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Dan (段位) is a japanese word that means level or grade. It is commonly applied to japanese martial arts as a means of differentiating experience levels. It has been adoped by martial arts of many different origins as the de-facto method of organizing rank. Dan ranks are commonly recognized as first having been applied to martial arts in the early 1900s by Jigoro Kano, as he brought judo to the japanese school system. There are other methods of assessing rank in japanese martial systems, of particular note is the older, more obscure menkyo system. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... In British Judo there are 3 grade levels: Mon, meaning gate in Japanese, Kyu meaning student, and Dan meaning expert. To gain promotion from 1st to 5th Dan, Judoka (Judo players) demonstrate theoretical technique and competitive skill in graded competitions. ... Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ... Dr. Jigoro Kano (嘉納 治五郎 Kanō Jigorō, 1860 in Kobe, Japan - 1938) is the founder of Judo. ... Judo (Japanese: 柔道 JÅ«dō; literally gentle way) is a martial art, a sport and a philosophy which originated in Japan. ...

Typically, a dan-ranked practitioner of a style is a martial artist who has surpassed the rank of kyu. It is common in most styles that the dan ranked person is elegible to wear a black belt and can sometimes become a licensed instructor in their art. In many styles, however, achieving a dan rank means that one is no longer considered a beginner, but not necessarily that one is an expert. Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ... Kyu (ç´š) is a Japanese term used in martial arts, chado, ikebana, go and in other similar activities to designate various degrees or levels of proficiency or experience. ... In many martial arts, each practitioners level is marked by the color of the belt. ...

The total number of black-belt ranks is style-specific (1st through 5th and 1st through 10th are common). The lower dan grades can normally be attained through a grading examination or sometimes through a competition. The higher dan grades, however, require years of experience and contribution to the relevant martial art. This may be through instruction or research and publication. These grades can only be awarded by a higher-graded representative of the principal dojo or sometimes by a steering comittee. There is no set achievement level that is universal. An important point to note about ranking systems is that they are specific to the school or style, the ranks achieved do not necessarily translate across martial arts styles. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... This is a list of martial arts, broken down by region and style. ...

The highest grade of tenth dan is sometimes reserved for the founder of the art and other tenth dans can only be created by him. This has led to the rank becoming extinct in some arts. In other styles the dan ranks are not the highest level you can attain, with instructor certification and judge/judgement authorization being understood as higher-level or more sophisticated.

In the Japanese martial arts the dan grades are: 1 Shodan, 2 nidan, 3 sandan, 4 yondan, 5 godan, 6 rokudan, 7 shichidan (or nanadan), 8 hachidan, 9 kyudan and 10 judan.