Examinations

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: Print and fill out this PDF form and give to your instructor
Application – Assistant Level

Shintaido Graduate Level: Print and fill out this PDF form and give to your instructor
Application – Graduate Level

SOA Exam Fee Structure

You must be a fully paid member of SOA to take an exam.
Visit the SOA Store /Exam Fees to pay dues or to become a new member.
Visit Membership Benefits 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

NOTE: Graduate/Shodan and Instructor/Nidan exam fees include an SOA Examination Licensing/Diploma Fee (one-time fee paid after passing an exam):
$50 for Graduate/Shodan
$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 + Diploma Fee

Visit the SOA Store /Exam Fees to pay Shintaido of America Exam Fees.

NOTE: 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 v2025 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 (v2026 -PDF) useful.
Applications for:
Assistant v2023 (PDF)
Graduate v2023 (PDF)