Rank in judo

In judo, improvement and understanding of the art is denoted by a system of rankings split into kyū and dan grades. These are indicated with various systems of coloured belts, with the black belt indicating a practitioner who has attained a certain level of competence.

The Kōdōkan Kyū-Dan ranking system

Kanō's original kyū-dan grading system

Rank	Senior	Junior	Japanese name
Sixth kyū (beginner)	Light Blue	Light Blue	rokkyū (六級)
Fifth kyū Fourth kyū	White	White	gokyū (五級) yonkyū (四級)
Third kyū Second kyū First kyū	Brown	Purple	sankyū (三級) nikyū (二級) ikkyū (一級)
First dan Second dan Third dan Fourth dan Fifth dan	Black		shodan (初段) nidan (二段) sandan (三段) yondan (四段) godan (五段)
Sixth dan Seventh dan Eighth dan Ninth dan	Red and White or Black		rokudan (六段) nanadan (七段) hachidan (八段) kudan (九段)
Tenth dan	Red or Black		jūdan (十段)
Eleventh dan Twelfth dan and higher*	White or Red or Black		juichidan (十一段) junidan (十二段)

Practitioners of Judo (柔道家, Jūdōka) are ranked according to their skill and knowledge, and, for later dan grades, their contribution to the art. Their rank is indicated by the colour of belt that they wear. There are two broad categories of rank: those who have attained a level of competency at which they are considered worthy of a black belt (黒帯, kuro obi) and who hold dan (段) grades and those who are yet to attain that level and who hold kyū (級) grades. Those who hold dan grades are collectively termed Yūdansha (有段者) (literally "person who has dan") and those with kyū grades are Mudansha (無段者), literally "person without dan".

This ranking system was introduced by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo, in 1883. However, the current system is not the original one, but based on Kanō's last system introduced between 1926 and 1931, with some modification shortly after Kanō's death in 1938. The first dan grades were awarded to his students Saigō Shirō and Tomita Tsunejirō. Since then it has been widely adopted by other modern martial arts.^[1]

In the current system as in use in Japan, there are six student grades ranked in descending numerical order. Beginners were given the rank of sixth kyū (六級, rokkyū) and wore a light blue belt. Once they had passed an elementary level of instruction, they were promoted to fifth kyū (五級, gokyū), when they would adopt the white belt. This they wore through fourth kyū (四級, yonkyū). The remaining three grades (third kyū (三級, sankyū), second kyū (二級, nikyū) and first kyū (一級, ikkyū) were all indicated with brown belts (for seniors) or with purple belts (for juniors).

1st kyū is the last kyū rank before promotion to first degree black belt (shodan). There are (in practice) 10 dan ranks, which are ranked in ascending numerical order.^[2]

Highest ranking jūdōka

Kōdōkan-graded jūdan holders

The ninth (kudan) and tenth degree black belt (jūdan) and, theoretically, those higher, have no formal requirements. Only 15 individuals have been promoted to the rank of Kōdōkan 10th dan. On January 6, 2006, three individuals were promoted to this rank simultaneously: Daigo Toshirō, Ichirō Abe, and Ōsawa Yoshimi. This is the most ever at the same time, and the first in 22 years. No one has ever been promoted to a rank higher than 10th dan, but in theory the judo rank system is not limited to 10 degrees of black belt. As an educator by profession, Kanō believed that there should be no end to an individual's learning, and therefore no limit to the number of dan ranks. The English language edition (1955) of Illustrated Kodokan Judo, edited by the Kōdōkan, says:

There is no limit ... on the grade one can receive. Therefore if one does reach a stage above 10th dan ... there is no reason why he should not be promoted to 11th dan.

This statement was later clarified, however. Essentially, the dan-rank system was capped at 10 after the death of Kanō. In that respect, in the November 1963 issue of Jūdō, the Kōdōkan's official magazine, the Kōdōkan responding to the question "Do the 11th and 12th Dan really exist?" *clarifies that the hierarchy now stops at 10 and that the Kōdōkan does not envisage any nominations to these grades.^[2]

There have only been fifteen 10th dan promotions awarded by the Kōdōkan itself in the history of Judo.^[1]

Kōdōkan graded tenth dans (十段, jū-dan)

Name	Lived	Date of promotion
Yamashita Yoshitsugu	1865–1935	1935 posth., antedated
Isogai Hajime	1871–1947	1937
Nagaoka Hideichi	1876–1952	1937
Mifune Kyūzō	1883–1965	1945
Iizuka Kunisaburō	1875–1958	1946
Samura Kaichirō	1880–1964	1948
Tabata Shotarō	1884–1950	1948
Okano Yoshitarō	1885–1967	1967 posth.
Shōriki Matsutarō	1885–1969	1969 posth., antedated
Nakano Shōzō	1888–1977	1977 posth., antedated
Kurihara Tamio	1896–1979	1979 posth., antedated
Kotani Sumiyuki	1903–1991	1984
Abe Ichirō	1922–2022	2006
Daigo Toshirō	1926–2021	2006
Ōsawa Yoshimi	1927–2022	2006

