Scoring sheets and rubrics · Shōtō Keishōkai 松濤継承会

Standard Joint-friendly The examinations

How scoring works

The board has two voting examiners and an optional third seat, none of whom is or has been the candidate's student. Each examiner scores every section independently and the scores are averaged. Pass requires a total of 70 or more and the floor (60 percent of the maximum) met in every section. A section below its floor fails the grading regardless of the total, and the board may offer a retest of that section alone within six months. Each examiner writes one or two lines of justification per section.

Band	Share of the maximum	Meaning
Model	90–100%	A performance the examiner would use as a model for their own yudansha.
Solid	70–89%	Solid standard for the grade, with minor faults.
Faulty	50–69%	Shows the material, with faults the grade should not have.
Not at standard	Below 50%	Not at the standard of the grade.

Rubrics

Each rubric describes the four bands for one section. The points for each band depend on the section's maximum at the grade, and are listed on the sheets below.

Kata

Performed once at full speed and kime. The four criteria are weighted equally.

Criterion	Model	Solid	Faulty	Not at standard
Sequence, embusen and rhythm	Faultless sequence on the correct line; rhythm exactly as the kata is taught.	Correct sequence and embusen; one or two small rhythm or position faults.	Sequence complete but with drift in embusen or uneven rhythm; one hesitation.	Forgets or reorders techniques; loses the embusen; stops.
Kime and tension–relaxation	Clear contrast: relaxed between techniques, sharp focus at the end point of each.	Kime present on most techniques; contrast sometimes flat.	Kime inconsistent or tension throughout; techniques arrive without focus.	No visible kime; movement is a walk-through.
Hip and body connection	Every technique driven from the hips; the body moves as one unit.	Hips lead on most techniques; occasional arm-only movement.	Frequent arm-only techniques or late hips.	No hip connection.
Zanshin, breathing and kiai	Unbroken breathing, kiai exactly placed, awareness held to the final bow.	Breathing and kiai sound; zanshin lapses at the end.	Breath held or audible strain; kiai misplaced or weak.	No kiai, no zanshin; visibly lost.

Bunkai

Two applications at Nidan, three at Sandan and Yondan, performed and explained against a partner.

Criterion	Model	Solid	Faulty	Not at standard
Fidelity to the kata	Each application follows the actual movement of the kata exactly.	Follows the kata with small liberties, stated openly.	Loosely related to the kata; movements added or omitted.	Not traceable to the kata.
Function against intent	Works against a partner who attacks with full intent, at speed.	Works at speed with a cooperative partner; holds up to one change.	Works only slowly or only if the partner stops short.	Does not work.
Explanation	States the movement, the attack it answers and the principle at work, clearly and briefly.	Clear explanation with one element missing.	Explanation vague or disconnected from what is shown.	Cannot explain.
Answers a “what if” (Sandan and Yondan)	Adjusts at once to a changed attack without stalling.	Adjusts after a short pause.	Adjusts only with prompting.	Stalls or restarts.

Kihon

Each combination performed the stated number of times in the stated direction.

Criterion	Model	Solid	Faulty	Not at standard
Form	Correct form on every block, strike and kick.	Correct on most; minor faults in two or three.	Repeated form faults; some combinations unreliable.	Form not recognizable at the grade.
Hip connection and kime	Hips drive every technique; kime at the end point with relaxation between.	Hips and kime sound on most techniques.	Arm- or leg-only technique; kime often missing.	No hip connection or kime.
Hikite, chamber and head level	Hikite and chamber correct on every technique; head level steady.	Occasional hikite or chamber lapse; head level mostly steady.	Chamber short or hikite dropped regularly; head bobs.	Not observed.
Transitions, balance and composure	Clean transitions, steady balance, unbroken breathing across the full list.	Transitions sound; composure slips late in the list.	Hesitation or self-correction mid-combination; balance lost.	Combinations abandoned.

Self-defense

Declared 14 days ahead. Performed once slowly with explanation, then twice at realistic speed.

Criterion	Model	Solid	Faulty	Not at standard
Realism	The attack would hurt if it landed; the defense does not depend on the attacker stopping short.	Realistic attack; the defense relies on it slightly.	Attack is staged or stops short; defense works only because of it.	The defense would fail against a committed attack.
Economy	The fewest movements that end the threat.	Effective with one or two unnecessary movements.	Cluttered; many movements for one threat.	No clear line from attack to resolution.
Finishing position	Balanced, protected from the attacker’s other weapons and able to leave.	Balanced; one opening left.	Off balance or exposed at the end.	Ends in a worse position than it began.
Adaptation	Adjusts at once when the board changes the attack.	Adjusts after a pause.	Adjusts only after restarting.	Cannot adapt.
Connection to a kata principle	Names the principle and it is visible in the response (from Nidan; at Yondan a movement from a named kata).	Names a principle; the link is partly visible.	Names a principle but the link is not visible.	No connection offered.

Jiyu ippon kumite

Announced attacks from free stance, both sides; both roles from Nidan.

Criterion	Model	Solid	Faulty	Not at standard
Defense: kime, fluidity and connection	Block or evasion and counter are one movement, with kime.	Connected, with kime on most counters.	Block and counter are two separate actions; weak kime.	No effective counter.
Distance, stance and timing	Correct distance and timing; always off the power line.	Mostly correct; occasionally meets the attack head-on.	Frequently wrong distance or timing; meets the attack head-on.	Hit or overrun by the attack.
Attack: committed but controlled (Nidan and above)	Crisp, fully committed and controlled; would not injure a partner who missed the block.	Committed with minor control lapses.	Pulled short of real distance, or would land hard on a missed block.	No commitment or no control.

