Aikido Auckland Seishinkan holds children's grading exams on the second to last Saturday of every term. The dates are posted on our calendar. There may also be exams for the five and six year olds on the second to last Thursday of the term.
The exams are designed to;
- give the children goals for their training
- allow them to assess their progress and areas for improvement
- recognise their achievements
Students are eligible to grade once they have attended the required number of classes at their current level, although Sensei may advise that more study time would be prudent before attempting a test. Please be sure to check-in for every class as the dojo is not responsible for back-dating classes that were not logged. The requirements for each kyu or grade are available on our Children's Grading Requirements page. Five and six year olds begin by testing for Junior Semi Eleveth Kyu. Older children may begin with Junior Semi Tenth Kyu if Sensei thinks it is appropriate.
A list of those eligible to grade is posted on the notice-board and online one week before the exam.
Exam Day
There will be a single, amalgamated class from 10:30 to noon on the exam Saturday.
All students are expected to attend, whether they are testing or not. It is very important that everyone in the dojo supports one another on these occasions and it is not appropriate for a child to miss the class because they are not personally testing. Unexplained abscence may lead to their own next exam being postponed.
As always, be at the dojo with time to spare, in a clean dogi (if you have one), tidily groomed.
There is a $5 exam fee which covers paperwork and the supply of belts. Please bring this as cash, folded into, or paper-clipped to, a slip of paper with the child's name on it.
Family and friends are very welcome and warmly invited to watch the exams. Still and video photography is also welcome but please focus on your own child.
The class will start with warm-ups and basic exercises as usual. When the exams begin, the children will be seated at the back of the room. A committee of seniors will be seated along the front, left hand side of the dojo and the exams will proceed in this way;
- The kyu being examined will be announced
- The names of the students being examined will be read out and they will come forward to line up as they would at the beginning of class, facing the shomen, and with their uke (grading partner) seated on their left hand side
- On the command shomen ni rei, they bow once towards the front of the dojo
- On the command shinsaiin ni rei, they turn towards the grading panel and bow saying onegaishimasu
- On the command otagai ni rei, they turn and bow to their uke saying onegaishimasu
- The required techniques will be called by the examination panel and the examinees will repeat that technique over and over until the next technique is called or they are asked to stop
- At the end of the exam, on the command otagai ni rei, they sit where they are and bow to their uke saying thank you very much
- On the command sie retsu they return to their line facing the front of the dojo
- On the command shinsaiin ni rei, they turn towards the grading panel and bow once saying thank you very much
- On the command shomen ni rei, they turn towards the front of the dojo and bow once, returning to the other students at the back of the dojo.
The examinations will continue in this manner until all are completed. At the end of the exams students will be called forward in their respective kyu groups to receive feedback from the examination panel and will be informed if they have passed or not. Whatever the result students should thank the panel and return to their place in the line.
After the exams are formally ended, students should congratulate those who sat the exam for the effort they made.
Certificates and, when due, belts will be awarded at the end of classes on the last Saturday of the term. Once again family and friends are welcome to watch the awards and to take photos.