International Uechi-ryu Karate Federation
Black Belt Standards and Testing Procedures. Effective
January, 2002
General
Requirements:
UKF
Dantest Standards Guide: (Regions)(1)
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All
IUKF:
Shodan through Godan
 | 2 tests/year, plus an
additional test at the Summer Camp for those candidates who do not live in
proximity to a test board. (1) |
| If over 15 candidates, then there will be two (2) test
boards running two tests on the same day. |
| If over 30 candidates, then
there will be an alternate test date for the overflow. The split will be decided by rank. |
(1)
A region is a cluster of dojo and study groups within a reasonable driving
distance of one another.
(2)
An area that is not within a reasonable driving distance of an authorized
Regional Test Board.
All
IUKF:
Regional Dantests may be scheduled at any time. However, every Region will
publicize their test dates at least six months prior to the test. IUKF
recommends that Regions publicize and maintain regular dates that is known by
their members. In New England, the test dates are: 3RD SUNDAY OF MARCH
AND OCTOBER, UNLESS THE IUKF PRESIDENT CHANGES THE DATE. A MINIMUM OF SIX
MONTHS NOTICE IS REQUIRED FOR A TEST DATE CHANGE.
RECOGNIZING
THE FACT THAT NOT ALL IUKF DOJOS HAVE SUFFICENT SENIOR DANS IN THEIR AREA TO
ASSEMBLE A DAN TEST BOARD (SEE DAN TEST BOARD DEFINITION BELOW), THE IUKF NEW
ENGLAND CHAPTER WILL HOLD AN ADDITIONAL DAN TEST DURING THE ANNUAL NEW ENGLAND
AREA SUMMER CAMP TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE CANDIDATES WHO DO NOT LIVE WITHIN a
reasonable driving distance from the nearest Regional Test Board.
New
England Region:
Test Board Dress Code:
| Test board members will wear
special "Test Board" gi. |
| It was voted and approved in
New England, that a special high quality uniform will be required to be
worn by all test board members. This uniform will have a special
embroidery, signifying that the wearer is a member of the test board. |
New
England Region: Venue:
| A decision was made to conduct
the testing at a site akin to a hotel conference center. This will allow
the test board to control and limit the number of spectators, allow for a
second room for candidates to stretch and stay loose during the test,
allow us to handle a larger number of candidates, and allow us to
professionally video the test. |
| Appropriate dojo or substitute
facility that fulfills the requirements of test site space, will qualify. |
| A service fee will be allocated
for the use of dojo or alternative space. |
New
England Region:
Budo Passport Proposal
| Candidates would be required to
attend 3 Uechi-ryu related , out-of-dojo events within the 12 months
preceding the test. Certain
cases of hardship can be exempted at the discretion of the teacher. |
| Candidates' Sensei must
indicate on the Dantest Application that this requirement has been met. |
All
IUKF:
Submission of dantest applications to Headquarters: The IUKF Charter requires
Dan Test Applications to submitted at least 30 days in advance of the test
date
All
IUKF:
Senior Level Tests: 6th
degree and above:
| To be held at Summer Camp
yearly |
| Attendance to be limited to
Uechi-Ryu Dans, also each candidate can invite up to four (4) guests. |
| Master level degrees, Renshi,
Kyoshi and Hanshi degrees are awarded separately, unless all thesis
requirements have been met prior to the physical test. |
All
IUKF:
Dan Test Requirements
| PRETEST - ALL DAN CANDIDATES
MUST BE PRE-TESTED BY EITHER A REGISTERED MASTER RANKED UECHI/SHOHEI-RYU
TEACHER (RENSHI/ROKUDAN OR HIGHER) OR IF ONE IS NOT AVAILABLE, AT LEAST
TWO OTHER REGISTERED UECHI/SHOHEI DANS NOT FROM THE CANDIDATE'S DOJO.
THOSE CONDUCTING THE PRE-TEST MUST SIGN THE DAN CANDIDATE'S APPLICATION
BEFORE IT IS SUBMITTED. APPLICATIONS WITHOUT PROPER ENDORSEMENT WILL NOT
BE ACCEPTED. |
| Pre-test should screen out
those potential candidates that are marginal and should not be at the
formal test |
| Pre-Test should be signed off
by two seniors via appointment · Check list needs to be developed via
IUKF · It is the instructor's responsibility to contact the two senior s
for pre-testing their students. |
| Have a Dojo mat fee of $15.00
for students visiting dojo for the purpose of being pre-tested. |
New
England Region:
Definition of a “Senior”:
| A Senior is a registered IUKF
black belt of Yondan rank and above. |
| Instructor should be a minimum
of a 4th Dan to open a School and constitute a Senior Instructor ·
Yondans can sit on the Shodan/Nidan test Boards. |
| Current Dans less than 4th
dan, having schools will be grandfathered continue running the schools
under Senior Instructors guidance. |
All
IUKF:
Time Requirements for Rank:
We continue via the Black Belt Test Guide rank standards. These standards are those currently being used on Okinawa.
New
England Region:
Black Belt time requirements:
| Minimum age for shodan 16 years and 3 years
minimum in study. |
| Nidan: 2 years time-in-grade |
| Sandan 3 years time-in-grade |
| Yondan 4 years time-in grade., |
| Godan 5 years time-in grade and thirty years of
age. |
| 6th dan 6 years time-in-grade |
| 7th dan 7 years time-in-grade. |
| 8th dan 8 years time-in-grade. |
| No one will be “grandfathered” . |
| With the bare minimums a student can still get to
godan by age thirty which is relatively young and rokkyudan by 36 which by
most organizations standards is also quite young. The group also agreed
that 36 was the youngest that we would consider for 6th dan. So anyone who
has achieved the rank of godan before the age of thirty would have to wait
the additional time to reach 36. |
All
IUKF: The Formal Test:
| Sanchin |
| Designated Kata |
| Exercises (Lead in both
Japanese and English) |
| Kote Kitae (and Ashi Kitae)- 3
reps each or until told to switch. |
| Seisan Bunkai |
| Dan Kumite - Not micromanaged |
| Sparring- Using
"techniques that advance the Uechi sparring philosophy" -
Candidates over the age of 50 (or those candidates who, because of
permanent physical disabilities) must meet some other fighting
requirement, either a self-defense drill, a spontaneous or attack drill. |
| Written Test/Oral Test - The
question and answer portion of the test has been eliminated.
Individual teachers now have responsibility to administer and grade
the written test that they must now give to their students.
An 85% is required for passing, and this must be indicated on the
Dan Test Application. This
means this must occur at least 30 days before the test date. There will be
a different set of questions developed for each test. |
| Candidate can be allowed to
take test as many times as needed in order to get at least an 85% grade.
As stated, it is at the discretion of instructor. |
Seisan
Bunkai and Dan Kumite:
| Candidates should be required
to square up after each set |
| Candidates should be allowed to
do the Bunkai with someone they know - even a non-testing individual from
their Dojo. |
| Those candidates who do not
have a home Dojo partner will be assigned one and candidate will be tested
on the defense portion only. |
| Dan Kumite can be done as per
practiced in individual's Dojo. |
| Techniques and how applied must
be effective however. |
| Sandan and above will be
granted creative license in their performance of Bunkai/Kumite but not at
the Nidan level. |
In
the New England Region, a candidate can only pass the test by passing all
elements of the test. In the rest of IUKF, the standards in the Black Belt
Test Guide will prevail.