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External Shinsa Application Notes
(for promotional testing outside of SCKF)

The procedure to apply for shinsa (promotional exam) outside of SCKF varies according to which federation conducts the testing:

All cases require an SCKF external shinsa application form to be filled out by the applicant and the applicant's head instructor.
  • download the shinsa_ext_app.docx or shinsa_ext_app.pdf file
    • for "number of times physically practiced at a dojo in the last 9 months" please enter a number (eg 27) for the number of dojo practices attended; do not count zoom practices
    • the pdf of your submission should be separate from other submitted files (ie do not combine files into one pdf)
  • see also SCKF promotion regulations
    • note that attendance requirements (such as shinpan seminar and kata seminar) for 3dan and above applicants were to have been enforced starting November 2020, but was delayed to April 2024 due to COVID-19

Each shinsa will have its own event details, application form, and deadline. They will require some form that will need to be submitted to the SCKF shinsa coordinator for eventual signature of the current SCKF president. See the SCKF home page to see if information for your event is available; if not, check the details for your particular event.

The notes below generally describe kendo shinsa; iaido and jodo shinsa are similar.

The current SCKF shinsa coordinator is Jean Kodama.

AUSKF shinsa

AUSKF conducts kendo shinsa for kodansha ranks (5dan and above) and shogo (renshi and kyoshi) at its spring and fall board of directors meetings and at its kendo summer camp.

General instructions:

  • complete the SCKF external shinsa application form including recommendation and signature by your head instructor
  • fill out the AUSKF member federation approval form (see event package for the exact form), which will be signed by the SCKF president and sent back to you after approval (see below)
  • submit all materials to the shinsa coordinator by the SCKF deadline for the event
  • SCKF will then handle
    • approval by Shinsa Advisory Board (do NOT contact them directly)
    • signature by SCKF president (do NOT contact directly)
  • see specific AUSKF event instructions for how to apply and pay to participate in the shinsa (typically involves uploading your menjo, signed form, and written test, and paying online)
For shogo, also see special instructions.

AUSKF conducts iaido and jodo shinsa at iaido summer camp, and it occasionally conducts kendo shinsa for 4dan and below at kendo summer camp. Generally, the instructions for these shinsa are the same as for AUSKF member federation shinsa (see below).

AUSKF member federation shinsa

This procedure is commonly used for iaido or jodo shinsa at a non-SCKF federation within AUSKF, or at AUSKF itself. Kendo testing by SCKF members at a non-SCKF federation is more rare, since SCKF conducts two kendo shinsa during the year.

General instructions:

  • complete the SCKF external shinsa application form including recommendation and signature by your head instructor
  • fill out the AUSKF member federation approval form (see their event package for the exact form), which will be signed by the SCKF president and sent back to you after approval (see below)
    • if they do not have an approval form, use the affiliate exam request form from the AUSKF forms page
  • submit both forms to the SCKF shinsa coordinator
  • SCKF will then handle
    • approval by Shinsa Advisory Board (do NOT contact them directly)
    • signature by SCKF president (do NOT contact directly)
    • allow at least 2 weeks for this process
  • complete the member federation's shinsa application package
    • you are responsible for meeting their shinsa application deadline including submitting the AUSKF form to them

AJKF (All Japan Kendo Federation) shinsa

AJKF requires AUSKF to collect applications and handle submission for their shinsa (see AUSKF notes).

General instructions:

  • complete the SCKF external shinsa application form including recommendation and signature by your head instructor
  • fill out the foreign exam request form from the AUSKF forms page
  • submit both forms to the SCKF shinsa coordinator
  • SCKF will then handle
    • approval by Shinsa Advisory Board (do NOT contact directly)
    • signature by SCKF president (do NOT contact directly)
    • allow at least 2 weeks for this process
  • refer to AUSKF notes (linked above) to complete the remaining steps in the registration process
    • you are responsible for completing AUSKF's Foreign Exam Request online form (linked from the AUSKF promotion exams page), which includes uploading the authorization form signed by the SCKF president and a scan of your menjo, as well as paying the AUSKF fee
    • you are also responsible for completing AJKF's application process by their deadline

FIK member federation shinsa (other than AJKF)

This procedure is for shinsa in a foreign country other than Japan.

General instructions:

  • complete the SCKF external shinsa application form including recommendation and signature by your head instructor
  • fill out the foreign exam request form from the AUSKF forms page
  • submit both forms to the SCKF shinsa coordinator
  • SCKF will then handle
    • approval by Shinsa Advisory Board (do NOT contact them directly)
    • signature by SCKF president (do NOT contact directly)
    • allow at least 2 weeks for this process
  • complete the FIK federation's shinsa application package
    • you are responsible for submitting your package to them by their deadline
    • you are also responsible for completing AUSKF's Foreign Exam Request online form (linked from the AUSKF promotion exams page), which includes uploading the authorization form signed by the SCKF president and a scan of your menjo, as well as paying the AUSKF fee

Special instructions for shogo applicants

AUSKF now requires a signed recommendation from each federation for each shogo applicant. General criteria include

  • presently practices kendo on a regular basis
  • plays a leading role in our kendo society
  • possesses good judgment and lives a sound life
  • attends official seminars organized by FIK and/or FIK affiliated organizations
  • has sufficient knowledge of kendo kata, refereeing, teaching methods, and competence for jitsugi necessary for shogo
  • has the experience in teaching and refereeing necessary for shogo
  • for AJKF shinsa applicants: lives in the United States and has been a registered member of SCKF for at least 1 year, and will continue these for at least 1 year
Note: for iaido or jodo, make the appropriate subsitutions in the verbiage above.

There is a special version of the SCKF external shinsa application form for shogo:

When filling out the form, be sure to:
  • keep in mind the form is intended to be the recommendation sent to AUSKF, so fill it out by typing. It is recommended to edit the docx file, or for the pdf file use a typewriter or a pdf editor.
  • fill out the second and third sections of the form in a manner that supports the above points, attaching additional pages as necessary
  • allow plenty of time for suggestions for additional information or clean up. Do not wait until the last minute.
  • after approval by the SCKF shinsa advisory board, the SCKF president will sign the bottom section of the form, which states "the above named applicant is recommended by SCKF to test for shogo ..."

Revisions

(not including minor tweaks)
  1. 6/7/17: initial draft
  2. 6/8/17: update all sections; update SCKF external shinsa application form
  3. 1/28/18: add link to 2018 AUSKF news post to AJKF section
  4. 3/15/18: make separate sckf external shinsa application forms for kodansha rank and shogo
  5. 4/3/18: add iaido camp shinsa notes
  6. 8/17/18: add link to 2018 AJKF schedule pdf
  7. 1/12/19: update AJKF info to 2019, add direct link to member fed pdf,
  8. 2/5/19: add link to SCKF promotion regulations
  9. 2/7/19: add direct link to new AUSKF president authorization form for foreign promotion and tweak related wording
  10. 4/17/19: note Nov'2020 enforcement date for attendance requirements
  11. 2/26/20: point to new AUSKF forms page
  12. 10/25/21: add link to affiliate exam request form
  13. 5/16/23: update AJKF section to link to latest AUSKF pages
  14. 8/13/23: update FIK and AJKF sections to point to the general AUSKF page
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