Variations in rank structure

Although dan ranks tend to be consistent between national organizations there is more variation in the kyū grades, with some countries having more kyū grades. Although initially kyū grade belt colours were uniformly white, today a variety of colours are used. The first black belts to denote a dan rank in the 1880s^{[clarification needed]}. Initially the wide obi was used; as practitioners trained in kimono, only white and black obi were used. It was not until the early 1900s, after the introduction of the judogi, that an expanded colored belt system of awarding rank was created.^[1]

Belt colors

Examination requirements vary depending on country, age group and of course the grade being attempted. The examination itself may include competition and kata. The kyū ranks are normally awarded by local instructors (sensei), but dan ranks are usually awarded only after an exam supervised by independent judges from a national judo association. For a rank to be recognized, it must be registered with the national judo organization or the Kōdōkan.

The appearance of the belts makes the judoka's level visible. Upon successful graduation, you are entitled to a new degree. The kyu degrees are counted down from 6 to 1. The dan degrees are counted up from 1.

Dan

Judo dan belt colors

Degree	Color	Belt
1st–5th dan	Black
6th–8th dan	Black or Red-White
9th and above dan	Black or Red

For dan ranks, the first five are colored black, 6th, 7th, and 8th dan have alternating red and white panels (段だら,dandara), and for 9th, 10th dan and above, the belts are solid red.^[3] In judo's promotion system as originally finalized by Kanō around 1926 there was no maximal dan rank, and judoka holding 10th dan (and above) would normally wear a red belt, but also could wear a white belt (the same color as the lowest kyū rank), or a black belt. However, since the highest dan rank reached in judo for a living person or conferred posthumously remains 10th dan, any judo dan rank higher than 10th dan is now considered as a merely historical theoretical option. Some time after the death of Kanō the promotion system essentially became capped at 10th dan.^[4] Furthermore, holders of a dan rank above godan (5th dan) will often wear a plain black belt during regular training practice and outside any ceremonial duties.

Kyu

The Kyu belt system can contain the colors white, red, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, and brown for both senior and junior practitioners. In some countries junior practitioners have an extra system in place to show the progress in between two kyū grades. The sub rank can be symbolized by a small piece of fabric on the end of the belt. The piece added to the belt can never be of a lower or the same color as the belt worn by the judoka, so an orange belt cannot have a yellow piece, but it can have green, blue or brown.

Australia

In Australia belt rankings for Seniors are, in ascending order: white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown and finally black. Belt rankings for Juniors follow the same ranks and colours (up to and including brown), but have either 1, 2 or 3 white bars (depending upon age) at each end of the belt, as follows:
If the judoka is aged up to 10 (Mon), there are to be 3 white bars.
Between 10 and 13 (Yonen), there are 2 bars.
Finally, for 13 to 16 years of age (Shonen), there is a single bar.^[5]

Austria

Judo kyu belt colors in Austria

Degree	Color	Belt	Minimum age	Degree	Color	Belt	Minimum age
Kyu 11	White		-	Kyu 10	White-Yellow		7 years
Kyu 9	Yellow		7 years	Kyu 8	Yellow-Orange		8 years
Kyu 7	Orange		9 years	Kyu 6	Orange-Green		10 years
Kyu 5	Green		11 years	Kyu 4	Blue-Green		12 years
Kyu 3	Blue		13 years	Kyu 2	Blue-Brown		14 years
Kyu 1	Brown		15 years

Judoka older than 15 can take the test for the even and odd Kyu degrees (two-color and one-color) as one test.

In Austria the following belt colors exist:^[6]

Brazil

Judo kyu belt colors in Brazil

9th kyu (junior) or 7th kyu (senior)	White
7th kyu (junior)	Grey
6th kyu	Blue	[7]
5th kyu	Yellow
4th kyu	Orange
3rd kyu	Green
2nd kyu	Purple
1st kyu	Brown

Brazilian belt rankings are normally white, grey, blue, yellow, orange, green, purple, brown.^[8] As in some European countries, young judoka in Brazil have an extra system in place to show the progress in between two kyū grades. The sub rank exists between white and orange belts and is symbolized by the ends of the current belt being the color of the next rank.

Canada

Judo kyu belt colors in Canada

Degree	Color	Belt	Degree	Color	Belt
Kyu 6	White		Kyu 6+	White-Yellow
Kyu 5	Yellow		Kyu 5+	Yellow-Orange
Kyu 4	Orange		Kyu 4+	Orange-Green
Kyu 3	Green		Kyu 3+	Blue-Green
Kyu 2	Blue		Kyu 2+	Blue-Brown
Kyu 1	Brown

In Canada belt rankings for Seniors are, in ascending order: white, yellow, orange, green, blue and brown.

