Gradation

The belt which a judoka wears is meant to hold the judogi closed. As well as this, you can see by the belt how advanced a judoka is. Below, you can find information about the gradation.

The structure

In the judo ladder there are 16 grades to achieve you reach the highest level. The classes (kyu) are graded from the lowest level upwards. You begin with 6th kyu (the white belt), the 5th kyu (the yellow belt), the 4th kyu (the orange belt), the 3rd kyu (the green belt), the 2nd kyu (the blue belt), and finally the 1st kyu (the brown belt). The gradations are on the other hand graded differently. If you gain you black belt you are immediately a 1st dan, followed by the 2nd dan, then the 3rd dan etc. The highest dan gradation you can attian is the 10th dan. Jigoro Kano himself was posthumously awarded a 12 dan. This was a symbolic honour which was meant for him personally. The system in Japan is a little different. Between each class and grade there is a so called waiting tiime. This is the minimal time which must elapse before the following grade. A judo exam consists of two disciplines, the competition discipline and the technical disciplines. The technical decline is then further split op into two parts, technical (throw and control techniques) and Kata (a demonstration together with a partner of a specified principle of judo according to regulation standards).

For the judoka's up to the grade of 12, there are imtermediate steps in the form of...... . The brown belt is the highest grade in this class. The black belt on the other hand is lowes grade by the dn grades. Up to and including the 3rd dan you are considered a beginner. The 4th dan is an advanced judoka and the 5th dan is very advanced. By gaining the 6th dan you attain the master title. These judoka's may then choose to wear either a red and white chequered belt or a black belt. The 9th and 10th dan are very rarely attained. Jigoro Kano has the 12th dan, because he is the founder of judo.

The assessment

The grades between the white and brown belts can be gained at our own club or school. To gain the black belt you have to appear before an examination committee in your country. The committe consists mostly of 4th and 5th dan grades and it is their task to judge whether you have reached the next level.

The Gokyo system

Jigoro Kano used a specific method. He named the method "gokyo", this means the separating of a number of techniques into five groups, each of which includes eight throwing techniques under a specific classification. In 1895 he had the rough of how the school should be and it was not until 1920 he presented the gokyo as it stille stands. Kano used the following principles in putting together is gokyo.

1. Each technique in a kyo includes the basis for the following technique;

2. The techniques become progressively more difficult. 

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