In the GKK Canada Association there are 10 levels or grades of Black Belt Rank. These levels of Black Belt are referred to as a "Dan" (which can translate into advanced "grade "or "rank") In the case of the first degree black belt, you may notice that it is not pronounced ichi-dan, but rather as Sho-dan. "Sho" roughly translate into "minor" or is to infer that "Shodan" is the beginning rank of serious learning.
The colour Black is pronounced "Kuro" in Japanese.
The colour Red is pronounced "Aka" in Japanese.
| Dan | Pronunciation | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Dan | Shodan | 初段 |
| 2nd Dan | Nidan | 二段 |
| 3rd Dan | Sandan | 三段 |
| 4th Dan | Yondan | 四段 |
| 5th Dan | Godan | 五段 |
| 6th Dan | Rokudan | 六段 |
| 7th Dan | Shichidan | 七段 |
| 8th Dan | Hachidan | 八段 |
| 9th Dan | Kudan | 九段 |
| 10th Dan | Judan | 十段 |
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