Ranking in the Dai Ni Gojuryu System

     In 1972 when the Kokusai Dai Ni Gojuryu Karate Kyokai was founded the belt system was changed for the last time by Sensei. While Sensei came from a period when belt ranking was not used in Okinawa, he always had awarded belt rankings. His students many times tried to bestow some ranking on him, but he never seemed interested. When the Association was formed in 1972, and the ranking system solidified for the first time, the students again tried to proclaim Sensei as 10th Dan. Sensei expressed that he felt that there was no need for anymore than 8 dan grades, equating the 8th Dan to a full professor in a university. The rank of "8th Dan headmaster" distinguished the president and headmaster of the Association from other 8th Dan practitioners and is considered to be a higher rank than 8th Dan.

     After Sensei's death there was much discussion among the Yudansha of the system as to whether or not to continue the 8 dan grade system or conform to a more standard 10 dan grade system.  While there was considerable pressure on the new president and headmaster to change this, he did not immediately give into it.  In January of 2000 a meeting of the Yudansha of the system voted overwhelmingly to simplify the various ranking systems used within the system and its subspecialities and conform to a more standard 10 dan grade system.  At that same meeting the late founder was posthumously promoted by the vote of the Shihan to 10th Dan.

     The current president and headmaster, in light of having already been promoted to the rank of 9th Dan by the American Karate Black Belt Association-Chin Sook Hage Kwan, was voted to the rank of 9th Dan and the rank of Hachidan-Headmaster was retired.

        The belting system as established at the formation of the association, with notation in black belt grades of how the founder equated them to university teaching ranks, was as follows:

     After Sensei's death, the continued changes in the competitive market and tournment scene required further ranking changes in the under black belt ranks. A youth system was developed for children under 12 years of age. All belts are the same color as adult division, but a black stripe runs through the length of the belt (except for youth black belt grades which has a white stripe through the length of the belt). Highest rank attained is Youth Black Belt Advanced. Students must retest into the Junior ranking system upon turning age 12.

     A Junior ranking system was developed for young people between the ages of 12 and 18 years. This system has a terminal rank of Junior Second dan. The belt colors are identical to the adult system. Juniors who remain active in training through their 18th birthday are automatically passed to the same adult rank as they hold in the junior system. Those who become inactive and return to training must retest into the adult system.