Reference · Grading
The dan grades are the black-belt ranks, sitting above the coloured kyū (級) student grades that count down toward black belt. The whole kyū/dan system was borrowed from Kanō Jigorō’s Judo, not inherited from ancient karate. A dan holder is a yūdansha (有段者); a coloured-belt student is a mudansha (無段者); the grade itself is the dan-i (段位). See the coloured belts on our belts in order page and the grade-by-grade syllabus on grading syllabus.
| Dan | Name | Literal | What it represents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Shodan (初段) | “beginning degree” | Command of fundamentals — ready to begin serious study |
| 2nd | Nidan (二段) | “second degree” | Consolidated skill; often assistant-instructor level |
| 3rd | Sandan (三段) | “third degree” | Senior practitioner; commonly a genuine instructor rank |
| 4th | Yondan (四段) | “fourth degree” | Experienced instructor; dojo/association leadership |
| 5th | Godan (五段) | “fifth degree” | Senior teacher; often the highest rank won by physical exam |
| 6th | Rokudan (六段) | “sixth degree” | Master level; teaching, contribution & service weigh heavily |
| 7th | Shichidan / Nanadan (七段) | “seventh degree” | Senior master |
| 8th | Hachidan (八段) | “eighth degree” | Very senior master; rare |
| 9th | Kyūdan (九段) | “ninth degree” | Among a style’s most senior; usually appointed/honorary |
| 10th | Jūdan (十段) | “tenth degree” | Highest grade; a style’s foremost figure — often honorary/posthumous |
Naming notes: 7th dan is Shichidan but often said Nanadan (to avoid confusion with ‘ichi’). 9th dan Kyūdan sounds like the coloured-belt ‘kyū’ but is a different word. Romanisation of long vowels varies (Jūdan/Judan).
This is a genuine, widely-documented pattern — the general shape, not an exact rule:
Caveat: exact time-in-grade is not universal — it varies by organisation, country and era, and these are stated minimums that real progression usually exceeds. As one concrete, sourced example, the JKA’s minimum time-in-grade:
| From → To | JKA minimum |
|---|---|
| Shodan → Nidan | 1 year |
| Nidan → Sandan | 2 years |
| Sandan → Yondan | 3 years |
| Yondan → Godan | 4 years |
| Godan → Rokudan | 6 years |
| Rokudan → Shichidan | 7 years |
| Shichidan → Hachidan | 7 years |
| Hachidan → Kyūdan | 8 years |
| Kyūdan → Jūdan | 9 years |
Even at these minimums, the path from Shodan to Jūdan totals roughly 47 years — before counting the years to reach Shodan, and before the reality that senior grades come well beyond minimums. The JKA also attaches minimum ages at senior grades. The popular shorthand — ‘~2 years to Nidan, ~3 to Sandan, then widening gaps’ — captures the right shape.
Stripes vs solid black. Some organisations mark dan level with embroidered bars/stripes on the belt; many traditional Shotokan practitioners wear a plain solid black belt at every dan. There is no universal ‘N stripes = Nth dan’ rule.
The red-and-white belt (kōhaku obi). Borrowed from Judo (Kōdōkan, ~1930), where 6th–8th dan may wear a red-and-white panelled belt and 9th–10th a solid red belt (white = purity, red = sacrifice). In karate this is optional and varies by organisation — some award red as early as 8th dan, and many Shotokan masters simply keep a black belt at all grades.