Belts Levels
Beginner ranks are called Kyu. When you start Sogo Budo, you are Mu Kyu (without ranks). Over the years, you will pass five Kyu ranks—5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st—before attaining 1st dan (black belt). See the meaning and levels of the dan ranks.
To track your progress, the Shindokan dojo has adopted the colored belt system developed in the 1940s by Mikonosuke Kawaishi for use by French judoka and widely adopted since then in several countries and martial arts. These belts are:
Mu Kyu
Experience: Begginer
5th Khu
Experience: 4 months
4th Kyu
Experience: 8 months
3rd Kyu
Experience: 12 months
2nd Kyu
Experience: 12 months
1st Kyu
Experience: 16 months
1st dan
Experience: 18 months
2nd dan
Experience: 24 months
3rd dan
Experience: 36 months
4th dan
Experience: 48 months
5th dan
Experience: 60 months
THE MEANING AND LEVELS OF DAN GRADES
SHODAN (1st dan)
At 1st dan, the Budoka knows all the basic techniques that constitute Sogo Budo. They also know the martial principles related to the technique, using the union of body and mind. This knowledge is still general; it will become more specific and precise with the acquisition of higher levels. It is at this point that the practitioner realizes they are at the true beginning of learning the martial way. The body finally begins to respond to commands and reproduce the technical forms. You begin to grasp a certain idea of what Sogo Budo is. You must then strive to practice or demonstrate slowly if necessary, but always with precision and accuracy. You are training to become not just a guest in the dojo, but a student with very real responsibilities. You must study the basic technical forms and the elementary physical principles until the correct movement is automatic and feels natural.
SANDAN (3rd dan)
This is the beginning of understanding Kokyu Ryoku, the entry into the spiritual dimension of Sogo Budo. Refinement, precision, and technical efficiency begin to manifest. It then becomes possible to transmit these qualities. In addition to continuing to learn advanced techniques, technical variations, counter-techniques, and secret techniques become part of your repertoire. At this stage, you can generally be in charge of a dojo. While continuing your progression, you can choose to specialize in one of the specific technical repertoires of Sogo Budo. At this stage, technique no longer has the same meaning for the Budoka. You begin to move beyond the realm of technique. It becomes important not in itself, but through the transformation it produces within you. This is the explosion of the self, the fusion of body and mind.
NIDAN (2nd dan)
In the 1st dan, you add speed and power while demonstrating greater mental determination. This is expressed by a feeling of progress. The examiners must perceive this progress by observing clarity in the execution and direction of the work. The power of the movement must be sought and developed. The functional reality of the technique must be explored, and an understanding of what truly works, the "why," must develop. The 2nd dan represents a confirmation of the Budoka's achievements. The practitioner completes their progression on the martial path. In addition to firmly establishing the already acquired technical foundations and their variations, this progression is achieved through learning higher-level techniques. The practitioner glimpses new dimensions of Sogo Budo. These dimensions transcend the purely technical realm.
GODAN (5th dan)
Art respects principles, and the spirit, beginning to detach itself from form, is no longer imprisoned by the outward appearance of technique. The individual sheds their obscurations and appears in their true nature. They manifest their true self. Free from all attachment, they experience the joy of living in the here and now. New technical solutions emerge according to the situations. You must make Sogo Budo a dimension of your life, developing an inspired spirit and the qualities of a leader. Complete technical spontaneity must appear, which is no longer technique itself, but that which underlies technique. At this stage, there must be complete dedication to the art and immense social and spiritual growth—growth that does not produce a narrow interest in a dojo or region, but an active interest in all students and all people of the world. Throughout these years of practice, your physical, mental, and spiritual understanding must constantly progress. The spontaneous application of Sogo Budo must progress. If you stop training on any of these levels, your Sogo Budo will no longer grow. Simply giving your time is meaningless. The quality and intensity of your practice, the discoveries you make each day—that has meaning. You must work hard and discover the answer for yourself. It is at this stage that you become a master, not only of your martial art, but also a master of yourself. From that moment on, you no longer follow the martial way… you create it.
YONDAN (4th dan)
The technique is brilliant, the movement fluid and powerful. It should be immediately apparent to the observer. Physical strength and readiness, along with mental clarity, are unambiguously united in the movement and are also expressed in daily life. At this technically advanced level, you begin to glimpse the profound principles that govern the techniques. You become able to guide practitioners and instructors more precisely on the path of Sogo Budo. The technical form must be profoundly refined in accordance with this understanding, and you must seriously begin to develop the art of teaching others. Personal training is no longer sufficient. You must understand your social responsibility.
Beyond the 5th dan
The ranks of Rokudan (6th dan), Nanadan (7th dan), Hachidan (8th dan), Kyudan (9th dan), and Judan (10th dan) are traditionally honorary ranks. These ranks are generally awarded to the Budoka based on their involvement in the organization, the development of their teaching, published works, instructors they have trained, and so on. These ranks transcend technique. Beyond life and death, the clear mind is open, capable of unifying opposites. Without an enemy, there is no fight. Without combat, without an enemy, the individual is the eternal victor. Unhindered, they are free, free in their freedom. Their vision encompasses and harmonizes all things. But it doesn't end there. Even the purest water can stagnate in a pond; one must never forget the spirit of the beginner taking their first step.
