The June 2026 Rank Testing will be held on Saturday, June 20th. All Kyu ranks (both adults and kids) will be testing. This event will also include students from the Blackbelt Selection Group for 2026, including both adults and teens.
The third Rank Testing of 2026 will be held Saturday, June 20th, 2026. Eligible kids (in all divisions – Juniors, Youth, Mentor, and Teens) and eligible adults will have an opportunity to test for their next rank.
When Should I Be At The Dojo?
All Kids: 11:15 AM (for an 11:30AM Start)
Adults: 12:30PM (for a 1PM Start)
Blackbelt Selection: 10:45AM
Dojo Opens
The Dojo opens at 11AM on Rank Testing day. Please plan your travel times to take into account weekend mass transit schedules and potential special events that are common in NYC on weekends.
Special Event
In addition, the June 2026 Rank Testing will host the first event of Blackbelt Selection 2026, held in parallel with the Adult Rank Testing events on that day.
Karateka in Blackbelt Selection will assist in the Kids testing sessions, and will then themselves begin their written tests during the Adult testing part of the day.
All Selection candidates should be at the dojo by 10:45AM.
Please wish them good fortune as they begin an intensely difficult challenge that few men and woman ever get the opportunity to undertake.
Testing is By Invitation
Testing, of course, is by invitation of Sensei. If you have received a written invitation, please return your completed information form to the Front Desk as soon as possible. It's important to get this form back to the dojo as soon as possible to allow for planning and logistics, especially in the various Kids Divisions.
Note that because Rank Testing is an all-day event, the regular class schedule is suspended on Saturday, June 28, 2025. No classes will be held at the dojo on that date, and no livestream classes will be held.
As with most testing days, on June 28th the dojo opens at 11AM. All students testing are reminded to be prompt and arrive at the dojo in ample time for the start of their testing.
Appropriate Uniform
In addition, all students testing are reminded to be sure to wear a gi that has both a Goju shoulder patch and a Goju chest patch. Rank testing is a formal event and all Goju karateka are required to wear a gi that displays both patches to formal events. This applies to both kids and adults testing.
Don't have patches? Stop by the Front Desk at the NYC Dojo– they're available for a nominal cost (you'll need one for your shoulder and one for your chest: they're different). Please remember to sew them on: these patches aren't iron-on patches.
Shinzen Katami
If you're testing, also please consider bringing a shinzen katami with you. If you don't know what this is, please read about that here.
Kids Rank Testing
Kids rank testing will begin at 11:30AM. This includes all divisions, including Teens (who will begin their written examination while younger kids begin their physical test). Teens will join the in-progress physical test once they've completed the written examination.
Kids in the Junior and Youth divisions do not take a written examination, but rather proceed to the general examination directly at 11:30AM.
Typically, the Kids Rank Testing event lasts until about 1PM, although kids in the Junior and Youth divisions finish their rank testing earlier.
Adult Rank Testing
Adult rank testing for kyu-belt rank students begins at 1PM, with a written examination for all adults who are testing. It is followed by a general examination. The entire event, for adults in the 10th through 2nd Kyu ranks, lasts about two hours total.
Adults who are testing should be at the dojo by 12:30PM.
This is an all-ranks testing event. That means that all kyu-level students (10th through 2nd) are eligible to test, pending an invitation to do so, of course.
Come Support Our Young Karateka!
We strongly encourage everyone to attend the Kids Rank Testing: all the kids testing appreciate your support deeply! Family and friends are encouraged to come as well, especially family members! Rank testing is an important occasion for all of us, but its especially meaningful for kids who’ve worked so hard.
As per tradition, Adult rank testing is a closed event: no spectators are permitted. Similarly, no spectators are permitted at testing for shonen shodan on this day (family members are permitted to attend a part of shonen shodan testing on the last day of testing).
