Shintaido Exams
Taking an exam in Shintaido is a good to challenge yourself and achieve levels of technique and understanding. It is also an opportunity to offer a public performance of your Shintaido to a knowledge audience. However, there is no compulsion to do so and some practise for years without taking exams.
Shintaido exams are formal occasions and regulations dictate time intervals between exams. At least four years’ practice is required to achieve Instructor level.
Exam Application Form
Use this form to apply to take an exam at the next BS exam session.
If your application is accepted you will receive payment instructions and other details by email.
Shintaido Exam Levels
| Shintaido | Kenjutsu | Bojutsu & Karate |
|---|---|---|
| Master Instructor | 5-dan | 5-dan |
| General Instructor | 4-dan | 4-dan |
| Senior Instructor | 3-dan | 3-dan |
| Instructor | 2-dan | 2-dan |
| Graduate | Shodan | Shodan |
| Assistant | – | 1 kyu |
| – | – | 2 kyu |
| Advanced | – | 3-4 kyu |
| Intermediate | – | 5-6 kyu |
| Elementary | – | 7-8 kyu |
| Introductory | – | 9-10 kyu |
Exam Curricula
The Shintaido exam curricula for each subject can be downloaded as a PDF here:
- Shintaido
- Kenjutsu (open to those who reached the level of Shintaido Assistant)
- Bojutsu
- Karate (we use the Shintaido of America programme)
Study Programs
These documents are important for some subjects:
- Shintaido Kenjutsu Kihon Kata for Graduate Program
Where Can I Take These Exams?
- Up to 3 kyu, or Koto-ka (advanced level). These exams can be hosted by your local group.
- Up to 1 kyu, or Joshu (assistant level). These exams need to be hosted by a suitable national organisation (eg: British Shintaido) affiliated to the ESC.
- Shodan & Nidan, or jun-shidoin (graduate) and sei-shidoin (instructor) exams. These exams need to be taken at the annual ESC Forum event, which takes place in a different European Country each year.
- Sandan, or sei-shihan (senior instructor) and above. These exams need to be taken at a Shintaido International event. These events take place every 4 years at different locations around the world.
Eligibility
To take any exam, you need to be a member of the organisation hosting the exams, or of an equivalent organisation elsewhere. Thus you can visit a group to take exams if you are a member of either British Shintaido or another local Shintaido group. Similarly, members of other national Shintaido organisations may take exams at British Shintaido events.
Further details of the ESC Exam Regulations for running exams can be downloaded.
