October 12, 2026
Kendo: grade-based groups, equipment stages and running shiai tournaments
In a Kendo dojo, progress shows in grade and in equipment: beginners start with the shinai, and the armour comes later. Each stage calls for the right groups, planned exams and, now and then, tournaments or seminars with guest instructors. Here is how to keep it all in order.
Why does it make sense to split groups by grade?
A kyu-grade beginner needs different things than a dan-grade practitioner: stance, footwork and basic strikes in the first case, applying them in keiko and refining timing in the second. Put everyone in one group and either the advanced students get bored or the beginners get lost.
Groups defined by level, with a set schedule and coach, make sure everyone gets the right exercises. Keeping each practitioner's grade on record also shows you who is close to the next exam.
How do you introduce beginners to the equipment?
Beginners usually work with the shinai first: posture, basic movements and footwork, before wearing the armour (bogu). Only when the basics are secure enough do they move on to the full equipment and partner exercises.
Each club sets the pace of these stages itself. It helps to note for every student where they are, which equipment they already have and what is still missing, so parents and newcomers get clear information early, with no surprises when it comes to purchases.
How do you prepare exams, shiai tournaments and seminars?
Grading exams, shiai tournaments and seminars with guest instructors share the same needs: a date, a list of participants, fees and sometimes a limited number of places. The earlier you plan them, the less you scramble in the last week.
After each tournament, the results and grades earned go into the practitioner's history. Over time that history becomes the dojo's memory: who has progressed, who has competed and who is ready for the next step.
Dojo Master helps you organize groups by level with schedules and coaches, track configurable grades, create events for exams, shiai and seminars with sign-up and fees, and keep results in the trophy room of your Kendo dojo.
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