Ranks and Promotions
Master Okazaki named his dojo the Ko Den Kan, which translates as “Ancient Tradition School.” The significance of this name is that it means a school where the more advanced students teach the less advanced students. Okazaki described this spirit by using the Hawaiian word, Kokua, “to mutually help one another.”
Training in Danzan Ryu JuJitsu begins with basic warm-ups that include conditioning, flexibility and strengthening exercises. Okazaki formulated a list of these exercises called the Kowami. Beginning students will also learn Sutemi, the rolls and falls. These techniques will teach balance and coordination and allow students to be thrown safely.
The Danzan Ryu curriculum is broken down into different levels (see below). Each list of techniques (Yawara, Nage, Shime, etc.) is referred to as a board. In Okazaki’s dojo the lists were written on boards on the wall. In additional to the boards there are certain Kuden or orally transmitted materials that are necessary at each level.
Also on the wall in the Ko Den Kan were certain sayings that Okazaki felt were important. One was Bun Shikashite Bu which means the literary arts are just as important as the martial arts. Another was Sei Chu Do which means stillness amidst commotion.
| Level | Rank | Belt Color | Basic Curriculum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoden Beginning Transmission |
Rokyu Gokyu Yonkyu |
White (6th Kyu) Blue (5th Kyu) Green (4th Kyu) |
Yawara, Nage Te, & Shime Te* |
| Chuden Intermediate Transmission |
Sankyu Nikyu Ikkyu |
Brown (3rd Kyu) Brown (2nd Kyu) Brown (1st Kyu) |
Oku No Te, Kiai No Maki, & Fujin Goshin No Maki** |
| Okuden Deep Transmission |
Shodan Nidan Sandan Yodan Godan |
Black (1st Dan) Black (2nd Dan) Black (3rd Dan) Black & Red (4th Dan) Black & Red (5th Dan) |
Shinnin No Maki, Shinyo No Maki, And Kappo |
| Kuden Oral Transmission |
Rokudan Shichidan Hachidan Kudan Judan |
Red & White (6th Dan) Red & White (7th Dan) Red & White (8th Dan) Red (9th Dan) Red (10th Dan) |
Shingin No Maki |
| * Shoden includes the Yonenbu No Kata or children's forms. ** Substitute AJJF Goshin Jitsu | |||
The promotion ceremony takes two forms, one for a change in belt color and one for a change in degree. For a change in belt color, the instructor will call the student forward and ask them to kneel. The student takes off their current belt and folds it in fourths and places the folded belt in front of them. The instructor takes the new belt, holds it over the old belt with both hands, informs the student of the new rank, and presents the belt. The student takes the new belt and puts it on. The instructor ties the old belt into a knot to signify squeezing all the knowledge out of the old belt and into the new one. You never should untie your old belt. The students are congratulated with promotional throws and return to their seats
For a change in degree, such as promotion from sankyu (3rd degree brown) to nikyu (2nd degree brown), the instructor will call the students forward and ask the students to stand or kneel in front of him or her . The instructor informs the students of their new rank, the students bow and are congratulated, and return to their seats.