Belt Requirements

This page lists the requirements for all colored belt rankings (Kyu) and black belt rankings (Dan).

Belts

Colored Belt (Kyu)	Black Belt (Dan)
11 Kyu – White	Shodan – 1st Degree Black
10 Kyu – Gold	Nidan – 2nd Degree Black
9 Kyu – Orange	Sandan – 3rd Degree Black
8 Kyu – Blue	Yondan – 4th Degree Black
7 Kyu – Purple	Godan – 5th Degree Black
6 Kyu – 1st Level Green	Rokudan – 6th Degree Black
5 Kyu – 2nd Level Green	Sichidan – 7th Degree Black
4 Kyu – 1st Level Brown	Hachidan – 8th Degree Black
3 Kyu – 2nd Level Brown	Kudan – 9th Degree Black
2 Kyu – 1st Level Red	Judan – 10th Degree Black
1 Kyu – 2nd Level Red

Creeds	Student Creed #2
Stances	Horse Stance	kiba dachi
	Bowing Stance	masuba dachi
	Ready Stance	heiko dachi
Blocks	High Block	judan uke
	Middle Block	soto uke
	Low Block	gedan uke
Strikes	Punch	junzuki
Kicks	Front Kick	mae geri
Classes	2

Creeds	Student Creed #1
	Student Creed #3
	Student Creed #4
Body Shifts	Forward Moving Punch	junzuki
	Add-kick	keta junzuki
Kata	1-10 moves First Basic
Stances	Forward Stance	zenkutsa dachi
Kicks	Roundhouse	mae ashi geri
Strikes	Double Punch
Classes	Minimum 10 and 1 month practice

Kata	All of First Basic Kata
Body Shifts	Forward Lunge	Junzuki-nosukomi
	Add-kick	keta-junzuki-nosukomi
Kisos	1-3
Stances	Sumo Stance	sheeko dachi
Self Defense	1-10
Classes	Minimum 16 and 2 months practice

Kata	Pinan Nidan
Body Shifts	Reverse	yakazuki
	Add-kick	keta yakazuki
Kisos	4-6
Stances	Long Cat	mahanmi neeko ashi dachi
	Short Cat	mashomen neeko ashi dachi
	Flat Cat	mashomen neeko dachi
	Lunge	hamni dachi
	Fighting	kamae dachi
Kicks	Side	yoko geri
Blocks	Knifehand	shooto uke
Strikes	Hammerfist	tetsui
	Spearhand	yohan
	Ridgehand	haito
Self Defense	11-20
Classes	Minimum 40 and 3 months since last test

Kata	Pinan Shodan
Kisos	7-9
Stances	Reverse	seisan dachi
Kicks	Spinning Side	mawata yoko geri
Blocks	X	kosa uke
Strikes	Chop	shooto
	Short vertical	tatei
Self Defense	21-30
Classes	Minimum 70 and 4 months since last test

Kata	Pinan Sandan
Kisos	10-11
Kihons	1
Stances	Parallel	heisoku dachi
	Natural	double heiko dachi
Blocks	Elbow	empi uke
	Slip	nagasu-uke
Self Defense	31-40
Classes	Minimum 100 and 4 months since last test

Kata	Pinan Yondan
Kihons	2
Stances	Reverse lunge	nanami zenkutsa dachi
	Reverse cat	gyaku neeko ashi dachi
Kicks	Knee	hiza geri
Blocks	Inward	ude uke
Strikes	Elbow	empi
	Backfist	uraken
	Palm	shotei
Self Defense	41-50
Classes	Minimum 130 and 4 months since last test

Kata	Pinan Godan
Kihons	3
Stances	Back Lunge	kokutsa dachi
Kicks	Crescent	migazuki geri
Blocks	Supported
Strikes	Headbutt	zu-zuki
Self Defense	51-60
Classes	Minimum 160 and 4 months since last test

Kata	1st Half of Kusanku
Body Shifts	Reverse Lunge	yakazuki notsukomi
	Add-Kick	keta yakazuki notsukomi
Kihons	4
Stances	Reverse Back	yaka kokutsa dachi
Kicks	Jumping	mae tobi geri
Strikes	1 finger	ippon nukite
	1 knuckle	ippon ken
Self Defense	61-70
Classes	Minimum 190 and 4 months since last test

Katas	2nd Half of Kusanku
	Jutte
Body Shifts	Side-step punch	nagasuzuki
	Add-kick	keta-nagasuzuki
Kihons	5
Stances	Long Flat Cat	mahanmi neeko dachi
Kicks	Hook	kake geri
Strikes	Double front punch	tomoe zuki
Self Defense	71-75
Classes	Minimum 220 and 4 months since last test

Kata	Jion
Strikes	Double side punch	morote zuki
Classes	Minimum 250 and 4 months since last test

Dan Requirements

Shodan – 1^st Degree Black

Sempai – Senior Student or Assistant Instructor

Kata	Naihanchi
Stances	Inward	naihanchi dachi
Kicks	Sweep Kick	Nami Gaeshi
Strikes	Uppercut	ura zuki
Classes	Minimum of 300 and 3 years practice
Written Test	Consisting of all terminology, knowledge, etc.
Physical Test	30 pushups, 50 situps, 1 mile run under 8 minutes

Kids ages 10-17 do not require kihons 1-5 and only require self defense moves 1-30.

Nidan – 2^nd Degree Black

Kata	Chinto, Passai
Stances	chinto dachi
	tate seisan dachi
	sagi ashi dachi
Kihons	6-15
Self Defense	76-125
Classes	Minimum of 500 and 5 years practice

Sandan – 3^rd Degree Black

Kata	Seisan, Neseishi, Rohai, Wanshu, Suparinpei
Stances	sanchin dachi
Kihons	16 and up
Self Defense	126 and up
Classes	Minimum of 800 and 8 years practice

Ranks above Sandan are more reflective of length of service to the school and the art as a whole and are more honorary than technical.

Yondan – 4^th Degree Black

Minimum 4 years since last promotion.

Godan – 5^th Degree Black

Minimum 5 years since last promotion and 20 years of study.

Rokudan – 6^th Degree Black

Typically 25 years of study.

Sichidan – 7^th Degree Black

Typically 30 years of study.

Hachidan – 8^th Degree Black

Hachidan is the highest rank any student was ever promoted to by Hironori Otsuka.

Kudan – 9^th Degree Black

Hironori Otsuka never promoted anyone to this degree in Wado Ryu. A few people have been promoted to this rank by Jiro Otsuka (Hironori Otsuka II).

Judan – 10^th Degree Black

Meijin – Hironori Otsuka is the only person ever awarded this honorary title in Wado (1972). His son Jiro assumed this position by right of family succession at his death.