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Kyu/Dan Rank	Traditional Seidokan	Optional Seidokan Method	Minimum Time in Rank before being allowed to test for the next rank.
Ju Kyu 10th	White	White	2 Months
Kyu Kyu 9th	White	White w/1 green stripe	4 Months
Hachi Kyu 8th	White	White w/2 green stripes or	4 Months
Nana Kyu (Shichi Kyu) 7th	White	White w/3 green stripes or Orange Belt	4 Months
Roku Kyu 6th	Green	Green	4 Months
Go Kyu 5th		Green w/1 Brown stripe	4 Months
Yon Kyu 4th		Green w/2 brown stripes or Blue Belt	4 Months (Age 15 & Up) 8 Months (Ages 5~14)
San Kyu 3rd	Brown	Brown	4 Months
Ni Kyu 2nd	Brown	Brown w/1 Black Stripe	4 Months
Sho Kyu 1st	Brown	Brown w/2 Black Stripes	12 Months (Adult 15 & up) 16 Months (Ages 5~14)
Shodan Ho	No Shoday Ho Youth will wait for Sho Dan Testing at age 16	Black with a Solid White Stripe	Optional: Youth will wait for Sho Dan Testing at age 16 or is just converted at the discretion of the Dojo Sensei.
Sho Dan 1st	Black	Black w/1 Gold Stripe	24 Months
Ni Dan 2nd	Black	Black w/2 Gold Stripes	36 Months
San Dan 3rd	Black	Black w/3 Gold Stripes	48 Months
Yon Dan 4th	Black	Black w/4 Gold Stripes	See Note 1A
Shihan Menkyo Teaching Liscence			To Be Determined
Go Dan 5th   Shihan	Black	Black w/1 Gold Block	Determined for each individual by the Honbu based upon their merits
Roku Dan 6th	Black	Black w/1 Gold Stripe and 1 Gold Block	Determined for each individual by the Honbu based upon their merits
Nana Dan 7th	Black	Black w/2 Gold Stripes and 1 Gold Block	Determined for each individual by Shian Toma based upon their merits
Hachi Dan 8th	Black	Black w/3 Gold Stripes and 1 Gold Block	Determined for by each individual by Shian Toma based upon their merits
Kyu Dan 9th	Black	Black w/4 Gold Stripes and 1 Gold Block	Determined for each individual by Shian Toma based upon their merits
Ju Dan 10th   Soke	Black Red	Black w/2 Gold Blocks	Is reserved only for our founder.

Since the early 1970's a red/white panel belt was utlized by some Seidokan instructors.  It was never awarded by Sensei Toma and his honbu dojo and is not Traditional Seidokan practice.  Some sensei after leaving the dojo and starting their own would adopt the mainland Japanese practice of titles and red/white belt wearing.  These senior ranks represent Renshi (usually 6th or 7th degree) and Kyoshi (7th or 8th to 9th degree black belt).  The rank of Hanshi is reserved as a title for the creator of our system and in this case is a 10th degree black belt.  Only Sensei Shian Toma holds this rank in the Zen Okinawan Seidokan Karate Kobudo and Toide Renmei.

General History of the Karate Ranking System

Dan rank system was invented by Honinbo Dosaku, professional go player in the Edo period. Prior to the invention, top-to-bottom ranking was evaluated by each handicap and tended to be vague. He valued the highest title holder, Meijin at 9th Dan.  Dan ranks were applied to martial arts by Kano Jigoro, the founder of judo. Kano started the modern rank system when he awarded shodan (the lowest dan rank) to two of his senior students (Shiro Saigo and Tsunejiro Tomita) in 1883. Even then, there was no external differentiation between yūdansha (black belt ranks) and mudansha (those who had not yet attained a grade). Kano began the custom of having his yūdansha wear black obi (belts) in 1886. These obi were not the belts karateka and jūdōka wear today — Kano had not invented the jūdōgi (judo uniform) yet, and his students were still practicing in kimono. They wore the wide obi still worn with formal kimono. In 1907, Kano introduced the modern jūdōgi and its modern obi, with white and black belt ranks.

The use of belts to denote ranks were used by different athletic departments within the Japanese school system, most notably for swimmers, prior to their adoption by Kano.

Modern usage in martial arts

While the use of the kyū/dan system and colored belts is common to martial arts of direct Japanese or other East Asian orign, and to arts that are derived from these, or from other areas, it is not universal.

