It would be advisable that, before beginning to talk about the different degrees of master in the martial discipline, we make a brief introduction about this sport so that not only people experienced in this martial art can read and understand what is explained in this article.
First, we have to ask ourselves the following questions: What is judo? Where was it born? Judo, or also written judo, is a martial art or contact sport originally from Japan created by the master Jigoro Kano. In its beginnings the martial art was called Kano-Ryu-Jujutsu in reference to its founder master, the martial art was enriched by the master Kyuzo Mifune who after the death of the master Jigoro Kano improved both the technique and the elegance of the movements to become the sport we know today.
The word judo is translated as the path of flexibility (some translations use courtesy instead of flexibility). This term not only refers to the physical condition of the practitioners of this martial art (known as judokas or yudokas) but also to the mental and emotional development that the practice of martial art entails, inculcating values to its practitioners in order to make them not only better competitors but also better people.
Once this martial art is introduced we can begin to talk about the different degrees of mastery reached by the students and how a beginner is distinguished from an experienced judoka. As almost everyone knows, and the one who does not know by reading these lines will find out) the feature that allows us to know quickly the level of mastery of martial art is the color of the belt of each judoka. Yes, in judo the color of the belt is synonymous with how skillful you are within the martial discipline. Even having clear this detail is necessary to establish two groups within the colors the first would be the group of beginners or people who starts in this martial art having the name of kyu in this groups include the following colors; white, yellow, orange, green, blue and brown. The second group is reserved for advanced judokas being this the Dan group whose belts are: black, white-red and red.
Let's start with the Kyu group and, following the logical order, we will explain from the white belt to the brown belt.
The first belt is white or Rokyu is the first belt we wear during the practice of martial art is in this place because the color white reflects naivety and purity. These attributes are closely related to childhood and symbolize that when we climb a tatami for the first time we are like newborns waiting to receive teachings that help us move forward in life or, in this case, in this precious martial art.
Once we have left the white belt we go on to display the yellow belt also known as Gokyu. This color represents the curiosity and the desire to discover that awaits us if we continue walking the path that involves the practice of this martial art.
Passing the required tests we find our third belt of a bright orange, this belt is also known by the name of Yonkyu. The orange color is chosen for the third degree of kyu because it represents illusion and love, because at this point you see judo not only as a simple martial art but as a lifestyle that you want to follow and even get to love the sport. The illusion is reflected in the judoka to want to advance more and more and boast higher ranks.
And so we go from love and illusion to hope and with it comes our next belt and as could not be otherwise this is green. This belt is also known as Sankyu. Subjectively I would like to say that of all the colors chosen and attributes represented, this belt is one of the most special, to reach this belt you pass from child to adolescent (in the scale of learning martial art) displaying this belt means that you have traveled half the way to what for many judokas is a goal set for many years to see, the black belt.
Leaving behind the green belt we arrive at the blue color, also known as Nikyu, which represents idealism, here I would like to expose the definition of the word idealism: "Tendency to consider the world and life according to models of harmony and perfection". As previously explained judo enriches the emotional and mental growth of judokas and this is reflected once you display the blue in your belt.
To finish with the kyu group we have to reach the brown belt or ikkyu. Brown was chosen for its resemblance to black, its predecessor. This range and therefore the color brown in judo symbolizes the initiation to knowledge. Possibly many of you find this strange and that How am I going to begin to know judo after passing through at least six different belts? well yes, the fact of reaching the degree of brown belt that has come the time for you to prepare for the new phase of learning that is about to come because the black belt, as many people believe, is not the ceiling or the highest rank of martial art but is the starting point to treasure the true knowledge of judo.
As a curiosity I would like to say that the Japanese name of the group Kyu has nothing to do with the colors that represent the belts but symbolize a countdown from six to one being these roku(six), go(five), yon(four), san(three), ni(two) and ichi(one). Therefore, the name of these belts is formed by the union of the number they represent in this descending scale with the suffix kyu that gives name to the group. Example: the green belt is in the third position of the ladder so its name in Japanese is san(tres) plus the suffix kyu, sankyu.
