Dankyūisei (段級位制)

Grades
The kyū(級) anddan(段) grading system, created in 1883, is used to indicate one's proficiency in kendo. Starting from the beginning, kyu are numbered in descending order with the lowest grade being sixth kyu (六級 rokkyū) and the highest grade being first kyu (一級 ikkyū). The next level up from first kyu is first dan. Dan grades then ascend in skill from first dan (初段 shodan) to tenth dan (十段 jūdan). Ranks granted among member organizations are mutually recognized as equivalentundefined There are no belts or colors that signify kendo grades; those below dan-level may essentially dress the same as those above dan-level.

Rank Examinations (Shinsa)
All candidates for examination face a panel of examiners. A larger, more qualified panel is usually assembled to assess the higher dan grades. Kendo examinations typically consist of jitsugi (a demonstration of the skill of the applicants through matches), Nihon Kendo Kata, and a written exam. The hachidan exam is extremely difficult, often with a pass rate of less than 1 percent.[36]
 * No longer awarded

Once a kendoka turns 60, changes in eligibility apply.

Hachidan and Beyond
As of 2000, Eighth-dan (八段 hachidan) is the highest dan grade attainable through examination. The grades of ninth-dan (九段 kyūdan) and tenth dan (十段 jūdan) are no longer awarded, but a few ninth-dan kendōka are still alive today. International Kendo Federation (FIK) grading rules allow national kendo organizations to establish a special committee to consider the award of those grades. Only five, now-deceased, kendōka were ever granted the rank of 10th-dan following the establishment in 1952 of the All Japan Kendo Federation. The five kendoka, all of whom had been students of Naitō Takaharu at the Budo Senmon Gakko, were:
 * Ogawa Kinnosuke 小川 金之助 (1884-1962)- awarded 1957
 * Mochida Moriji 持田 盛二 (1885-1974)- awarded 1957
 * Nakano Sousuke 中野 宗助 (1885-1963)- awarded 1957
 * Saimura Gorou 斎村 五郎 (1887-1969)- awarded 1957
 * Ooasa Yuuji 大麻 勇次 (1887-1974)- awarded 1962

Titles (Shogo)
Titles (称号 shōgō) can be earned in addition to the above dan grades by kendōka. These are renshi (錬士), kyōshi (教士), and hanshi (範士). The title is affixed to the front of the dan grade when spoken, for example renshi rokudan (錬士六段). The qualifications for each title are below. Kata

Nihon Kendo Kata, created in 1933.Main article: Kendo Kata