Dan rank

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Dan rank (段位) is a Chinese and Japanese mark of level, used in several cultural activities of Chinese and Japanese origin. In budo arts, holders of dan ranks often wear a black belt. Dan ranks are also given in arts such as the logical board games Renju and Go, the art of flower arrangement ikebana and tea ceremony. However, in certain arts such as Iaido, Kendo, or Jodo, no external signifier of rank is worn.

The character 段 (Chin. pron.: duàn, Jap.: dan) means step or grade. The term is used in Chinese, Korean, Japanese martial arts such as Wushu, Taekwondo, karate, aikido, judo, jujutsu and the Japanese sword arts. It is commonly applied to Japanese martial arts as a means of differentiating experience levels. It has been adopted by martial arts of many different origins as the de-facto method of organizing rank. There are other methods of assessing rank in Japanese martial systems, of particular note is the older, more obscure menkyo system.

History

Dan ranks are commonly recognized as first having been applied to martial arts by Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo. Kano started the modern rank system when he awarded shodan (the lowest Dan rank) to two of his senior students (Shiro Saigo and Tsunejiro Tomita) in 1883. Even then, there was no external differentiation between yudansha (black belt ranks) and mudansha (those who hadn't yet attained a grade). Kano began the custom of having his yudansha wear black obi (belts) in 1886. These obi weren't the belts karateka and judoka wear today -- Kano hadn't invented the judogi (Judo uniform) yet, and his students were still practicing in kimono. They were the wide obi still worn with formal kimono. In 1907, Kano introduced the modern judogi and its modern obi, with white and black belt ranks.

Modern Usage

In modern times, a dan-ranked practitioner of a style is a usually recognized as a martial artist who has surpassed the kyu, or basic ranks. It is common in most styles that the dan ranked person is eligible to wear a black belt and can sometimes become a licensed instructor in their art. In many styles, however, achieving a dan rank means that while one is no longer considered a beginner, one is not yet necessarily an expert.

The total number of dan ranks is style-specific (1st through 5th and 1st through 10th are common). The lower dan grades can normally be attained through a grading examination or sometimes through competition. The higher dan grades, however, require years of experience and contribution to the relevant martial art. This may be through instruction or research and publication. These grades can only be awarded by a higher-graded representative of the principal dojo or sometimes by a steering committee. There is no set achievement level that is universal. An important point to note about ranking systems is that they are specific to the school or style, thus the ranks achieved do not necessarily translate across martial arts styles. In fact, Dan ranks do not necessarily indicate one wears a black-belt. Some styles do not use a black belt to indicate advanced rank, though this is by far the most common and recognizeable symbol by the general public.

The highest dan ranks are sometimes reserved for the founder or leaders of a style and other high ranking students can only be promoted by them. This has led to upper level ranks becoming extinct in some arts. In other styles the dan ranks are not the highest level you can attain, with instructor certification and judge/judgement authorization being understood as higher-level or more sophisticated.

List of common ranks

Many martial art styles have between one and ten dan. They are, in ascending order:

shodan: first degree black belt
nidan: second degree black belt
sandan: third degree black belt
yondan (or yodan): fourth degree black belt
godan: fifth degree black belt
rokudan: sixth degree black belt
nanadan (or shichidan or sichidan): seventh degree black belt
hachidan: eighth degree black belt
kudan (or kyudan): ninth degree black belt
judan: tenth degree black belt

In certain styles, shodan implies that all the basics of the style have been mastered. At sandan the student is deemed capable of teaching independently as a teacher or instructor, often called sensei. At rokudan, the karateka may receive certification as a master level practitioner (shihan). Generally, the lower dan ranks are validated on the basis of knowledge and physical skill. The higher the dan rank, the more leadership ability, teaching experience, and service to the style play a role in promotion.

In British Judo, to gain promotion from 1st to 5th Dan, Judoka (Judo players) demonstrate theoretical technique and competitive skill in graded competitions. Promotions from 6th to 10th Dan are awarded for services to the sport of Judo. Although the dan system is distinctly Japanese, it has been adopted by many other martial arts styles. The dan system and the well-known symbol of a black-belt have been absorbed into common usage to represent a person with above-average or highly-trained skills in a particular discipline.

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