1st Dan syllabus (Dan grades). Black belt. Awarded by British Judo Association. The senior grades of the British Judo Association, 1st to 6th Dan, as they stand for promotions from 1 January 2026. 1st to 5th Dan are examined; 6th Dan is by application. Two routes reach them, competitive and technical, and the syllabus below is common to both: the routes differ in the paper that examines a candidate and in what they must have done to be eligible, not in the techniques they have to be able to do. The hundred techniques the Kodokan recognises are divided into five sets of twenty, one to a dan grade. A candidate demonstrates the whole set for the grade being taken, five techniques of their own choice from each set already passed, and then performance skills, where the technique is theirs to choose from any of the hundred: throws linked into combinations and counters, groundwork combined, escaped or entered, and standing judo carried into groundwork. Each grade below lists the techniques it can be examined on by name, which is its own twenty and every set beneath it; the performance sections range over all hundred. Both papers, with their marks and pass marks, are in the examinations section, one per grade per route. The BJA recently replaced their 1982 scheme, built on 67 techniques, to teach the wider Kodokan curriculum and to bring its dan grade policy into line with IJF policy. 20 techniques are set for this grade. Nage-waza · throws ------------------ De-ashi-harai (出足払, であしはらい), advancing foot sweep. https://wazabook.com/techniques/de-ashi-harai/ O-goshi (大腰, おおごし), major hip throw. https://wazabook.com/techniques/o-goshi/ O-soto-gari (大外刈, おおそとがり), major outer reap. https://wazabook.com/techniques/o-soto-gari/ Seoi-nage (背負投, せおいなげ), shoulder throw. https://wazabook.com/techniques/seoi-nage/ Harai-goshi (払腰, はらいごし), sweeping hip throw. https://wazabook.com/techniques/harai-goshi/ Tai-otoshi (体落, たいおとし), body drop. https://wazabook.com/techniques/tai-otoshi/ Uchi-mata (内股, うちまた), inner thigh throw. https://wazabook.com/techniques/uchi-mata/ Tomoe-nage (巴投, ともえなげ), circle throw. https://wazabook.com/techniques/tomoe-nage/ Soto-makikomi (外巻込, そとまきこみ), outer wrapping throw. https://wazabook.com/techniques/soto-makikomi/ Tani-otoshi (谷落, たにおとし), valley drop. https://wazabook.com/techniques/tani-otoshi/ Yoko-wakare (横分, よこわかれ), side separation. https://wazabook.com/techniques/yoko-wakare/ O-soto-otoshi (大外落, おおそとおとし), major outer drop. https://wazabook.com/techniques/o-soto-otoshi/ Uchi-mata-sukashi (内股透, うちまたすかし), inner thigh throw slip. https://wazabook.com/techniques/uchi-mata-sukashi/ Osaekomi-waza · hold-downs -------------------------- Kesa-gatame (袈裟固, けさがため), scarf hold. https://wazabook.com/techniques/kesa-gatame/ Kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame (崩上四方固, くずれかみしほうがため), modified upper four-quarter hold. https://wazabook.com/techniques/kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame/ Shime-waza · strangles ---------------------- Kata-ha-jime (片羽絞, かたはじめ), single wing strangle. https://wazabook.com/techniques/kata-ha-jime/ Nami-juji-jime (並十字絞, なみじゅうじじめ), normal cross strangle. https://wazabook.com/techniques/nami-juji-jime/ Sankaku-jime (三角絞, さんかくじめ), triangle strangle. https://wazabook.com/techniques/sankaku-jime/ Kansetsu-waza · joint locks --------------------------- Juji-gatame (十字固, じゅうじがため), cross armlock. https://wazabook.com/techniques/juji-gatame/ Waki-gatame (脇固, わきがため), armpit armlock. https://wazabook.com/techniques/waki-gatame/ The official syllabus --------------------- Transcribed from British Judo Association's published document. This wording is the authority for what is examined; everything above is this reference's own arrangement of it. Fundamental skills ------------------ 1. Seoi-nage 2. Tai-otoshi 3. Uchi-mata-sukashi 4. O-goshi 5. Harai-goshi 6. De-ashi-harai 7. O-soto-gari 8. Uchi-mata 9. O-soto-otoshi 10. Tomoe-nage 11. Tani-otoshi 12. Soto-makikomi 13. Yoko-wakare 14. Kesa-gatame 15. Kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame 16. Nami-juji-jime 17. Kataha-jime in this reference: Kata-ha-jime 18. Sankaku-jime 19. Ude-hishigi-juji-gatame in this reference: Juji-gatame 20. Ude-hishigi-waki-gatame in this reference: Waki-gatame Performance skills ------------------ 1. Three nage-waza of the candidate's choice from the hundred, at least one from the fundamental skills for this grade, each shown with a renzoku-waza, a renraku-waza and a kaeshi-waza in this reference: Nage-waza, Renzoku-waza, Renraku-waza, Kaeshi-waza 2. Three katame-waza of the candidate's choice from the hundred, at least one from the fundamental skills for this grade, each shown with a combination, an escape or a complex entry in this reference: Katame-waza, Osaekomi-waza, Shime-waza, Kansetsu-waza 3. One throws carried into an osaekomi-waza and one into a kansetsu-waza or a shime-waza in this reference: Tachi-waza, Ne-waza Kata ---- 1. Nage-no-kata, to BJA Level 1, examined separately from the skills assessment and not necessarily on the same day in this reference: Nage-no-kata, Kata Promotion requirements ---------------------- 1. Minimum age 15 2. Held 1st Kyu for at least 1 year 3. 100 competition points How this grade is examined -------------------------- The syllabus above is what 1st Dan covers. What follows is the paper it is examined by, where the federation has one and it has been transcribed. 1st Dan Competitive Examination. Pass mark 238 of 340. https://wazabook.com/exams/bja-competitive-1st-dan/ 1st Dan Technical Examination. Pass mark 272 of 340. https://wazabook.com/exams/bja-technical-1st-dan/ Competitive Dan Grade Skills Examination (replaced, and kept only because older certificates were awarded against it). Pass mark 190 of 270. https://wazabook.com/exams/bja-competitive-dan-grade-skills/ Also required for this promotion -------------------------------- BJA Kata Certification: Nage-no-kata https://wazabook.com/exams/bja-kata-certification/ Examined on its own terms and need not be taken on the same day. Flashcards ---------- Drill the names before the day: an Anki deck for each grade turns the Japanese names into quick recall: https://wazabook.com/flashcards/ From Waza Book: https://wazabook.com/grades/bja-competitive-dan/1st-dan/