In Japanese arts

In modern times, a dan-ranked practitioner of a style is usually recognized as a martial artist who has surpassed the kyū, or basic, ranks. They may also become a licensed instructor in their art, in many styles; however, achieving a dan rank means that while one is no longer considered a beginner, one is not yet necessarily an expert.

The total number of dan ranks is style-specific (1st through 5th and 1st through 10th are common in Japanese arts). The lower dan grades can normally be attained through a grading examination or sometimes through competition. The higher dan grades usually require years of experience and contribution to the relevant martial art. This may be through instruction or research and publication. These grades can be awarded only by a higher-graded representative of the principal dojo or sometimes by a steering committee. 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, thus the ranks achieved do not necessarily translate across different martial arts styles. In fact, dan ranks do not necessarily indicate one wears a black-belt; in certain martial arts such as iaidō, kendō or jōdō, no external signifier of rank is worn, though it is by far the most common and recognized symbol by the general public.

The highest dan ranks are sometimes reserved for the founder or leaders of a style and other high ranking students can be promoted only by them. This has led to upper level ranks becoming extinct in some arts. For example, in judo there are only three living tenth-level dans in the world and only fifteen have been promoted to the rank since its inception. In aikido, there are no ninth- or tenth-level dans still active,; thus the highest rank possible as of today is the eighth-level. For some other styles the dan ranks are not the highest level that might be attained, with instructor certification and judge/judgment authorization being understood as higher-level or more sophisticated.

Ranks in Japanese

Many arts use between one and ten dan ranks:

1. shodan (初段:しょだん): first degree black belt
2. nidan (二段:にだん): second degree black belt
3. sandan (三段:さんだん): third degree black belt
4. yodan (四段:よだん): fourth degree black belt
5. godan (五段:ごだん): fifth degree black belt
6. rokudan (六段:ろくだん): sixth degree black belt
7. nanadan (七段:ななだん): seventh degree black belt (also, shichidan)
8. hachidan (八段:はちだん): eighth degree black belt
9. kyudan (九段:くだん): ninth degree black belt
10. jūdan (十段:じゅうだん): tenth degree black belt

In certain styles, shodan implies that all the basics of the style have been mastered. At sandan the student is deemed capable of teaching independently as a teacher or instructor, often called sensei. At Godan, the budōka may receive certification as a master level practitioner (Shidōin). Generally, the lower dan ranks are validated on the basis of knowledge and physical skill. The higher the dan rank, the more leadership ability, teaching experience, and service to the style play a role in promotion. For example, in British judo, to gain promotion from 1st to 5th Dan, judo players must demonstrate theoretical technique and competitive skill in graded competitions. Promotions from 6th to 10th Dan are awarded for services to the sport of judo.

Although the dan system is distinctly Japanese, it has been adopted by many other martial arts styles. The dan system and the well-known symbol of a black-belt have been absorbed into common usage to represent a person with above-average or highly-trained skills in a particular discipline.

Martial arts titles

Martial artists often address their teachers as sensei. Junior and senior students are organized via a senpai/kōhai system.

Various titles are also employed to refer to senior instructors. Which titles are used depends on the particular licensing organization.

Shōgō

Shōgō (称号, Shōgō^? "title", "name", "degree") are martial arts titles developed by the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai.The Kokusai Budoin.  These titles are not part of traditional Okinawan Te Styles and are not part of traditional Seidokan.  However, some Seidokan instructors have seen fit to take on the title titles below as well as change their belt to the red and white panel belt, with a certain rank achieved.  This is a mainland Japanese practice and not Okinawan but is permitted. 

• Renshi (錬士 : れんし): instructor.
• Kyōshi (教士 : きょうし) refers to an advanced teacher, which in everyday Japanese can be a more modest synonym for sensei, sometimes used to indicate an instructor.
• Hanshi (範士 : はんし) refers to a senior expert considered a "teacher of teachers". This title is used by many different arts for the top few instructors of that style, and is sometimes translated "Grand Master".
• Meijin (名人): awarded by a special board of examiners. See also Meijin.

Other titles

• Shihan (師範 : しはん), merely means chief instructor; unlike the titles above it is not related to grade.
• Shidōin (指導員:しどういん), intermediate instructor, also unrelated to grade.
• Shishō (師匠 : ししょう) is another title used for martial arts instructors.

--Wikipedia

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