Requirements For Nidan

Candidates must:

1. Have a minimum of two consecutive years, prior to the exam, as an active and AJJF registered Shodan and hold current registration at the time of the Nidan exam. *
2. Submit a copy of current AJJF registration card.
3. Submit a copy of current Red Cross Standard or Community First Aid card.
4. Submit a copy of current CPR card. CPR requirement can be met only with hands-on training.
5. Submit an Application for Examination.
6. Submit a Letter of Recommendation from Sensei (in a sealed envelope) stating, in part, willingness to assume responsibility for applicant. [See Letter of Recommendation form]
7. Submit a notebook containing an organized list of all the arts being examined, with a short description of how to do each art.
8. Submit an Activity Sheet listing at least three AJJF sanctioned mat activities attended per year for the two years preceding the exam, signed by each activity's director.
   1. At least one activity must be a Kata, Freestyle, Sumo or Demo Team Contest within the past 12 months:
      1. Submit contest score sheets for Kata and/or Freestyle Contests
      2. Submit a flow sheet with final placements for Sumo Contests
      3. Submit a certificate of participation for Demo Team Competitions:
         1. A certificate of participation will be accepted ONLY for Demo Team Competitions.
   2. Other activities include, but are not limited to: mat clinics, Blackbelt classes, mat seminars, conventions, jujitsu camps:
      1. All activities MUST be posted on the AJJF Online Calendar of Events
      2. Blackbelt classes MUST be open to participation by all registered AJJF students of appropriate rank.
   3. Individual massage classes DO NOT qualify as mat activities.
      1. A copy of a DZRSI MOD 1 Certificate will count as one mat activity if completed within one year of the exam. Massage updates and certificates from MOD 2 or MOD 3 do not count as mat activities.
         
9. Request a Time-In-Grade Letter from the Examination Committee Chair.
10. Submit a copy of a successfully completed taping exam given by an approved examiner within the past 12 months. Submitted taping examinations must include all pages of the examination, including candidate name, complete scores, examiner signature, and date of exam.
    1. If the candidate is unable to complete the taping exam in advance, he/she must submit an Application for Examination at least 30 days in advance with a request to take the taping exam on the day of the mat examination. Exam coordinators will assist the candidate in finding a pre-exam taping opportunity or to accommodate taping examinations on the mat exam day.
11. Meet the standards of Ethics as set forth in the document Code of Conduct and Procedures for Conflict Resolution.
12. Find out from Examinations Committee Chair or Regional Examination Coordinator:
    1. Should the candidate mail documents, or bring them to the exam?
    2. Does the candidate need to pre-register for the exam date?
    3. How much is the fee for examinations?
13. Be able to demonstrate effectively all Shodan requirements, any variations as requested by the examiners, and Shinnin No Maki 1 through 36.

    * A candidate who received a Dojo Shodan rank before 1976 may apply for an AJJF Nidan exam. Any candidate who received a Dojo Shodan rank after 1976 must also have passed an AJJF Shodan examination to apply for an AJJF Nidan examination.

Further Information

• "Examination for Blackbelt"
• "Regulations, Policies, Procedures For Blackbelt Exams"

Forms

• Application for Examination
• Sensei Recommendation Letter
• AJJF Taping Examination (sample test)
• Examination Activity Record Sheet

Publications

• AJJF Kata Manual
• Code of Conduct and Procedures for Conflict Resolution
• AJJF Taping Manual

Contacts

• Senior Professor
• Board of Professors
• Examinations Committee Chair - regarding exam procedures, Time-In-Grade letter, and forms
• Regional Manager or Regional Examination Coordinator - regarding dates, times, locations of exams.