Busting the Myths About Karate Ranks, Belts, & Titles
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by Charles Bouton & Keith D. Yates rofessor oshi hanshi kwangj shi p shihan ster ky angnim ren sabimn ei ma semp dan im gran Busting the sens ai shodan soke ju dmaster Myths about Karate Ranks, Belts, & Titles erhaps you know that the first karate school opened in America in 1946. But did you know that was only a brief 22 years after the first-ever black belt Pin karate had been awarded? Ever since, legions of myths have grown up around the revered “black belt.” Unfortunately it was often Westerners, usually out of confusion—but sometimes out of deliberate attempts to elevate themselves—who created many of them. So we are here to set the record straight. True or False? • The “fathers” of karate (and kung fu and dan system of classifying his students from the game of Taekwondo as well) were all 10th dan. • If you create your “Go” where the kyu/dan classifications had been devised by own style, then you are automatically a 10th degree black Honindo Dosaku (1645–1702). belt. • Titles such as Soke, Hanshi, Kyoshi, Grandmaster, There were only three colors of “obi,” or sashes, and Senior Grandmaster are only awarded based on “time- white, brown, and black. Incidentally, while it is not known in-grade” and the rank one holds. • why Kano used the color black, Everyone who is awarded a 8th dan is The black belt it was NOT because the oldest automatically considered a “professor.” practitioners had continued wearing Read on to find out the answers to these did NOT come and thereby “dirtied” their belts until and other myths. they were a darker color. Japanese The truth is that most Karate about because would never continue to wear dirty ranking post dates 1940. The Okinawan and soiled clothing. Another myth masters, revered as the ones who took the practitioner's busted! karate from Okinawa to Japan (where belt became Kano’s intention was that the it later spread to Korea), simply had no dan classification would not be a rank at all. In fact the very idea of belt dirty with age. terminal or completion grade but ranking was largely unknown in Okinawa until after World actually a change in phase or type of training (in fact the War II. character for dan (段) actually means “step” or “phase”). Martial arts belt ranking began with Jigoro Kano The kyu level (級) students learned the basics, you might (1860–1938) the founder of Judo. He had studied several say the alphabet of Judo. The more advanced dan grade ju-jitsu systems and developed a way to safely practice students began to make words and complete sentences. them. He called his approach ju (gentle)–do (way), or, the In 1907, he developed the first Judo uniform (a yellowish gentle way to practice. In 1883, Kano borrowed the kyu/ jacket and pants) and with it came the cloth belts we have continued on next page 20 OFFICIAL KARATE 2015 ANNUAL Martial Arts Grandmasters International ® 21 shi chief maste professor shihan shi han r kanch ashi sabimn ng sah r ren o sem n t im gra chu aste pai jyu juda ndpanda osensei m dan soke nim come to recognize today. He used that black sash for dan 1. The word karate had to be written in Japanese characters Until that time tode was largely practiced under a grade holders. and not Chinese characters. Until that time in Japan it was veil of secrecy and individual teachers did not often Again, the Chinese character “dan” literally means known as “Chinese fist (or hand)” and it is pronounced share information. Along with Kenwa Mabuni, Choki “step” in Japanese. It refers to one’s level of expertise or almost the same as “karate.” In Okinawa it was still called Motubu, and Gichin Funakoshi, Miyagi introduced to one’s “degree” of skill. Thus Westerners began to call “tode.” Gichin Funakoshi (the “father” of modern karate) tode to the Japanese mainland. In 1928, Jigoro Kano themselves a “third degree black belt” or whatever rank took the character for “Chinese” and realized it was similar invited Miyagi to Japan to teach at the Butokuden. they held. Now many schools even call the ranks below to another character for “empty” or “kara.” Thus he called When the Butoku-kai presented its criteria for black belt “degrees” as in “fifth degree blue belt” but this it, and wrote it, in Japanese characters as kara-te or empty the recognition of karate, the various Okinawan sensei would be incorrect in Japanese. Lower ranks are called kyu hand. Some say a fellow student of the martial arts in could not reach agreement. There were a little over level, or mudansha (無段者) those “without” dan rank. The Okinawa, Hanshiro Chomo, had previously used the term 50 