The sylabus will be explained here in more depth soon, each grade will be detailed on the left hand menu (not yet complete). Gradings are held at each Club's own dojo (training hall) and belts are available after the gradings for the sucessful students at £3 each. Please note that we do not stock purple and white or brown and white belts as these are too expensive to be viable (over £5 each) so we recommend using white tape on the ends to make tabs.
In each of the Kihon sections, the stance that the moves are done in are showing in italics and the direction is stepping forward unless specified otherwise (will be shown as [backwards only] or [backwards and forwards]).
Each grading assumes knowledge of the required criteria for the previous gradings as those techniqes are likely to be included on gradings, ie: techniques for 7th kyu are also likely be done as part of the 6th kyu grading.
Please be aware that these criteria are subject to change and the techniques for the gradings are at the grading examiners discretion.
Kokutsu dachi (back stance)
Shuto uke (knife hand block)
Shuto uke, nukite in zenkutsu dachi (knife hand block and change to front stance making spear hand strike)
Age uke, gedan barai (rising block, downward block with the same arm)
Zenkutsu dachi (front stance)
Mae geri (front kick)
Mawashi geri (roundhouse kick)
Kiba dachi (side stance)
Yoko geri keage (side snap kick)
Yoko geri kekomi (side thrust kick)
Zenkutsu dachi (front stance)
Mae geri, oi tsuki (front kick, stepping punch)
Mae geri, gyaku tsuki (front kick, reverse punch)
soto ude uke, yoko empi, gyaku tsuki (outside forearm block, side elbow stike, reverse punch)
Age uke, gyaku tsuki, mawashi empi (rising block, reverse punch, roundhouse elbow strike)
Mawashi geri, gyaku tsuki (roundhouse kick, reverse punch)
Age uke, mae geri-gyaku tsuki on the spot (rising block then back leg front kick and land stepping back to where you started from reverse punch)
Gedan barai, gyaku uchi ude uke, kizami tsuki (downward block, reverse inside forearm block, lunge punch)
Mae geri ren geri - chudan/jodan (front kick middle level then front kick upper level)
Kiba dachi (side stance)
Yoko geri keage, gedan barai (side snap kick, downward block)
Yoko geri kekomi, kage tsuki (side thrust kick, hook punch)
Kokutsu dachi (back stance)
Shuto uke, nukite uchi in zenkutsu dachi (knife hand block, change to front stance and make spear hand strike)
Kokutsu dachi (back stance)
Shuto uke, nukite uchi in zenkutsu dachi (knife hand block, spear hand strike in front stance)
Shuto uke, mae geri-shuto uke (knife hand block, step front kick and land in shuto uke)
Shuto uke, long turn shuto uke (knife hand block, spin forwards knife hand block)
Age uke, gyaku mawashi geri, gedan barai (rising block, reverse elbow strike, downwards block - all in backstance)
Shuto uke, ashi mawashi geri, gyaku tsuki in zenkutsu dachi (knife hand block, roundhouse kick with the front leg without stepping and land back in reverse punch in front stance)
Zenkutsu dachi (front stance)
kizami tsuki, mae geri, sanbon tsuki (lunge punch, front kick, tripple punch)
Ashi mawashi geri, gyaku tsuki, mawashi empi, gyaku tsuki (front leg roundhouse kick without stepping land reverse punch, roundhouse elbow strike, reverse punch all on spot
Mae geri then spin into ushiro geri, uraken-gyaku tsuki (front kick same leg back kick, land backfist strike and reverse punch)
Ashi yoko geri kekomi, gyaku tsuki, mawashi geri, gyaku mawashi empi, kizami tsuki (front leg side thrust kick land reverse punch, roundhouse elbow strike then lunge punch)
Mae geri then same leg yoko geri kekomi (front kick then re-chamber the leg and make side thrust kick)
kizami tsuki, gyaku tsuki, step oi tsuki jodan (lunge punch, reverse punch, stepping punch)
Kiba dachi (side stance)
Yoko geri keage jodan then yoko geri kekomi chudan, kage tsuki (side snap kick upper level, side thrust kick middle level, hook punch)
Zenkutsu dachi (front stance)
Mae geri, yoko geri kekomi then mawashi geri all with the same leg (front kick, re-chamber the leg and then make side thrust kick, re-chamber the leg and make roundhouse kick)
Zenkutsu dachi (front stance)
Sanbon tsuki (tripple punch)
Kizami tsuki, mae geri, oi tsuki (lunge punch, front kick into stepping punch)
Age uke, gyaku tsuki (rising block, reverse punch)
Uchi ude uke, kizami tsuki, gyaku tsuki (inside forearm block, lunge punch with the same arm, reverse punch)
Soto ude uke, yoko empi, uraken uchi (outside forearm block, side elbow strike, backfist strike)
Gyaku tsuki (stepping reverse punch)
Kokutsu dachi (back stance)
Shuto uke, mae geri, nukute uchi (knife hand strike, front kick with the back leg and step back into spear hand strike)
Zenkutsu dachi (front stance)
Mae geri ren geri (double front kick - middle level then upper level using two steps)
Mawashi geri chudan (roundhouse kick middle level)
Mawashi geri jodan (roundhouse kick upper level)
Ushiro geri, gyaku tsuki (back kick, reverse punch)
Yoko geri kekomi, ushiro geri (side thrust kick then spinning back kick with the same leg)
Mae geri, yoko geri kekomi, ushiro geri (front kick to the front, side thrust kick to the side then back kick to the back - all with the same leg)
Mawashi geri, yoko geri kekomi (roundhouse, side thrust kick with the same leg)
Kiba dachi (side stance)
Yoko geri keage (side snap kick)
Yoko geri kekomi (side thrust kick)
Kata
Bassai Dai (Storming a fortress)
Jion or Kanku Dai
Gradings beyond sandan (3rd Dan) are awarded for services to karate (club, group and association levels) and must be 'time-served' as the lower Dan gradings are. Promotions to Yondan (4th Dan) and above are made by the ESKC (English Sangaku Karate Council) and usually presented at the Nationals each October.
