dori (ikkyo thru yonkyo)
- standing:
- shomen-uchi irimi-nage
- tsuki irimi-nage
- shomen-uchi kotegaeshi
- tsuki kotegaeshi
- ryote-dori shiho-nage
- yokomen-uchi shiho-nage
- variations from all basic attacks:
- katate-dori, aidori, morote-dori, tsuki, ushiro-ryote-dori, shomen-uchi, yokomen-uchi
- take ukemi from partner (including sutemi if able)
- jiyu-waza
- randori (two people)
- kokyu-ho
2nd kyu (brown belt):
- bokken – happo undo
- suwari-waza and standing:
- shomen-uchi (ikkyo thru yonkyo)
- kata-dori (ikkyo thru yonkyo)
- hanmi-handachi:
- katate-dori shiho-nage
- ryote-dori shiho-nage
- shomen-uchi irimi-nage
- tsuki kotegaeshi
- standing:
- shomen-uchi (irimi-nage, kotegaeshi, kaiten-nage)
- tsuki (irimi-nage, kotegaeshi, kaiten-nage)
- katate-dori (irimi-nage, kotegaeshi, kaiten-nage)
- koshi-nage from several attacks
- variations from all basic attacks
- take ukemi from partner (including sutemi if able)
- jiyu-waza (one person)
- randori (two or three people)
- kokyu-ho
1st kyu (brown belt):
- bokken – happo undo with shomenuchi and tsuki
- suwari-waza and standing:
- shomen-uchi (ikkyo thru yonkyo)
- yokomen-uchi (ikkyo thru yonkyo)
- kata-dori (ikkyo thru yonkyo)
- hanmi-handachi (several variations from basic attacks):
- katate-dori, ryote-dori, shomen-uchi, tsuki, ushiro waza
- standing:
- shomen-uchi (irimi-nage, kotegaeshi, kaiten-nage)
- tsuki (irimi-nage, kotegaeshi, kaiten-nage)
- yokomen-uchi (irimi-nage, kotegaeshi, kaiten-nage)
- variations from all basic attacks, including:
- ushiro-ryote-dori, hiji-dori, kata-dori, and kubishime
- koshi-nage from all attacks
- tanto dori
- take ukemi from partner (including sutemi if able)
- jiyu-waza (one person)
- randori (three people)
- kata
- kokyu-ho
1st dan (shodan, black belt):
- same requirements as for 1st kyu, but greater skill required
- watch video from an actual black belt exam (5.6MB)