Overview

Martial Arts Dan and Kyu Ranks

The dan and kyu ranking system in martial arts was established by Jigoro Kano in 1883 for Kodokan Judo. Kyu ranks indicate progression from beginner to advanced levels, while dan ranks represent achievement as a black belt holder. Adopted by major martial arts including judo, kendo, and karate, ranks are visually distinguished by belt colors or badges. Achieving shodan (first dan) earns the black belt, and higher dan ranks evaluate not only technique but also teaching ability and character.

martial arts dan rank kyu rank judo kendo karate black belt Jigoro Kano Kodokan

code	slug	name	description	beltColor	martialArt	rankNumber	rankType	titleName
kyu-10	judo-10kyu	Judo 10th Kyu	The lowest kyu rank in judo. The first rank beginners obtain.	White or colored belt	Judo	10	kyu
kyu-1	judo-1kyu	Judo 1st Kyu	The highest kyu rank in judo. Uses brown belt and qualifies for shodan examination.	Brown belt	Judo	1	kyu
dan-1	judo-shodan	Judo Shodan (1st Dan)	The first dan rank in judo. Uses black belt, the first step as a yudansha.	Black belt	Judo	1	dan
dan-5	judo-godan	Judo Godan (5th Dan)	A high dan rank in judo. Uses black belt, requiring capability as an instructor.	Black belt	Judo	5	dan
dan-10	judo-judan	Judo Judan (10th Dan)	The highest dan rank in judo. Uses red belt, achieved by only a select few.	Red belt	Judo	10	dan
kendo-kyu-1	kendo-1kyu	Kendo 1st Kyu	The highest kyu rank in kendo. Uses kyu badge and qualifies for shodan examination.	Kyu badge	Kendo	1	kyu
kendo-dan-1	kendo-shodan	Kendo Shodan (1st Dan)	The first dan rank in kendo. Uses dan rank badge.	Dan rank badge	Kendo	1	dan
kendo-dan-8	kendo-hachidan	Kendo Hachidan (8th Dan)	The highest dan rank in kendo. Extremely difficult examination with less than 1% pass rate.	Dan rank badge	Kendo	8	dan
karate-dan-1	karate-shodan	Karate Shodan (1st Dan)	The first dan rank in karate. Uses black belt, common across all styles.	Black belt	Karate	1	dan
karate-dan-10	karate-judan	Karate Judan (10th Dan)	The highest dan rank in karate. Awarded through special recommendation system.	Black or red belt	Karate	10	dan
renshi	renshi-title	Renshi (Instructor Title)	A title in kendo. For holders of 6th dan and above.		Kendo		title	錬士
kyoshi	kyoshi-title	Kyoshi (Senior Instructor Title)	A senior title in kendo. For holders of Renshi 7th dan.		Kendo		title	教士
hanshi	hanshi-title	Hanshi (Master Title)	The highest title in kendo. For holders of Kyoshi 8th dan.		Kendo		title	範士

The dan and kyu ranking system indicating skill levels in Japanese martial arts.