General
Shintaido examinations are held with the rigor and formality that is characteristic of most traditional martial arts: throughout the ceremony, strong concentration and particular attention to etiquette is requested not only from the the examinees, but also from all who are present. More than anything, however, Shintaido examinees are expected to burst into their fullest expression and to give themselves completely to their demonstration. While technical mastery of the forms is essential for promotion, the strong commitment to active expression is a far more important quality that must be demonstrated at any rank.
Format
Examinations often take place during a gasshuku or other special event. Examinations may also be scheduled as a stand alone event. An examinee has applied for a specific rank and appears before an examination jury to perform the required techniques, which are called out by the goreisha. The latter directs the procedure of the examination and serves as a facilitator between the examinee and the jury, which may require the presence of at least one general instructor, in addition to one or several senior instructors. The jury may ask to see the examinee demonstrate techniques that lie beyond the scope of the requested rank. Exams in several disciplines may be taken consecutively.
Shintaido Qualification System
Links for exam criteria can be found on the SoA Curriculum page.
Following is a table describing eligibility and necessary examiners for each rank.
| DISCIPLINE | RANK CHALLENGED | INTERVAL BETWEEN EXAMS | NECESSARY EXAMINERS |
| CORE | Instructor | 1 year | Two General Instructors |
| “ | Graduate | 1 year | One General Instructor OR Two Senior Instructors |
| “ | Assistant | Two Instructors | |
| “ | Advanced Student | Two Instructors | |
| KARATE | 2nd-dan | 1 year | Two 4th-dan holders |
| “ | 1st-dan | 1 year | One 4th-dan holder OR Two 3rd-dan holders |
| “ | 1-kyu & below | Two 2nd-dan holders | |
| BOJUTSU | 2nd-dan | 1 year | Two 4th-dan holders |
| “ | 1st-dan | 1 year | One 4th-dan holder OR Two 3rd-dan holders |
| “ | 1-kyu & below | Two 2nd-dan holders | |
| KENJUTSU | 2nd-dan | 1 year | Two 4th-dan holders |
| “ | 1st-dan | 1 year | One 4th-dan holder OR Two 3rd-dan holders |
Registration and other forms:
Exam Registration: All students challenging for an exam needs to fill out this on-line form:
SoA Exam Registration Form
Shintaido Assistant Level: Fill out this PDF form in addition to filling out Exam Registration.
Application – Assistant Level
Shintaido Graduate Level: Fill out this PDF form in addition to filling out Exam Registration.
Application – Graduate Level
SoA Exam Fee Structure
You must be a fully paid member of SoA to take an exam.
Visit our Store to pay dues or become a member. Visit Membership for details about member benefits.
Current as of January 2025
| Bo, Karate and Kenjutsu | 10 kyu – 6 kyu | $30 |
| 5 kyu – 1 kyu | $40 | |
| Shodan | $150 | |
| Nidan | $200 | |
| Shintaido Core Curriculum | Advanced Student | $40 |
| Assistant | $40 | |
| Graduate | $150 | |
| Instructor | $200 |
Graduate/Shodan and Instructor/Nidan exam fees include an SoA Examination Licensing/Diploma Fee (one-time fee paid after passing an exam) of $50 for Graduate/Shodan and $100 for Instructors/Nidan. If the examinee does not pass, the appropriate diploma fee is refunded. Above Nidan and Instructor, licensing fees are handled directly by the International Shintaido Project (ISP).
| Bo, Karate and Kenjutsu | Shodan | $50 |
| Nidan | $100 | |
| Shintaido Core Curriculum | Graduate | $50 |
| Instructor | $100 |
To Pay Exam Fee + Diploma Fee
Visit our Store to pay Shintaido of America Exam Fees.
Enter the combined amount of the Examination Fee & the Diploma Fee from the above tables
Gasshuku Instruction Fees
| Gasshuku Director or Guest Instructor Travel expenses, paid gasshuku expenses, plus fee: | |
| Master Instructor: | $500 per gasshuku |
| General Instructor: | $400 per gasshuku |
| Senior Instructor: | $300 per gasshuku |
| Instructor: | $200 per gasshuku |
| Invited Goreisha | |
| Master Instructor: | $200 per class |
| General Instructor: | $150 per class |
| Senior Instructor: | $100 per class |
| Instructor: | $50 per class |
| Guest Examiner Per class fee for each class taught, as noted above. |
The Gasshuku Director and Gasshuku Manager will decide in advance who will teach during the Gasshuku. This advanced planning is necessary for budgeting purposes.
Of exam fees, one third go directly to SoA, and the remaining two thirds are divided among all the examiners.
As a co-founding member of SoA, Michael Thompson is invited to attend all SoA-accredited gasshukus free of charge. [Michael Thompson and H.F Ito (1942-2023), are the co-founders of SoA]
Other Resources
- The SoA Examination Book has more details about the examination process.
- Examinees interested in challenging for 3rd-dan and above will find the International Technical and Exam Committee requirements for examinations (PDF) useful.