known kata practiced in Okinawa, and most sensei Korean martial arts, by the way, adopted the the dan (단) in a 1905 text. At any rate, kara-te, Chinese fist, became only knew from two to five of them. Which ones system for black belts but their lower ranks are refered to as kara-te, empty hand. would be required and taught? Many Okinawans “gup” (급). saw the Japanese as aggressive occupiers of their In 1895 the Japanese government had created an 2. Karate groups had to adopt a standard uniform to homeland. Japan was nearing the height of its organization known as the Dai Nippon Butoku-kai, or the practice in. Funakoshi had already adopted a lighter version nationalistic pride and the Japanese looked on All-Japan Martial Arts Association. It was tasked with of the Judo gi for his school so others began to use it as Okinawans as hillbillies, and this prejudice collecting the knowledge of the well. kept most of the Okinawan sensei at odds various ju-jitsu schools as well as with the Butoku-kai. Funakoshi was the sword schools. In 1899 they 3. Karate groups had to set up one of the few who acquiesced to the built the Butokoden, an institution tournaments. This became a Japanese demands. to house and collect different huge stumbling block. Although As stated, Funakoshi had adopted martial weapons and hold some of the instructors tried a black belt dan grading system. He demonstrations and tournaments to develop rules and even awarded the first karate black belts in various martial styles. crude protective gear many ever given to four individuals on April, The Dai Nippon Butoku- of them simply didn’t like the 10, 1924. And while he accepted the title of kai developed a ranking system idea of “sport” karate. Actual kyoshi in 1943, Funakoshi never promoted of “licenses” to encourage one’s tournament karate didn’t begin anyone to any grade above 5th dan. He also only personal perfection and advancement. American love in Japan until after Funakoshi’s claimed the rank of 5th degree for himself. One of There were initially two such death in 1957 (and many Okinawan his successor organizations, the Japan Student Karate classifications: 1) Hanshi, intended to to use the title karate groups still refuse to hold Association, still only awards 5 dan grades. designate a model or expert teacher competitions). Also, Funakoshi didn’t have “stripes” on the of long tenure; and 2) Kyoshi for an "professor," but black belt (many Shotokan schools today still follow expert teacher of a lower level. These 4. Finally, a kyu/dan black belt that tradition). But in the West we often see white were created in 1902. These licenses they forget that system had to be established and strict stripes, red stripes, gold stripes (we’ve even seen gold were handed out initially only to a requirements set up to grant rank. stars indicating his number of degrees on one guy’s few Japanese instructors. The title Kano was an black belt at a tournament—guess he remembered the of Renshi, which wasn’t added until The last of these proved a large gold stars he used to get in elementary school). And 1934, meant a skilled expert below the actual university stumbling block as well, largely did you know that in some Okinawan systems one rankings of Hanshi and Kyoshi. because of one Okinawan teacher, stripe actually means 3rd dan so that if a belt has three An interesting note; beside Ju- professor. Chojun Miyagi (1888–1953). He was stripes on it, the wearer is a 9th degree black belt! jitsu, the two predominant arts to become involved in the from a wealthy, aristocratic family and was a successful The martial arts in Korea did not have a Dai Nippon Butoku-kai were Judo and Kendo. Karate and prominent business owner. Miyagi personally grading system until the Japanese occupation (1910– didn’t make its way into the scope of the Butoku-kai sponsored the creation of a research center in Okinawa 1945) when the Japanese arts of Judo and Kendo were until 1933 when the commission voted to consider it. Its in 1926, to bring together several of the best-known introduced into Korea. After WW II and the liberation acceptance was dependent on four criteria: Okinawan sensei to share their knowledge and promote of Korea from Japan, Taekwondo was created (1955) the development of tode as a national, cultural-treasure. in an attempt to distinguish the modern Korean martial continued on next page 22 OFFICIAL KARATE 2013 ANNUAL Martial Arts Grandmasters International ® 23 bbi la fu judan supreme uro ra bing isa dan si grandm i g hanshi bimnim ei sip aster ansh onisan i sa sens si tai gung doctor h sensei kyosh arts from the Japanese systems (even though the initial into their ranking systems.