Belt rankings for Juniors use, white, white-yellow, yellow, yellow-orange, orange, orange-green, green, green-blue, blue, blue-brown, and brown.^[9]

Denmark

Degree	Color	Seniorbelt	Children- and juniorbelt
6. Kyu	White
5. Kyu	Yellow
4. Kyu	Orange
3. Kyu	Green
2. Kyu	Blue
1. Kyu	Brown

There are 6 kyu degrees.^[10] Seniors wear full-colored belts while children and youth (ages 6–14) also wear half-colored belts.^[11]

Finland

In Finland, junior sub ranks below a certain age are denoted by one to three red stripes on both ends of the belt. They are also used to signify that joint locks, chokes or strangles may not be performed upon the wearer as those are not taught nor applied to juniors below the age of 15 due to safety reasons.

Ireland

In Ireland the senior belt system is white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown and black. A practitioner must be at least sixteen before being eligible to grade for blackbelt. For white, yellow, orange and green belt gradings are held in the practitioners club and are based on demonstration of a syllabus and kata. For promotion to blue and brown the judoka must compete at a national grading against players of their own rank and win at least two fights by ippon or wazari. To achieve black belt a judoka must earn 100 points i.e. 10 points for every ippon or waza-ari victory against a brown belt.^[12]

Israel

Judo kyu belt colors in Israel

Name	Color	Belt	Color	Belt	Color	Belt	Color	Belt
Japanese Kyu 6	White		White-Purple		Purple		White-Yellow
Japanese Kyu 5	Purple-Yellow		Yellow		Yellow-Orange
Japanese Kyu 4	Orange		Orange-Green
Japanese Kyu 3	Green		Blue-Green
Japanese Kyu 2	Blue
Japanese Kyu 1	Brown

In Israel the following belt colors exist:^[13]

Japan

In Japan, the use of belt colors is related to the age of the student. Some clubs will only have black and white, others will include a brown belt for advanced kyū grades and at the elementary school level it is common to see a green belt for intermediate levels.

United Kingdom

Novice	White
6th Kyu	Red
5th Kyu	Yellow
4th Kyu	Orange
3rd Kyu	Green
2nd Kyu	Blue
1st Kyu	Brown

In the United Kingdom a red belt is used between the white and yellow belts to signify full membership of the judo club or the country's judo association. A practitioner must be at least fifteen before being eligible to grade for black belt.

The British Judo Association Kyu Grade system is as follows:^[14]

United States

Judo kyū belt colors in the United States

Japanese kyū names	USJF Senior	USJF Junior	USJA Senior	USJA Junior	USJA Junior level names
Jūnikyū				White	Junior 12th Class
Jūichikyū		White		Yellow	Junior 11th Class
Jūkyū		White- yellow		Orange	Junior 10th Class
Kukyū		Yellow		Orange	Junior 9th Class
Hachikyū		Yellow- orange		Green	Junior 8th Class
Nanakyū or USJA Senior "Beginner"		Orange	White	Green	Junior 7th Class
Rokkyū	White	Orange- green	Yellow	Blue	Junior 6th Class
Gokyū	Green	Green	Orange	Blue	Junior 5th Class
Yonkyū	Blue	Green- blue	Green	Purple	Junior 4th Class
Sankyū	Brown	Blue	Brown	Purple	Junior 3rd Class
Nikyū	Brown	Blue- purple	Brown	Brown	Junior 2nd Class
Ikkyū	Brown	Purple	Brown	Brown	Junior 1st Class

In the United States only senior players (usually those age 16 and over) are allowed to earn dan levels, signified by wearing a black belt. The United States Judo Federation (USJF) and United States Judo Association (USJA) recognize dan grades awarded by the other organization. Advanced kyū levels can be earned by both seniors and juniors (children under the age of about 16) and are signified by wearing belts of various colours other than black. The order of belt colours can vary from dōjō to dōjō, depending on the dōjō's organizational affiliation.

Seniors

For senior players, both the USJF^[15] and the USJA specify six kyū, as listed in the table. The USJA requires "Beginners" (not a kyū) to wear a white belt until they test for yellow belt. The USJA also recommends wearing a patch specifying the practitioner's level. This is true for both kyū and dan levels.

Juniors

The USJF Juniors ranking system specifies ranks to 11th kyū (jūichikyū). The USJA Juniors ranking system specifies twelve levels of kyū rank, beginning with "Junior 1st Degree" (equivalent to jūnikyū, or 12th kyū) and ending with "Junior 12th Degree" (equivalent to ikkyū). As with the senior practitioners, the USJA recommends that juniors wear a patch specifying their rank. When a USJA Junior reaches the age of 17, their conversion to Senior rank is:^[16]

• Yellow belt converts to 6th kyū (rokkyū)
• Orange belt converts to 5th kyū (gokyū)
• Green belt converts to 4th kyū (yonkyū)
• Blue belt or higher converts to 3rd kyū (sankyū)

References