CKF Jodo Grading Procedures

Jodo Examination Procedures (May 2005)

Set-Up:

Head table for Judges

Table to the right (as seen when facing Judges table) of the Judges atble for the Secretary.

Tachi (bokuto) and shi-jo (jo) starting lines - six large paces apart (also equal to three and one-half jo lengths), with the 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 Judges table).

Each Tachi/Shi-jo line should be centered on two jo lengths apart.

The first Tachi/Shi-jo line should be 6-10 paces away from the Judges table. There should be 4-5 pairs of Tachi/Shi-jo lines.

There is one Director, who will stand 6-10 paces back from the farthest Tachi/Shi-jo pair (from the head table) and stand in the center.

There is one Usher, located behind the Director and closer to the Tachi side.

Each judge should have scoring and comment forms to accomodate each candidate - no names.

Each judge will have ballot sheets.

The Secretary will have an examination scoring sheet with each candidate's number and name.

Each candidate will have an identifying number on their chest (usually written with black marker on masking tape).

Each candidate will cover with masking tape any and all crests or other personal identifying markings.

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:

Ikkyu tests:

The candidates will line up at the back of the testing area and face the judges. They will perform their kihon in groups of five to seven candidates. The Director will also announce the name of each of the three kamae positions , the three kihon waza and Yoi in Japanese prior to each kihon. ~~ "Honte Ni Kamae", "Honte Uchi Yoi", "Hajime"... after four waza, the Director will command "Yame", "Motoe" and "Motono Ichi" - and candidates will return to their original starting position for the next kihon. This will be repeated for the next two kihon. After everyone has completed their kihon, candidates will move to the back and line up with their partners ready to enter for kata.

Ikkyu and Dan tests:

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, sageito), on the tachi and shi-jo lines. 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 squat down. 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 then going to the tachi partner 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 "Sogo ni Rei" the partners will bow*
The Director will then announce "Ipponme - Yoi" and partners begin their first kata and returen to the starting position.
This will continue with "Nihonme - Yoi", "Sambonme - Yoi" "Yonhonme - Yoi" "Gohonme - Yoi"
The Director will then announce "Sogo ni Rei", partners will bow again.

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 one-half step to the left and they will walk to their new positions, turning with left foot stepping over and face each other. (tsuneo no kamae and tachi down at rest)
The Director will then go through everything again for the new shi-jo
After bowing to each other for the final time, 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 sageito and bows and the immediately brings sword up to taito shisei (hip) position with thumb on tsuba