How many Dan levels does your org have?

[Wastelander]

Well, the Shorinkan has 10 dan ranks, although I'm not with the organization anymore. The Bugeikan doesn't have dan ranks for KishimotoDi, at all--just a Shihan license you can test for, eventually. For my own school, once COVID settles down, I think I'm going to get rid of the multiple levels of yudansha, entirely. The closest I would have is a "curriculum black belt" and an "instructor black belt."

[sensei8]

Well, the Shorinkan has 10 dan ranks, although I'm not with the organization anymore. The Bugeikan doesn't have dan ranks for KishimotoDi, at all--just a Shihan license you can test for, eventually. For my own school, once COVID settles down, I think I'm going to get rid of the multiple levels of yudansha, entirely. The closest I would have is a "curriculum black belt" and an "instructor black belt."

I like that structure because are we, as instructors, answering to our Student Body's needs of effectiveness or the needs of rank?!?!

[bushido_man96]

Well, the Shorinkan has 10 dan ranks, although I'm not with the organization anymore. The Bugeikan doesn't have dan ranks for KishimotoDi, at all--just a Shihan license you can test for, eventually. For my own school, once COVID settles down, I think I'm going to get rid of the multiple levels of yudansha, entirely. The closest I would have is a "curriculum black belt" and an "instructor black belt."

What do you mean by "curriculum black belt" and "instructor black belt?"

[ChpsahoySE]

@wastelander - very intriguing concept!! mind if I borrow it? jk. but Id support that.

[Wamp]

NIKO Ashihara’s highest is Yondan then there are Shihan-Dai and Shihan. The master levels are for leadership positions in the organization. There are some splinter schools that carry the Ashihara name that go higher than Yondan but I don’t know much about them.

[Wamp]

@ Wastelander, I like that idea. It reminds me of MCMAP. In MCMAP there are Black Belts, Black Belt Instructors, and Black Belt Instructor Trainers (IT). IT are instructors that go through an advanced curriculum and they have the qualifications to make instructors.

[aurik]

Like many Japanese/Okinawan organizations, we have 10 kyu grades and 10 dan grades. As a general rule, each Uechi-Ryu organization is headed by a 9th or 10th degree (including ours). I've had the privilege to train with the heads of two different organizations, ours (James Thompson, judan) and Konan Kai (Itokazu Seiki, kudan). Both of those seminars were extremely enlightening, and I only remember a small fraction of the material they taught.

[JR 137]

In Kyokushin (at least in the organization that I am part of, the Kyokushin world is quite divided when it comes to organizations), the highest rank you can actually test for is the 3rd Dan. That's where the official curriculum ends. Higher dan ranks are awarded for special accomplishments, which can be either athletic in nature, like winning at international tournaments etc. or more "buerocratil" like heading a national organization etc. The higher the ranks go, the more important that political/buerocratic aspect becomes.

Mas Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin, held the 10th Dan, but he never promotd any of his students to the same level, so since he died, the highest rank has been the 9th Dan.

Kyokushin has promoted people to 10th dan. Off the top of my head, Hanshi Steve Arneill holds the 10th rank. Soshu Shigeru Oyama was also honored with a 10th dan by IKO1 shortly before his death. What made that one very interesting was he left kyokushin around 1981. I can’t find a webpage nor the video of it; links and video were posted on the now defunct Kyokushin4Life forum. Matsui presented him the belt, along with others in kyokushin receiving higher dan ranks.

[JR 137]

Well, the Shorinkan has 10 dan ranks, although I'm not with the organization anymore. The Bugeikan doesn't have dan ranks for KishimotoDi, at all--just a Shihan license you can test for, eventually. For my own school, once COVID settles down, I think I'm going to get rid of the multiple levels of yudansha, entirely. The closest I would have is a "curriculum black belt" and an "instructor black belt."

What do you mean by "curriculum black belt" and "instructor black belt?"

I’m assuming he means black belt student that isn’t an instructor, and black belt instructor. I’ve heard of a few schools that do 3 dan levels - student, teacher, and teachers’ teacher (one who can grant teacher rank).

[JR 137]

9 dans, there are 3 8th dans in our organization, all over 70 years old....

I’m pretty sure we technically have 10. Kaicho has reportedly stated he’ll never accept a 10th dan because he’ll never stop learning. He’s allegedly been offered it a few times by various budo organizations.

I’d imagine he’ll be promoted to 10th dan posthumously when the time comes (I hate saying that).