Rank in judo
In judo, improvement and understanding of the art is denoted by a system of rankings split into kyū and dan grades.
Once they had passed an elementary level of instruction, they were promoted to fifth kyū (五級, gokyū), when they would adopt the white belt.
[2] The ninth (kudan) and tenth degree black belt (jūdan) and, theoretically, those higher, have no formal requirements.
On January 6, 2006, three individuals were promoted to this rank simultaneously: Daigo Toshirō, Ichirō Abe, and Ōsawa Yoshimi.
As an educator by profession, Kanō believed that there should be no end to an individual's learning, and therefore no limit to the number of dan ranks.
The Kyu belt system can contain the colors white, red, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, and brown for both senior and junior practitioners.
In some countries junior practitioners have an extra system in place to show the progress in between two kyū grades.
In Australia belt rankings for Seniors are, in ascending order: white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown and finally black.
Belt rankings for Juniors follow the same ranks and colours (up to and including brown), but have either 1, 2 or 3 white bars (depending upon age) at each end of the belt, as follows: Judoka older than 15 can take the test for the even and odd Kyu degrees (two-color and one-color) as one test.
[7][8] As in some European countries, young judoka in Brazil have an extra system in place to show the progress in between two kyū grades.
In Canada belt rankings for Seniors are, in ascending order: white, yellow, orange, green, blue and brown.
Belt rankings for Juniors use, white, white-yellow, yellow, yellow-orange, orange, orange-green, green, green-blue, blue, blue-brown, and brown.
They are also used to signify that joint locks, chokes or strangles may not be performed upon the wearer as those are not taught nor applied to juniors below the age of 15 due to safety reasons.
For white, yellow, orange and green belt gradings are held in the practitioners club and are based on demonstration of a syllabus and kata.
For promotion to blue and brown the judoka must compete at a national grading against players of their own rank and win at least two fights by ippon or wazari.
The British Judo Association Kyu Grade system is as follows: In the United States only senior players (usually those age 16 and over) are allowed to earn dan levels, signified by wearing a black belt.
Advanced kyū levels can be earned by both seniors and juniors (children under the age of about 16) and are signified by wearing belts of various colours other than black.
