Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū belongs to the family of Japanese martial arts known as kōryū bujutsu 古流武術, or old war schools. Initially, they did not use student grades kyu 級, nor master degrees date 段, but titles denoting skill levels: kirikami, mokuroku 目録 and menkyo 免許.
In the initial stage, the student is awarded the title of Kirikami, which translates as "paper size". This is the “oath” that authorizes you to teach. Mokuroku is awarded to more advanced students and literally means "list" or "catalog". Title menkyo means "licence" or "permission" and originally gave the right to use the name of the school in duels, as well as the holder's right to award degrees to others.
Within the titles, additional levels of advancement can be distinguished:
– shoden 初伝 (first stage in the tradition)
– chūden 中伝 (second stage in the tradition)
– okuden 奥伝 (heart of tradition, deep message)
– kaiden 皆伝 (final transmission, full initiation)
– gokui 極意 (deep secret)
Each of the masters used/uses a different system of ranks.
Master Hatakeyama hot used, together with traditional titles, the modern scale of dan mastery degrees to facilitate their recognition (Kirikami Shoden (1st degreedate), Kirikami Chuden (2°date), Mokuroku Shoden (3°date), Mokuroku Chuden (4°date), Menkyo Mokuroku (5°date), Menkyo Chuden (6° date), Menkyo Okuden (7°date), Menkyo Kaiden (8°date and higher)).
Master Otake Risuke grants two grades: mokuroku and menkyo. In order to enter the school and learn more advanced techniques, you must sign an oath with your own blood keppan (the oath of affiliation to the school).
Master Sugino Yukihiro instead, it uses nine mastery degrees date and five student grades kyu. Requirements for each grade below.
Student grade requirements (kyū)
| Techniques | Degrees | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KENJUTSU (Omote no tachi) | 5. kyu | 4. kyu | 3. kyu | 2. kyu | 1. kyu |
| - Itsutsu no tachi | K | K | K | K+U | K+U |
| - Nanatsu no tachi | K | K | K | K+U | K+U |
| - Kasumi no tachi | - | K | K | K+U | K+U |
| - Hakka no tachi | - | - | K | K+U | K+U |
| BŌJUTSU (Omote no bō) | 5. kyu | 4. kyu | 3. kyu | 2. kyu | 1. kyu |
| - Seriai no bō | - | - | K | K | K |
| - Sune-hishigi no bō | - | - | K | K | K |
| - Sayū no bō | - | - | K | K | K |
| - Kasa-hazushi no bō | - | - | - | K | K |
| - Hane-tsuru-be no bō | - | - | - | K | K |
| - Tachinami no bō | - | - | - | K | K |
| IAIJUTSU (Omote no iai) | 5. kyu | 4. kyu | 3. kyu | 2. kyu | 1. kyu |
| - Kusanagi no ken | - | - | K | K | K |
| - Nukitsuke no ken | - | - | - | K | K |
| - Nukiuchi no ken | - | - | - | - | K |
| - uken | - | - | - | - | K |
| - Saken | - | - | - | - | K |
| - Happōken | - | - | - | - | K |
| IAIJUTSU (Tachiai no battōjutsu) | 5. kyu | 4. kyu | 3. kyu | 2. kyu | 1. kyu |
| - Yukiai gyakunuki no tachi | - | - | K | K | K |
| - Zengo chidori no tachi | - | - | - | K | K |
| - Yukiai migi chidori no tachi | - | - | - | K | K |
| - Gyakunuki no tachi | - | - | - | - | K |
| - Nukiuchi no tachi | - | - | - | - | K |
Legend:
K – kirikomi / uchikomi
U- ukedachi
Master Degree Requirements (Dan)
| Techniques | Degrees | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KENJUTSU (Omote no tachi) | 1st dan | 2nd dan | 3rd dan | 4th dan | 5th dan | 6th dan |
| (all) | K+U | K+U | K+U | K+U | K+U | K+U |
| KENJUTSU (Gogyō no tachi) | 1st dan | 2nd dan | 3rd dan | 4th dan | 5th dan | 6th dan |
| - Mittsu no tachi | - | - | K | K+U | K+U | K+U |
| - Yottsu no tachi | - | - | K | K+U | K+U | K+U |
| - In no tachi | - | - | K | K+U | K+U | K+U |
| - Sha no tachi | - | - | K | K+U | K+U | K+U |
| - Hatsu no tachi | - | - | K | K+U | K+U | K+U |
| BŌJUTSU (Omote no bō) | 1st dan | 2nd dan | 3rd dan | 4th dan | 5th dan | 6th dan |
| (all) | K | K+U | K+U | K+U | K+U | K+U |
| BŌJUTSU (Gokui no bō) | 1st dan | 2nd dan | 3rd dan | 4th dan | 5th dan | 6th dan |
| - Gedan no kamae no bō | - | - | - | - | - | K+U |
| - Kasumigake no bō | - | - | - | - | - | K+U |
| - Denko kamae no bō | - | - | - | - | - | K+U |
| - In no kamae no bō | - | - | - | - | - | K+U |
| - Hikizue no kamae no bō | - | - | - | - | - | K+U |
| - Tatsue kamae no bō | - | - | - | - | - | K+U |
| IAIJUTSU (Omote no iai) | 1st dan | 2nd dan | 3rd dan | 4th dan | 5th dan | 6th dan |
| (all) | K | K | K | K | K | K |
| IAIJUTSU (Tachiai no battōjutsu) | 1st dan | 2nd dan | 3rd dan | 4th dan | 5th dan | 6th dan |
| (all) | K | K | K | K | K | K |
| NAGINATAJUTSU (Omote no naginata) | 1st dan | 2nd dan | 3rd dan | 4th dan | 5th dan | 6th dan |
| - Itsutsu no naginata | K | K+U | K+U | K+U | K+U | K+U |
| - Nanatsu no naginata | K | K+U | K+U | K+U | K+U | K+U |
| - Kasumi no naginata | - | K | K+U | K+U | K+U | K+U |
| - Hakka no naginata | - | K | K+U | K+U | K+U | K+U |
| RYŌTŌJUTSU (Ryōtō) | 1st dan | 2nd dan | 3rd dan | 4th dan | 5th dan | 6th dan |
| - Eigetsu no tachi | - | - | - | - | K+U | K+U |
| - Suigetsu no tachi | - | - | - | - | K+U | K+U |
| - Isonami no tachi | - | - | - | - | K+U | K+U |
| - Murakumo no tachi | - | - | - | - | K+U | K+U |
| KODACHIUTSU (Gokui no Kodachi) | 1st dan | 2nd dan | 3rd dan | 4th dan | 5th dan | 6th dan |
| - Hangetsu no kodachi | - | - | - | - | K+U | K+U |
| - Suigetsu no kodachi | - | - | - | - | K+U | K+U |
| - Seigan no kodachi | - | - | - | - | K+U | K+U |
| SŌJUTSU (Omote no yari) | 1st dan | 2nd dan | 3rd dan | 4th dan | 5th dan | 6th dan |
| - Hiryū no yari | - | - | - | - | K+U | K+U |
| - Koryū no yari | - | - | - | - | K+U | K+U |
| - Tsukidome no yari | - | - | - | - | K+U | K+U |
| - An'ya no yari | - | - | - | - | K+U | K+U |
| - Denko no yari | - | - | - | - | K+U | K+U |
| - Yoru no ya yari | - | - | - | - | K+U | K+U |
Legend:
K – kirikomi / uchikomi
U- ukedachi
Preparation for the exam
Exams always take place during workshops or seminars. People interested in taking the exam should get it in advance consent of your leading sensei. After obtaining permission, trainees apply to the seminar leader for the appropriate letter or download it from our website - examination card. This document should be completed before the exam, providing basic data regarding, among others: participation in training, number of seminars held in the previous year and current and target level of advancement.
A well-filled one is best for this purpose buildingaboutpass – a document identifying the practitioner and containing his or her progress (grades and certificates) in a given martial art. People taking the exam for the first time can purchase the kitaboutpass with the option to join Daboutjabout Sugino and receive a certificate confirming membership. Payment for the certificate i buildingaboutpass must be paid before taking the exam. If you fail the exam, your payment for the certificate will be refunded.
After the workshops are over, the examiners gather, usually including the sensei leading the seminar and the most senior instructors whose students are taking the exam. During this time, FrCandidates taking the exam should prepare a weapon appropriate to the requirements for the grade being passed. Just before the exam begins, the examiner reads the names and surnames of people who come to the center and line up in the given pairs. The rest of the people wait for their turn in a sitting position.
During the exam, after completing all kata sequences with a given weapon, examinees should wait for the other exam participants and for further instructions from the examiner (including changing sides, continuing with another practitioner, repeating the kata, presenting a single technique).