Titles and Dan Rank in Japanese

 

 

 

 

Most modern use of the titles does not match how they were use originally.

 

They were never ranks, rather distinctions of honor in an organization. The standards for awarding them were mostly private to the organizations and the title was not spoken, as it was not rank, just a significant distinction with that group.

All Japanese groups did not use them and after WWII some slowly gained us on Okinawa.

 

Their modern usage very rarely has anything to do with the original use.

 

For example one local NH group has a head instructor who advertises his rank was recognized by the Japanese Ministry of Education.

Yet he has never been to Japan and I have it on very good authority that the

Japanese Ministry of Education does not award or recognize karate rank.

IMO he was sold a bill of goods by someone.

But ½ a world away from Japan and nobody questions it in any case.