Black Belt Testing with the Uechiryu Butokukai(tm).

The Black Belt Testing with the Uechiryu Butokukai(tm) is a six-step process that spans for nine months beginning in January.

  • BLACK BELT TESTING CROSS TRAINING: From January to May, select dojos in the association open their classes to all the candidates. While all the candidates are required to make a minimum of ten “off-site” classes, candidates who participate in as many as feasible find the experience very rewarding.

  • BLACK BELT TESTING PREVIEW on January 20th at the Atkinson dojo. This is for all candidates Sandan/Level Three and below. During the review candidates will be standing in front of four to five master ranking judges with over a hundred years of combined experience! In the days following the preview and the review, all the candidates will receive detailed feedback from the judges.

  • BLACK BELT TESTING FEE: Due February 25th, this covers everything needed for the nine months of the candidates’ progress to the Graduation in September.

  • BLACK BELT TESTING REVIEW on March 23rd at the DoubleTree in Manchester. This is where the candidates get to demonstrate their IMPROVED skill levels. With the intense training from both their home dojo and the many available opportunities at the select dojos across the Association, combined with the feedback from the preview - the candidates demonstrate how far they have come. For those who need a little extra work, a BLACK BELT TESTING POST-REVIEW is scheduled for June 1st.

  • BLACK BELT PROVISIONAL STATUS Black Belt Testing Provisional Status, which is the final phase between the REVIEW and the GRADUATION. Traditionally, the title is “HO” (i.e. Shodan-Ho, Nidan-Ho), where the candidates demonstrate that they will continue the lifestyle of the rank that they have worked up to.

  • BLACK BELT GRADUATION CEREMONY on September 14th, 2024 at the Double-Tree. This is where they receive their belts and diplomas. This is held in conjunction with the 2024 UECHI CONVENTION. All graduates are automatically registered for the afternoon training sessions.

During these nine months the expectation of all candidates in performance, attitude and commitment will be especially high.