Over the years a number of students have asked me what they should expect to be graded on at the kyu test. I assembled this document to help address their concerns. This should in no way be considered official requirements or in any way reflect SKA policy. Grading is more a matter of the seniors examining the junior's skill, quality of motion, mentality, etc. - things which are hard or impossible to describe explicitly.

Junior members should use the following guide to help them recognize the sorts of things that are expected of them and to help them realize if there are `holes' in their practice that they need to fill in. Students planning to advance in their practice should look at the next 1 to 2 higher levels and be familiar with the techniques and concepts listed.

John Gosink
November 1, 2006

Seattle Area Shotokan Dojos Kyu Test Requirements (December 11, 2004)

¹The student is free to choose their favorite kata. The recommended kata provide guidance. If a requested kata is done as a favorite, a second kata will be chosen by the examiners from the recommended list.

In addition to these requirements, all UW karate-ka practicing 10 months or more should know all of the Heian kata.

Additionally, 4th kyu and higher UW karate-ka are required to understand the basics of, and be able to demonstrate at least 2 or 3 basic techniques of suwari-waza, torite, ukemi and irimi. They should also have some experience with nagewaza.

Finally, except in very unusual circumstances, all karate-ka need to attend at least one Special Training before reaching brown belt. All brown belts need to attend at least 5 Special Trainings before taking the dan (black belt) test.

Although tests and belt color are relatively unimportant in SKA, kyu tests and dan tests are always taken only by invitation of the dojo leader.

Responsibilities of the Ikkyu at Grading

General: Maintain a strong attitude of focus and control. Many of your juniors are nervous and uncertain of what to do. When you give a command use clear, crisp speech. Don't rush, it isn't aerobics. With senior white belts (2nd - 5th kyu and over 12 years old) give the techniques in Japanese only. Be aware of how and where you are standing. Don't slouch or fold your arms. During kumite stand so that the juniors are between you and the head table, otherwise stand off to one side. Practice your lines.

Set up: There is usually a lot of ambling around and confusion by the participants and last minute details for the seniors to take care of. You need to organized people and get things going.

• Assist with the set up and take down of tables and chairs
• Sweep the dojo floor
• Make sure participants fill out the forms and get changed
• When the seniors are ready, have the people grading line up by seniority
• Have the juniors bow to the seniors (announce "rei")

Kihon: The senior black belt should only have to announce the names of the participants you should do everything else. For example, imagine you are presenting your juniors to your seniors. Use as few words as possible. Avoid using "yoi" - they should already be ready. Avoid using "yame" - its not over till they sit down. However, to make things clear, you may use "yame" and "yasume" to separate the sections when they use different stances (eg. between tettsui-uke and shuto-uke, between shuto-uke and oizuki etc.). Note when transitioning to yoko-geri keage, have them step into kibadachi with the right leg forward. This makes it so their backs are not turned to the senior table.

• Direct participants to line up in a diagonal line. (Note, Ron has recently suggested that the diagonal line is not really needed. You may want to check with him.)
• You and the participants bow to the seniors.
• Adjust (restagger) the line, if needed, after each set.
• Do not demonstrate the technique beforehand - they should already know (except perhaps in the case of fumikomi and/or young participants).
• Order of the techniques: gedan-barai, age-uke, ude-uke, tettsui-uke, shuto-uke, oizuki, gyakazuki (usually in place), mae-geri, mawashi-geri, yoko-geri keage, yoko-geri kekomi, mikazuki-geri. Say "yame", wheel the line around to face the front. Fumikomi. Memorize this order.
• You and the participants bow to the seniors.
• Direct the juniors to sit down.

Kata: The senior black belt will tell you the required kata. You, in turn, will tell the junior(s) to do the kata. Sometimes required kata are done in groups of 3-4 juniors. For their favorite kata, the junior will (usually) announce to the senior directly. Usually the favorite kata is done individually. If the favorite kata is done in a group then you will direct the start and end of the kata.

Kumite: The formal order may vary. Be sure to talk to the senior black belt before hand. Again, you are in charge.

• Bow to the seniors.
• Bow to each other.

Usually the order is sabbon kumite chudan (2 X each person attacking), sabbon kumite jodan (1 X each person attacking), ippon kumite chudan (2 X each person attacking), and ippon kumite jodan (1 X each person attacking), . Sometimes it is "Continue till I say stop". Be sure not to confuse the juniors by saying things like "Sabbon kumite, chudan, each person attack twice..." if you say that, some of them will do nippon kumite. Instead say something like "Sabbon kumite, chudan, each person will be the attacker twice...". Notice the difference?

• Bow to each other.
• Bow to the seniors.

Afterwards: After the last set of people have finished, have the juniors stand up and bow to the seniors. People can talk quietly, but make sure they keep the sound down. Likewise line up the juniors and have them bow before the results are announced, and again after the announcements and comments are made. Finally, assist with the clean up.