How does your school display Dan rank?

[rockdan]

We don't have any display of rank on our belts they are just solid black with no embroidery, in general kyu ranks don't know if we are a 1st or 5th degree unless they ask or are present for promotions. However, we are a small system and know fellow black belts by sight and as black belts we are aware of who outranks us and who doesn't.

We do wear different colored uniforms, however, all kyu ranks wear white uniform tops and bottoms regardless of rank and all black belts wear black uniform tops and bottoms regardless of rank.

[DWx]

Forgot about uniforms, as well as the belt, blackbelts have black silk edging aroun the bottom of their doboks, 4th dan and above also have it down the sides of the arms and legs. We also have the diamond shaped patches which go on the shoulders to denote levels of instructor, you don't see them as much though.

[bushido_man96]

Forgot about uniforms, as well as the belt, blackbelts have black silk edging aroun the bottom of their doboks, 4th dan and above also have it down the sides of the arms and legs. We also have the diamond shaped patches which go on the shoulders to denote levels of instructor, you don't see them as much though.

1st dans have the stripe around the bottom of the uniform top.

3rd dans have an instructor stripe around the collar.

4th dans and up have the stripe down the leg.

Instructor and Master Instructor patches are optional for 3rd and 5th dans, respectively.

Also, at our school, the head instructor takes a picture of us, and a copy of our rank certificate, frames them, and puts them on one of the walls in the dojang.

[armanox]

First through sixth dan is a solid black belt

Seventh and Eighth dan is a red and white panel belt

Ninth and Tenth dan is a blood red belt.

[Traymond]

Name in Korean, Japanese, Chinese or Arabic on the left, and the kanji for your dan rank on the right, with one of three okinawan karate symbols underneath it.

[ryukasagi]

We just use red stripes on the belt.

[Kruczek]

First through sixth dan is a solid black belt

Seventh and Eighth dan is a red and white panel belt

Ninth and Tenth dan is a blood red belt.

We do the same. There are no rules prohibiting special custom belts...but most people in our area (who are in our style) tend to look at it as "showing off".

I don't think there is anything wrong with stripes and such, but my style doesn't and I think it looks better, if we are all uniform.

[NightOwl]

The American system is different, but in Japan up until 1st Dan you only have white belt.

1st dan- 5th Dan is Black (or black with a white stripe for women)

6th dan- 8th has a Red and White striped belt, although it usually isn't worn and instead the black belt is still used.

9th-10th Dan has a Red belt. I've only ever seen one person with a red belt, and they were probably in their mid 70's. Apparently only 15 people have ever made it to 10th dan.

[KarateEd]

At my school, we have only a white stripe for each dan rank on our belts, though they are optional (at least one guy doesn't wear any dan stripes at all). As for uniforms, all color belts wear white, BBs wear black, unless one is an official teacher, in which case he wears a white top with black pants.

[NightOwl]

By the by, does anyone know why the woman's striped black belt isn't adopted outside of japan? I actually had never seen them before I went to Japan, and since have wondered why. Looking a bit online I found some heated arguments about the joshi belt with some calling them names like 'skunk stripes' (I personally thought they looked cool) and lots of stories of Western women being discriminated against and abused in the Judo world (no not in Japan, but in America).

Frankly I was a bit surprised since there is a famous photo of Kano teaching a woman's class, and even in Japan women were taught naigatanajutsu and a rare few learned jujutsu as it was seen as a way to overcome a more powerful man (Kano taught his wife and daughter, and their close friends also learned as well). Hence I didn't figure that the western world would be so non progressive on the matter. I think that many women martial artists in Japan would be surprised at the things said about their belts and perhaps even offended. Does anyone use the joshi belts in their dojo?