10th dan

How long and hard does it take to get a 10th

dan in Karate? Is that effectively the highest
of the highest grades within/post black belt,
which represents a total master of the sport
with no higher to go? How does one get the
10th dan?
answer : 10th dan is usually the highest,
yes. But reaching 10th dan, again, USUALLY,
is not a matter of physical skill or being
invincible. Reaching 10th dan within an
organization typically is reserved for only the
most outstanding members, with a lifetime
(and I do make emphasis on the word
‘lifetime’) of continuous commitment and
achievements within that style or
organization.

Pretty much every single valid 10th dan out

there is an elderly person who has spent
decades training and studying their martial
art. Now, because of their age, they probably
aren’t fighting machines capable of
defeating hordes of ninjas, as I imagine
many people outside of martial arts imagine
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 10th dan
a 10th dan to be. The reason pretty much
only elderly people achieve a 10th degree
black belt, is that in many organizations, a
period of several years has to pass before
you are allowed to test for your next dan.
This period can be from 2 years up to 9
years between tests.

There is another way to get to 10th dan.

Many martial artists have resorted to
creating their own martial art. Now, 10th
dan has also been a rank awarded to a
system’s founder or creator, so many people
who have created their own style instantly
award themselves a 10th dan. Many
traditional martial artists frown on this
practice though, and being a young 10th dan
Grandmaster is usually a sign of a low
quality or fraudulent school.

Awarding yourself a 10th dan belt upon

creating your own style isn’t neccesary,
though.
Take Chuck Norris. When he finally created
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 10th dan
his own martial art called Chun Kuk Do, he
was told by his partners that he needed to be
a higher rank than anybody else so he could
continue to award rank within his own
system, so he gave himself a 7th degree
black belt instead of a 10th dan. Then he
worked up from there, and now he’s a 10th
dan black belt in his own system. Bear in
mind though, even Chuck Norris is ‘only’ a
9th dan both in Tang Soo Do (his base
martial art) and Taekwondo.

Also, in some arts a 10th degree is in fact

unreachable, as is the case in Soo Bahk Do,
where you can only attain a 9th dan belt, or
reserved for the founder of the system.

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Joshua Cohen
Joshua Cohen, Black belts in Goju Ryu and
Kyokushinkai
Updated Jun 4, 2018
10th dan means you are the titular head of
your particular style. It is not something you
test for. In most styles of karate, the highest
dan that actually means anything in terms of
ability is usually about 3rd or 4th. These are
the highest ranks you normally have to really
test for. Usually this level qualifies you as
sensei. Above this level (around 5th -6th
dan) the tests tend to be somewhat
ceremonial in nature. meaning you are not
really testing. The decision has been made
and you are going through the motions.

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 10th dan
The first thing you need to understand is
that a karate style is also an organization. It
is very common that higher ranks are not
just given out based on skill - they are
basically ranks in the organization. Typically
a 10th dan is the head of the organization,
like the CEO or commanding general. He
basically decides what rank to give which
people below him in the organization, for
example 5th-9th dans. These decisions can
be arbitrary. Usually not only is a person’s
overall skill considered, but dedication and
service to the organization is as well. For
example, how long you have been part of the
system, have you done much to promote the
system, do you have your own dojo or many
dojos, how many people you have brought to
black belt level, etc.

How the 10th dan is chosen varies between

styles (organizations). Some inherit the
position. Not necessarily genetically -
normally the current 10th dan will select
someone to succeed him after his death or
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 10th dan
retirement.

Another way is to simply give yourself the

title. I have seen more than one instructor
who decided that he wants to break away
from his parent organization, create his own
style and instantly proclaim himself as 10th
dan. This may sound shady but actually
many of these are totally justified. Its just
not unusual that after you get to a certain
level of skill you might decide that you would
like to develop your self and your art in ways
different from what you were taught. There
are many prominent karate senseis,
Japanese and otherwise, who have done
precisely that.As an example, there have
been several senseis who broke away from
Kyokushinkai and created their own styles,
such as Seido, Enshin, Oyama Karate, etc.
All of these are very viable styles in their own
right and the people who founded them were
very senior masters in the Kyokushinkai
organization at the time they broke away. No
one can argue that their system heads don’t
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 10th dan
deserve their 10th dans.

However I have also seen people who just

made shodan or nidan who did the same
thing, suddenly call themselves 10 dans.
These should be looked at a bit skeptically.

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Mikhail Strogov
Mikhail Strogov
Answered May 23, 2018
In kyokushin for example, everything above
5th dan is more or less political rank, not
fighter rank. Though my shihan went to
Japan for 5th dan, took 50 man kumite test,
a proper test, as a fighter and a master. No
small feat in his 50 years.

Vladimir Putin for example is 8th dan in

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 10th dan
kyokushinkan, although he never did a day
in his life in kyokushin dojo, but belt was
given to him for impressive Kyokushin
improvement in Russia.