Before passing to the group of Dan, it is necessary to make a small mention to the bicolored belts, these are an intermediate step between the main belts and are used mostly by children since, at least in Spain the minimum age to take the black belt exam (which we will talk about in the following lines) is 15 years and children who begin to practice martial art at 3 years of age would have to wait a long time being brown belts until they can take the black belt exam, which could be boring for not being able to advance and would lead to a possible abandonment of martial art. This is where the bicolour belts come into action, which make you go through a maximum of 11 belts to reach the brown belt grade. These bicolor belts are: white-yellow, yellow-orange, orange-green, green-blue and blue-brown.
It's time to face the black belt test for which each judoka devotes at least a year of rigorous training to be able to overcome it. The exam consists of: theoretical questions on the basics of judo, demonstration of techniques, movements and falls required by the court that examines you a random group of nage no kata (kata explained in a previous post on this blog) and to finish your Tokui waza in all its forms combinations with other techniques, in displacement and how to counteract it. The Tokui waza comes to be the favorite movement of the judoka or what comes to be the same its technique stars. For the more curious I will say that my Tokui waza in judo standing is the technique Harai goshi and my Tokui waza in judo floor, as could not be other is the dislocation Ude garami that gives name to this company. The score of the exam goes from 0 to 100 being 65 the minimum grade required to pass the exam.
Once you have passed the exam, you will be given the black belt, thus leaving the kyu group and you will be awarded the title of first Dan of judo. The Dan scale goes from the first to the tenth and in order to advance it is necessary to pass a specific exam and have a minimum age for each Dan.
It is in this moment where one begins to learn real judo, which is only possible after traveling the path of the kyu.
In this case there is hardly any change in the color of the belt since from the first to the fifth dan you show the black color in the belt, once you reach the sixth dan and up to the eighth dan you will wear a bicolor white-red belt and it will not be until the ninth dan that you will be honored with the distinctive red color in your belt which is the highest possible range in judo, since being tenth dan you will continue with the red belt.
n this case the names in Japanese are the exact translation of the range that reflects each belt although they also omit the color of the belt in question so the official names of the dan scale in judo are as follows:
Black belt: 1st DAN - Sho Dan.
Black belt: 2nd DAN - Ni Dan.
Black belt: 3rd DAN - San Dan.
Black belt: 4º DAN - Shi Dan.
Black belt: 5º DAN - Go Dan.
Red-white belt: 6º DAN - Roku Dan.
Red-white belt: 7º DAN - Shichi Dan.
Red-white belt: 8º DAN - Hachi Dan.
Red belt: 9º DAN - Kyu Dan.
Red belt: 10º DAN - Ju Dan.
The rank of Ju Dan has been held only by 18 people and these are divided into 2 groups recognized by the institute Kodokan (founded by the master Jigoro Kano) and the international federation of judo IFJ and those that have only been recognized by the IFJ. The list of Ju Dan is as follows:
Recognized by the Kodokan and the IFJ:
Yamashita Yoshiaki (1865-1935) at the age of 70.
Isogai Hajime (1871-1947) at age 66.
Nagaoka Hidekazu (1876-1952) at age 61.
Mifune Kyuzo (1883-1965) at 62.
Lizuka Kunisaburo (1875-1958) at 71.
Samura Kaichiro (1880-1964) at 68.
Tabata Shotaro (1884-1950) at 64.
Okano Kotaro (1885-1967) at 82.
Shoriki Matsutaro (1885-1969) at 84.
Nakano Shozo (1888-1977) at 89.
Kurihara Tamio (1896-1979) at 83.
Kotani Sumiyuki (1903-1991) at 81.
Ichiro Abe (1923 - present) at 83.
Toshiro Daigo (1926 - present) at 80.
Yoshimi Osawa (1927 - present) at 79.
Recognized only by the International Judo Federation:
Anton Geesink (1930 - 2001) at the age of 63, was the first non-Japanese to reach this degree.
Charles Palmer (1934 - 2010) at the age of 67.
George Kerr (1937 - present) at 63.
I hope that this article has helped you to understand the levels of mastery held by the judokas, it must be said that it is based on the European regulations since in the United States there are also belts of lilac and gray and in Japan are usually used only white, brown and black, these being the first colors established to differentiate the level of mastery of each judoka.
If even after reading the article you have doubts or simply want some specific information expose your ideas in the comments of the blog and I will be happy to either answer you one by one or if the suggestions are repeated, create a new blog post in order to clarify the doubts or satisfy your curiosity.
