Written-test themes for kendo grading
Some dan exams include a written paper. The themes are usually the words you already use in keiko, the outline of the rules, and a little history. This page lists directions to revise. It is not a leaked paper, and it is not the Hong Kong set for this year. The association notice, and your sensei, say whether you sit one at all.
Themes that often appear
The purpose of kendo as the AJKF states it. The names of men, kote, do, tsuki, zanshin, seme, maai, and reiho. What makes an ippon. The difference between shikake-waza and oji-waza. Why hakama and the bow matter. Your region may add local history.
HKKA exam note
This page follows widely published FIK and AJKF practice. Eligibility, which kata are set, the place, and the scoring in Hong Kong follow the current notice of the Kendo Association of Hong Kong, China.
How to answer
Define the word, then give the keiko meaning, then one mistake. Example shape: “Zanshin is the mind after the cut. In keiko I turn and face. A common miss is dropping the tip.” Do not write a page if the paper asks for a few lines.
What this site will not do
It will not invent the questions for the next Hong Kong sitting, the pass mark, or the time limit. Those change. Use the term pages and the ippon page as revision, then check the notice. If your sensei gives a past paper from the dojo, that paper outranks this summary.
A revision week
Pick six words. Write three lines on each, in the language the exam uses. Read them aloud once. Then go to keiko and use the words on the correct actions. A paper you cannot connect to practice will not help the jitsugi on the same day.
Frequently asked questions
- Does every grade have a written test?
- Not necessarily. Ask whether your sitting includes one.
- Should I memorise English or Chinese?
- Use the language the examiners set. Know the Japanese terms either way.