Category: Ranking

The second of our irregular practices, incorporating the Autumn examinations into Shodan and above, was held at the Tonbridge Dojo in Skinner’s School, Tunbridge Wells on Sunday, the 15th November.

The examinations were conducted, as usual, under the Rules of this Renmei (following those of the Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei) as has been our custom for the last thirty-six years. This Shinsa was marked by being the smallest held, the main reason being that we are in an interim period where some of the mudansha (unranked) Kendoka are not yet ready for assessment and others in the lower dan have also much work to do to ready themselves for advancement. Two students were given the Ikkyu rank, mainly to mark their hard work and encourage further efforts towards shodan. Whilst we do not usually use the kyu ranking system, this is an exception. The results are as follows:

To Shodan:

Tim Bailey (Butokukan)

To Ikkyu:

Rowan Howell (Butokukan)
Tommy Lau (Butokukan)

The following advancements have been decided and are effective from Monday, 19th January 2009.

Name	Dojo	Present Rank	New Rank
Roald Knutsen	Butokukan	Rokudan Renshi	Nanadan Renshi
Phil Jupp	Vauxhall	Rokudan	Nanadan
Patricia Knutsen	Butokukan	Rokudan	Nanadan
Simon Crittenden	Tonbridge	Godan	Rokudan
Steve Phillips	Vauxhall	Godan	Rokudan
Peter Powell	Butokukan	Godan	Rokudan

The following students were advanced into or within the dan degrees at the Renmei examinations at Tunbridge Wells on Sunday, 18th May 2008. These examinations have been made under the Rules of the British Kendo Renmei implemented for the past thirty-four years and in strict accordance with the standards laid down by the All Japan Kendo Renmei.

To Shodan:

Alistair Brindle (Butokukan Dojo)
Mark Morford (Tunbridge)
Philippe Negri (Tunbridge)
Eden Swift (Butokukan)
Antonio Ybarra (Butokukan)

To Sandan:

Thomas Bowen (Butokukan Dojo)
James Powell (Butokukan)
Matt Smith (Butokukan)

The British Kendo Renmei held its Autumn examination into and within the dan degrees on Sunday, 8th October 2006 with the following results.

To Shodan:

Jim Ball (Butokukan)

To Nidan:

James Powell (Butokukan)
Matthew Smith (Butokukan)

The Butokukan Dojo 40th Anniversary celebration saw the formal announcement of the results of the Spring Shōdan Shinsa examinations for advancement into and within the dan degrees. The assessments were held during the preceding week but the results delayed until the evening of the 27th in Lewes.

To Shodan:	John Bowen	Butokukan Dojo	Brighton/Lewes
	James Powell	Butokukan Dojo	Brighton/Lewes
	Ron Cuffley	Butokukan Dojo	Brighton/Lewes
To Sandan:	George Dillon	Butokukan Dojo	Brighton/Lewes
To Yondan:	Christopher Fox	Butokukan Dojo	Brighton/Lewes
	Stuart Dickinson	Vauxhall Dojo	London
To Godan:	Peter Powell	Butokukan Dojo	Brighton/Lewes

All advancements are made under the Examination Rules and authority of the British Kendo Renmei .