The belt ladder 帯
Every grade in our dojo, lowest first. Kyu (級) grades count down toward black belt; dan (段) grades count up from it. The months shown are the minimum time in grade before the next examination, set by our dojo for kyu grades and by JKA headquarters for dan grades.
Kyu grades 級
9 grades · at least 47 months from 9th Kyu to Shodan-
9th Kyu 九級
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8th Kyu 八級
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7th Kyu 七級
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6th Kyu 六級
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5th Kyu 五級
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4th Kyu 四級
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3rd Kyu 三級
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2nd Kyu 二級
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1st Kyu 一級
Dan grades 段
7 grades · black belt-
Shodan 初段
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Nidan 二段
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Sandan 三段
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Yondan 四段
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Godan 五段
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Shichidan 七段
JKA dan intervals
official JKA HQ guideline · effective Apr 1, 2022Black-belt grades are examined one at a time. Each grade has a minimum wait counted from the previous examination, so time does not carry over or let a grade be skipped. The last column shows the earliest a karateka could reach each grade after Shodan if every exam were taken on the first eligible day.
| Grade | Minimum after previous grade | Minimum age | Earliest after Shodan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nidan 二段 | 1 year | — | 1 year |
| Sandan 三段 | 2 years | 18+ | 3 years |
| Yondan 四段 | 3 years | — | 6 years |
| Godan 五段 | 4 years | — | 10 years |
| Rokudan 六段 | 6 years | — | 16 years |
| Shichidan 七段 | 7 years | 50+ | 23 years |
| Hachidan – Judan 八段 – 十段 | By recommendation of the Shihankai (council of master instructors), not by examination. | ||
Source: JKA dan ranking ↗. Kyu intervals above are our dojo's own; the first grading comes after 8 weeks.
Time in grade is a minimum, not a promise: Sensei invites students to grade when their technique is ready. See My progress for where you stand.