Advancement

Grades

Technical achievement in kendo is measured by advancement in grade, rank or level. The kyū (級) and dan (段) grading system is used to indicate one's proficiency in kendo. The dan levels are from first-dan (初段, sho-dan) to tenth-dan (十段, jū-dan). There are usually six grades below first-dan, known as kyu. The kyu numbering is in reverse order, with first kyu (一級, ikkyū) being the grade immediately below first dan, and sixth kyu (六級, rokkyū) being the lowest grade. There are no visible differences in dress between kendo grades; those below dan-level may dress the same as those above dan-level.

Eighth-dan (八段, hachi-dan) is the highest dan grade attainable through a test of physical kendo skills. In the AJKF the grades of ninth-dan (九段, kyū-dan) and tenth-dan are no longer awarded, but ninth-dan kendōka are still active in Japanese kendo. International Kendo Federation (FIK) grading rules allow national kendo organisations to establish a special committee to consider the award of those grades.

All candidates for examination face a panel of examiners. A larger, more qualified panel is usually assembled to assess the higher dan grades. Kendo examinations typically consist of jitsugi, a demonstration of the skill of the applicants, Nihon Kendo Kata and a written exam. The eighth-dan kendo exam is extremely difficult, with a reported pass rate of less than 1 percent.

Requirements for dan grade examination

Grade	Requirement	Age requirement
1-dan	1-kyū	At least 13 years old
2-dan	At least 1 year of training after receiving 1-dan
3-dan	At least 2 years of training after receiving 2-dan
4-dan	At least 3 years of training after receiving 3-dan
5-dan	At least 4 years of training after receiving 4-dan
6-dan	At least 5 years of training after receiving 5-dan
7-dan	At least 6 years of training after receiving 6-dan
8-dan	At least 10 years of training after receiving 7-dan	At least 46 years old

Titles

Titles (称号, shōgō) can be earned in addition to the above dan grades by kendōka of a defined dan grade. These are renshi (錬士), kyōshi (教士), and hanshi (範士). The title is affixed to the front of the dan grade when said, for example renshi roku-dan (錬士六段). The qualifications for each title are below.

Title	Required grade	Conditions
renshi (錬士)	6-dan	After receiving 6-dan, one must wait 1 or more years, pass screening by the kendo organisation, receive a recommendation from the regional organisation president then pass an exam on kendo theory.
kyōshi (教士)	renshi 7-dan	After receiving 7-dan, one must wait 2 or more years, pass screening by the kendo organisation, and receive a recommendation from the regional organisation president then pass an exam on kendo theory.
hanshi (範士)	kyōshi 8-dan	After receiving 8-dan, one must wait 8 or more years, pass screening by the kendo organisation, receive a recommendation from the regional organisation president and the national kendo organisation president then pass an exam on kendo theory.

Kata

There are ten Nihon Kendō Kata (日本剣道形). These are performed with wooden swords (木刀, bokutō or bokken). The kata include fundamental techniques of attacking and counter-attacking, and have useful practical application in general kendo. Occasionally, real swords or swords with a blunt edge, called kata-yō (形用) or ha-biki (刃引), may be used for display of kata.

Nihon Kendo Kata

Kata one to seven are performed with both partners using a daitō (大刀) or tachi (太刀) style bokutō. Kata eight to ten are performed with one partner using a daitō and the other using a kodachi (小太刀) or shōtō (小刀) style bokutō. During kata practice, the participants take the roles of either uchidachi (打太刀), the teacher, or shidachi (仕太刀), the student. The uchidachi makes the first move or attack in each kata. As this is a teaching role, the uchidachi is always the "losing" side, thus allowing the shidachi to learn and to gain confidence.

Nihon Kendō Kata were drawn from representative kenjutsu schools and tend to be quite deep and advanced.

In some areas the regular training curriculum does not include Nihon Kendō Kata.

In 2003, the All Japan Kendo Federation introduced Bokutō Ni Yoru Kendō Kihon-waza Keiko-hō (木刀による剣道基本技稽古法), a set of basic exercises using a bokuto, attempted to bridge this gap. This form of practice, is intended primarily for kendōka up to second dan (二段, ni-dan), but is very useful for all kendo students