What are ranks and how do they work?

In most Japanese, Okinawan, and Korean martial art styles the term kyu pertains to non-Black Belt ranks, while the term DAN refers to Black Belt. Therefore a First Degree Black Belt is synonymous with 1st DAN also called Shodan. 2nd Degree Black Belt is synonymous with 2nd DAN also call Nidan, and so on. The higher the DAN or Degree Number the higher the rank. Kyus, non-Black Belts, start in reverse order, having the higher the number the lower the rank. Some arts such as Ninjutsu have nine levels of kyus, starting at 9th kyu and ending at 1st kyu. Ranks are indicated by belt color.

Chinese Styles arts and systems, called Kung-Fu and Kun-tao (for Indonesian systems), usually use Levels to indicate rank. Starting at Level 0 and Ending with Level 10. Some Kung-Fu systems, such as Sholin systems continue on from Level 10 as Master Level 1 through Master Level 10. Ranks are usually indicated with Sashes.

Which titles goes with which martial art system?

There are several titles for students and many more for black belts depending on the martial art system and ranking. Some of the better-known titles are: Si-hing, Sifu, Simo, Si-gung, Ti-Si-Gung, Guru, Maha Guru, Pendeker, Ukie, Tori, Sensei, O’ Sensei, Shidoshi-Ho, Shidoshi, Shihan, Professor, Junior Master, Master, Grandmaster, and Soke.

Style or System Origins

Chinese (C); Japanese / Korean / Okinawan (JK0); Indonesian (I); Philippine (P)

Si-hing- (C) referring to older brother may or may not be a Black Sash. At the Warriors Guild we grant this title at Level 3.

Sifu, Simo- (C) Sifu for males, Simo for females has several meanings. It usually refers to a Kung-Fu fighting instructor, or Kung-Fu Father / Mother. It also refers to your personal teacher. At the Warriors Guild there are Junior Sifu/Simo Ranks earned at Level 5 step 2 as well as Full Sifu/Simo titles earned at Level 7.

Si-gung- (C) Refers to a Kung-FU Master. At the Warriors Guild this title is earned at Level 8.

Ti-Si-Gung- (C) Refers to a Kung-Fu Grand Master or Grand Master Instructors (Master that Trained students to become Masters and Grandmasters themselves). At the Warriors Guild, this title is earned at Level 10, also called Master Level 1 by Sholin ranking.

Guro- (P) Same as Guru for Spanish and Philippine arts, it refers to Fighting Instructor or Teacher of Wisdom / Enlightenment.

Guru- (I) Refers to Pentjak Silat Instructor or Teacher of Wisdom / Enlightenment.

Guru Baharu – (I) Refers to a young teacher or new teacher.

Guru Besar – (I) Senior Master Instructor, the rank below Pendekar.

Maha Guru- (I) Refers to a Pentjak Silat Master Instructor.

Pendeker- (I) Refers to a Pentjak Silat Grand Master.

Ukie – (JKO) Refers to a training partner that a technikyu is going to be demonstrated on. A good Ukie should try to help the Tori perform the technikyu correctly.

Tori – (JKO) Refers to a training partner that will be performing a technikyu.
The Tori should be concerned about performing the technikyu correctly. They should be even more concerned about the safety and take precautions not to injure their Ukie.

Sensei – (JKO) Refers to a Black Belt Instructor, or your personal teacher.

O’ Sensei – (JKO) Refers to a Great Instructor or Master Instructor. This instructor is usually referred to a Grandmaster Level Instructor.

Shidoshi-Ho – (JKO) Refers to a Junior Licensed Instructor. In Bujinkan Ninjutsu this title is usually granted at Nidan and Sandan Levels.

Shidoshi – (JKO) Refers to a fully Licensed Instructor. In Bujinkan Ninjutsu this title is granted at Godan (5th DAN).

Shihan – (JKO) Refers to a master teacher or master instructor. In Bujinkan Ninjutsu this title is Granted at Hachidan (8th DAN).

Professor – (JKO) Refers to a master teacher or master instructor, this title is usually used to refer to Judo, Ju Jitsu, and Akido practitioners.

Assistant Instructor – Can be any belt level, this individual’s duty is to help in demonstrations on help run class activities.

Instructor – (JKO)Teacher who is a Black Belt, they can be at any Dan Level.

Junior Instructor – This title is usually given to an advanced belt that is non black belt or an individual that is young in age and hold a Black Belt.

Senior Instructor – This title is usually refers to an advanced black belt teacher. They are usually a master in at least one art.

Junior Master – (JKO) Refers to a martial arts instructor that is just below the rank of Master.

Master – (JKO) Refers to an individual that has mastered a specific art or system. A master may or may not teach.

Master Instructor –(JKO) One of the highest levels of instructor. The master that holds this title may or may not be a Grandmaster. The Master instructor is an instructor that themselves have trained students to become masters themselves.

Grandmaster Instructor –(JKO) The highest level of instructor in the martial arts. This title is for Grandmasters that wish to continue to teach at any level.

Grandmaster – (JKO) Usually refers to a master that they themselves have trained students to master levels or ranks. Grandmaster ranks are usually Granted at Jodan (10th Dan). Some systems have only one Grandmaster, while others systems such as Kenpo have numerous. Systems that allow for only one Grandmaster will usually have several Senior Level Masters that are next in line to become Grandmaster.

Soke – (JKO) Refers to the top level Grandmaster, or a Grandmaster that has trained students to become Grandmasters. If an art or system has a SOKE title, there is only one person that holds the title. In Bujinkan Ninjutsu the current Soke is Grandmaster Maasaki Hatsumi.

Warriors Guild New Students

Even though the Warriors Guild trains in only five styles we respect all martial art styles and systems. Practitioners that have trained in other martial art styles and systems are welcome to train at the Warriors Guild. Even though we respect the ranks earned from other schools or systems, the only ranks that will be transferred must come from one of our parent organization or associations. For example: All Bujinkan ranks have the Soke’s signature stamp on it and are accepted at all Bujinkan affiliate schools. A practitioner that comes from a system or school that is not one of our parent organization or association schools must start at the beginning, choosing to study one of the base arts.

Ranks and Titles

At the Warriors Guild we train in multiple arts and systems, therefore we try to use the specific rank and title pertaining to the specific art that the practitioner is training in. Some Systems have 9 different kyu levels while others have 3 levels. Most styles and systems have 10 degrees of Black Belt except for Bujinkan Ninjutsu which have 15 degrees. Sifu pertains to Kung – Fu instructors, where as Sensei pertains to Japanese, Okinawan, and Korean instructors. It is wrong to call a Kung-Fu instructor Sensei just as calling a first degree Black Belt a Shihan, Shidoshi, Soke, Pendeker, etc.

A practitioner that is training in multiple martial art systems offered by the Warriors Guild will have a belt color with a black stripe running through the middle of the belt. The belt rank color indicates the highest rank the individual holds with the Warriors Guild. This rank is called the Warriors Guild Rank and also indicates the rank of the Hydra System.

Black Belt Degree Ranking

Shodan = 1st DAN = 1st Degree Black Belt
Nidan = 2nd DAN = 2nd Degree Black Belt
Sandan = 3rd DAN = 3rd Degree Black Belt
Yondan = 4th DAN = 4th Degree Black Belt
Godan = 5th DAN = 5th Degree Black Belt
Rokudan = 6th DAN = 6th Degree Black Belt
Nanadan = 7th DAN = 7th Degree Black Belt
Hachidan = 8th DAN = 8th Degree Black Belt
Kudan = 9th DAN = 9th Degree Black Belt
Judan = 10th DAN= 10th Degree Black Belt