Another easy way that was taken by some of

the not so honest individuals is to start your
own school and award yourself 10th dan.
Thats probably the quickest, most realistic
way.

There is one other layer you have to

consider, everyone with higher ranks can
attest lower ranks, and there is money in
there. One can start to see politics there.

For 99,9999999% percent of Karatekas

proper 10th dan is unattainable, and one
shouldnt even think about it. As they say -
belt is not an indicator of skill, it is measure
of responsiblity.

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Gee Wheeler
Gee Wheeler, Practiced Kyokushinkai, Judo,
Aikido and Ninjutsu since 1976
Answered May 23, 2018
To be honest, 10th Dan is a political grade.
It is usually for services to Karate and often
awarded posthumously. It isn't a level of
ability as such. We know this because a 10th
Dan is awarded by a panel of 8th-9th Dan's.
There is no 'test'.

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 10th dan
In the USA you can become a 10th Dan by a
simple use of PowerPoint. A quick internet
search showed several Karate 10th Dan's
over there. And in the Bujinkan you need to
go to Japan or a Taikai 10+ times. There is
no test there after 5th Dan either.

Sadly, a sign of the times. But you shouldn't

train for grades. You should train because
you love the art.

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Jaime Gonzalez
Jaime Gonzalez, Shito Ryu 2nd degree karate
black belt
Answered May 30, 2018
How many years have you been training?

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 10th dan
I’m 95% sure that you haven’t even begun,
or are a beginner.

After some time has passed, you get to a

point where:

Ranks are meaningless, knowledge is

meaningful

Degrees are meaningless, exercise and

camaraderie are meaningful

Acknowledgements are meaningless, training

is meaningful

A common misconception is that people

believe that a black belt is a master and that
reaching “yudansha” or Black belt, is the
end of the journey; on the contrary, reaching
a black belt signals the beginning of the
journey.

With mudansha, or colored belts you’re

learning how to walk, with yudansha you
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 10th dan
already know how to walk and you begin
your journey.

Don’t concern yourself with reaching 10th

Dan, concern yourself with walking the path

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Wayne Irvine
Wayne Irvine, Director
Answered May 23, 2018
How long? A life time. How hard? Very hard.

The reality is, unless you devote your whole

life to karate you won’t get there. Not even
close. At least not in a legitimate style.

And asking about ‘10th dan’ is really not the

right attitude for a karateka. Maybe worry
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 10th dan
about your yellow belt first.

As for ‘mastery of the sport with no higher to

go’, damn, you really don’t understand
karate. It’s not a sport if you’re talking about
high dan grades. It’s a way of life. And there
is always further to go.

Now here’s the reality of the only legitimate

10th dan I have met. He is an old man.
70-odd. And probably not as spritely as he
was in his youth but tough as nails and hard
as concrete. Physically he probably didn’t
improve above 7th dan (although mentally is
a different story). He was awarded 10th dan
as head of his style and you could argue it is
more of an honorary rank (although I
suggest you don’t argue with him. Being
physically outdone by and old age pensioner
doesn’t look good on the resume).

What I’m saying is, don’t get into karate for

‘10th dan’. Don’t even get into it for black
belt. Just get into it for self improvement.
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 10th dan
The belts and the awards will come with time
and effort.

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Michael Bloom
Michael Bloom, Training for 40+ years
Shihan & Kyoshi
Answered May 23, 2018
Hi Andre:

10th dan is the highest level that a person

can achieve in a Japanese martial art.

It is traditionally reserved for the head of the

style or founder of the style (“soke”). It
takes 40 or more years of continuous
training and teaching.

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 10th dan
Start training now - who knows in 40 years
you might be a tenth dan too!

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Mark Stevens
Mark Stevens, works at Chaplaincy
Answered May 23, 2018
That is really a hard question to answer, I
studied Martial Arts from the age of 10 to 30
( I got severely Ill and had to stop) I received
my 1st Dan at the age of 21 and 2nd Dan at
the age of 24, however I was consumed with
the art, I went to class 6 days a week and
because I was close friends with my
instructors, I even practiced with them after
class. Too often belts are not really earned
but paid for in some dojos. I studied in
Korea 2 years and their standards are MUCH
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 10th dan
HIGHER than in the USA.

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Dwight Woods
Dwight Woods, Jeet Kune Do, Filipino Kali,
Muay Thai Instructor (1985-present)
Answered May 23, 2018
It takes a very long time with many years of
practice…

Teruyuki Okazaki, the head of the

International Shotokan Karate Federation is
an 86 year old 10th Dan who started
training 7o years ago!

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Sean Tremblay
Sean Tremblay
Answered Feb 16
it takes a life time of commitment, 10th dan
in most styles is awarded more for
contributions to the art rather than martial
prowess

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