Nashville Aikikai Test Requirements

Effective September 2025

Rokyu (6th Kyu)

BOKKEN from seigan kamae: • two-step shomenuchi • one-step shomenuchi • slide shomenuchi • one-step yokomenuchi • one-step munetsuki from migi gedan hasso: • one-step shomenuchi • two-step yokomenuchi • one-step munetsuki

JO from migi gedan hasso: • one-step shomenuchi • one-step yokomenuchi • one-step munetsuki from seigan kamae (jo vertical): • slide munetsuki

TAIJUTSU • Tenkan • Irimi • Shomenuchi ikkyo and iriminage • Munetsuki kotegaeshi • Shihonage from various attacks1 • Kokyu tanden ho

Gokyu (5th Kyu)

All previous techniques plus:

BOKKEN from migi gedan hasso: • four direction shomenuchi

JO from mae no kamae (jo vertical): • 20 step kata

TAIJUTSU • Shomenuchi nikyo • Katadori nikyo • Munetsuki kaitennage • Ikkyo and kotegaeshi from various attacks1

Yonkyu (4th kyu)

All previous techniques plus:

BOKKEN • kumitachi #2 from migi gedan hasso: • four direction munetsuki

JO • kumijo #3

TAIJUTSU • Shomenuchi sankyo and yonkyo • Yokomenuchi iriminage • Ryotedori tenchinage • Nikyo and kokyunage from various attacks1 • Jiyuwaza standing

Sankyu (3rd kyu)

All previous techniques plus:

BOKKEN • kumitachi #1

JO • kumijo #1

TAIJUTSU • Sankyo, yonkyo and kaitennage from various attacks1 • Various techniques2 from various ushiro attacks • Jiyu waza with specified attack • Randori with 3 uke

Nikyu (2nd Kyu)

All previous techniques plus:

BOKKEN • kumitachi #3, # 4, #5 • tachidori from specified attack SHINAI • randori with shinai

JO • kumijo #2, #4 • jodori from specified attack TANTO • tantodori from specified attack

TAIJUTSU • iriminage and koshinage from various attacks1 • hanmi handachi shihonage from various attacks1 • suwariwaza ikkyo from various attacks1

Ikkyu (1st Kyu)

All previous techniques plus:

BOKKEN • kumitachi #6-#12 • tachidori from any attack

JO • kumijo #5, #6 • jodori from any attack

TAIJUTSU • jiyuwaza • hanmi handachi • suwariwaza RANDORI • attack and weapons determined by examiner

The students must be able to demonstrate:
• all previous requirements
• ukemi and nagewaza for all taijutsu techniques
• both roles for all paired katas

The requirements above are guidelines for the examiner. Actual tests will likely include any recent focus.

Footnotes:

1. “Various attacks” means that the attacks will be randomly determined by either the uke or the examiner. This does not include ushiro for the lower ranks. ↩︎
2. “Various techniques” means nage will vary the techniques, unless the examiner requests something specific. ↩︎