Shogo is a title in Japanese Budo, awarded by the association. It primarily signifies the student's level of instruction and character within the association and is thus an honorary title recognizing teaching quality and maturity.

Since the Shogo title is awarded by the association, certain criteria must be met before the title can be conferred. These criteria are laid down in the Shogo regulations.

The following Shogo titles are awarded by the DIaiB:

•  Renshi - "Expert" (advanced Iaidoka who has "penetrated" the teachings and is fundamentally qualified and suitable to teach)
• Kyoshi - "Teacher" (high didactic and technically outstanding maturity and thus acts as an influential teacher for other teachers)

Examination process

The process of obtaining the Shogo title consists of 3 stages:

1. Stage: Application

The candidate submits an application, which must include an Iaido resume and demonstrate that they meet the Shogo criteria.

This application must clearly show that the candidate fulfills the criteria. Additional documents (resume, letters of recommendation, etc.) may be attached to the application.

Stage 2: Examination

After a successful application, one or more questions for a research paper will be communicated. This research paper must be completed by a defined deadline (standard: 2-3 weeks) and will then be reviewed by the examination board.

The examination board decides, based on this research paper, whether the candidate will be awarded the Shogo title. Information regarding the format of the research paper is specified in the Shogo regulations.

Stage 3: Award

The Shogo title is awarded after passing the examination in the form of a Shogo certificate and the entry of the title in the EKF database.

Fees

The examination fees are stipulated in the Shogo regulations and must be transferred to the DIaiB's account with the application.

Dates

The following dates are available each year for the Shogo application and examination:

June 15th: Application deadline

July 15th: Deadline for submitting the research paper

November 15th: Application deadline

December 15th: Deadline for submitting the research paper

The dates were deliberately chosen to coincide with the EKF exam dates.

Applications should be submitted to the DIaiB board at: info@iaido.de