Dan 段

In modern budō, dan 段 ref refers to advanced ranks (black-belt levels), beginning at shodan (1st dan) and continuning to 10th dan. The dan system is used in many gendai budō arts such as Aikidō, Jūdō, Kendō, Karatedō, Kyūdō, and Iaido.

The 10 Dan Ranks

  • 初段 (shodan) — first level
  • 二段 (nidan) — second level
  • 三段 (sandan) — third level
  • 四段 (yondan) — fourth level
  • 五段 (godan) — fifth level
  • 六段 (rokudan) — sixth level
  • 七段 (shichidan or nanadan) — seventh level
  • 八段 (hachidan) — eighth level
  • 九段 (kudan) — ninth level
  • 十段 (judan) — tenth level

Kyū (級) levels, on the other hand, are beginner grades. One starts at the bottom (i.e., 6th kyu) and works their way up to 1st kyu and then tests for shodan. Interestingly, shodan (1st dan) does not mean “master.” It means “new level.” You are finally standing on the first step of real training.

The dan / kyū system was not ancient. It was created by Kanō Jigorō (嘉納治五郎), the founder of judo, in the late 1800s. He adapted dan/kyū from the board game Go, tea ceremony rankings, and classical arts evaluation systems. Kanō introduced kyū for student levels and dan for instructor or advanced levels and used a black belt to symbolize dan status. From Judo, the system spread to almost all modern martial arts (gendai budō). Koryū (classical arts) often do not use dan but prefer the use of menkyo, mokuroku, okuden, menkyo kaiden, etc.

Translation

weapon, action of striking (old radical often linked to movement)
⺮ (or 又 variants)hand/action components. Historically the character referred to “a raised platform or step,” which extended metaphorically to progression or levels.
danRank, grade, step, stage, or level of advancement (as in black-belt ranking systems). Thus, dan = a step upward.

Usage

In Japan, dan 段 is also used for calligraphy ranks; tea ceremony levels; go and shōgi ranks, archery, and ikebana (flower arrangement). It always means a graded, measured step of advancement.

Read More Off Site

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *