Shikaku (Eligibility Requirements)
To be eligible to test for shodan, a candidate must meet all of the eligibility requirements listed below:
| n | A minimum of three (3) months additional training in Eishin-Ryū iaijutsu, consisting of at least 25 one-hour classes, since promotion to ikkyū, and a minimum of 24 months cumulative training in Eishin-Ryū | |
| n | Be under 13 years of age** |
| n | Own and wear a complete iaidō-gi (hakama, kaku-obi, iai-uwagi, and tabi) that conforms to Seishin-Kan standards | |
| n | Own and use a bokken, iaitō, and shinken that conform to Seishin-Kan standards | |
| n | Consistently exhibit appropriate attitude and behaviour in the dōjō | |
| n | Submit a written request for promotion testing on the prescribed form |
**NOTE: Students below the age of 13 who meet all other requirements for shodan (below) may be promoted to the rank of shodan-ho ("provisional shodan") until such time as they meet the minimum age requirements for shodan or above. Thereafter, they must meet the minimum age requirements for each subsequent rank sought.
The reason for these minimum age requirements is that ranking in iaijutsu involves more than just competency in the physical skills of swordsmanship. There is also the expectation of mental, emotional, and spiritual maturity, as well as life experience, appropriate for each dan rank. A person holding the rank of shodan, for example, has developed suffcient physical skills to kill another human being in battle. It is therefore vital that the holder of such a rank also possess the mental, emotional, and spiritual maturity to decide when taking a human life is justified, as well as to cope with the psychological trauma and other consequences of doing so. A student younger than age 13 who lacks the patience to wait until age 13 to receive the full rank of shodan is ipso facto not mature enough to be awarded that rank.
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