Jiyu kumite round (standard examination, Nidan and above)

One two-minute round against a partner of the board’s choosing. Contact controlled to the body and non-contact to the head.

Criterion	Model	Solid	Faulty	Not at standard
Initiative and setting up	Sets up techniques rather than waiting for openings (Sandan and Yondan).	Takes the initiative regularly.	Mostly reactive.	Passive throughout.
Distance and control	Manages distance throughout; contact always controlled.	Distance sound; one lapse in control.	Distance often lost; repeated control lapses.	Unsafe.
Composure under pressure	Calm and focused to the final second.	Composed; fatigue shows late.	Composure breaks under pressure.	Panics or stops.

Teaching (Sandan and Yondan)

Awarded from the teaching record if the candidate has taught five years or more; otherwise a ten-minute demonstration.

Criterion	Model	Solid	Faulty	Not at standard
Record or demonstration	Record shows sustained instruction and graded students, or the demonstration teaches the point clearly to the board’s uke.	Record or demonstration sound with gaps.	Thin record or a demonstration that does not reach the student.	Nothing credible offered.

Contribution to the art (Yondan)

A paper of 2,500 to 4,000 words, or a practical contribution presented in up to ten minutes with questions.

Criterion	Model	Solid	Faulty	Not at standard
Technical accuracy and depth	Accurate and deep; shows mastery of the subject.	Accurate with some shallow areas.	Errors or superficial treatment.	Inaccurate.
Originality and honesty about limits	Says something the candidate believes, and states the limits of the claim.	Some original thought; limits partly acknowledged.	Mostly a summary of others.	No original content.
Clarity and usability	An intelligent yudansha from another style could follow it; a practical contribution is usable by someone else.	Clear; usable with some explanation.	Hard to follow or not usable by others.	Unintelligible.

Sample scoring sheets

Shodan scoring sheet

Candidate: ______________________ Date: ____________ Examiner: ______________________

Section	Max	Floor	Model	Solid	Faulty	Below
1. Kata	30	18	27 or more	21 to under 27	15 to under 21	under 15
2. Kihon	30	18	27 or more	21 to under 27	15 to under 21	under 15
3. Self-defense	15	9	13.5 or more	10.5 to under 13.5	7.5 to under 10.5	under 7.5
4. Jiyu ippon kumite	25	15	22.5 or more	17.5 to under 22.5	12.5 to under 17.5	under 12.5
Total	100	70

Result: ☐ Pass ☐ Fail ☐ Retest section ____ within six months Examiner signature: ______________________

Nidan scoring sheet

Candidate: ______________________ Date: ____________ Examiner: ______________________

Section	Max	Floor	Model	Solid	Faulty	Below
1. Kata and bunkai kata 20 · bunkai 10	30	18	27 or more	21 to under 27	15 to under 21	under 15
2. Kihon	25	15	22.5 or more	17.5 to under 22.5	12.5 to under 17.5	under 12.5
3. Self-defense	20	12	18 or more	14 to under 18	10 to under 14	under 10
4. Kumite jiyu ippon 15 · jiyu kumite 10	25	15	22.5 or more	17.5 to under 22.5	12.5 to under 17.5	under 12.5
Total	100	70

Result: ☐ Pass ☐ Fail ☐ Retest section ____ within six months Examiner signature: ______________________

Sandan scoring sheet

Candidate: ______________________ Date: ____________ Examiner: ______________________

Section	Max	Floor	Model	Solid	Faulty	Below
1. Kata and bunkai kata 20 · bunkai 10	30	18	27 or more	21 to under 27	15 to under 21	under 15
2. Kihon	20	12	18 or more	14 to under 18	10 to under 14	under 10
3. Self-defense	15	9	13.5 or more	10.5 to under 13.5	7.5 to under 10.5	under 7.5
4. Kumite jiyu ippon 15 · jiyu kumite 10	25	15	22.5 or more	17.5 to under 22.5	12.5 to under 17.5	under 12.5
5. Teaching	10	6	9 or more	7 to under 9	5 to under 7	under 5
Total	100	70

Result: ☐ Pass ☐ Fail ☐ Retest section ____ within six months Examiner signature: ______________________

Yondan scoring sheet

Candidate: ______________________ Date: ____________ Examiner: ______________________

Section	Max	Floor	Model	Solid	Faulty	Below
1. Kata and bunkai kata 15 · bunkai 10	25	15	22.5 or more	17.5 to under 22.5	12.5 to under 17.5	under 12.5
2. Kihon	20	12	18 or more	14 to under 18	10 to under 14	under 10
3. Self-defense	15	9	13.5 or more	10.5 to under 13.5	7.5 to under 10.5	under 7.5
4. Kumite jiyu ippon 12 · jiyu kumite 8	20	12	18 or more	14 to under 18	10 to under 14	under 10
5. Teaching	10	6	9 or more	7 to under 9	5 to under 7	under 5
6. Contribution to the art	10	6	9 or more	7 to under 9	5 to under 7	under 5
Total	100	70

Result: ☐ Pass ☐ Fail ☐ Retest section ____ within six months Examiner signature: ______________________

The grading file holds the signed syllabus, the video, every examiner's scoring sheet with written justifications, and the certificate.