10th degree black belts

[the prodigy]

how many would you say there are in the U.S.?

 

[ArmorOfGod]

Legitimate ones, self-promoted ones, or ones promoted through internet organizations?
You can go on eBay or just google "black belt promotion" and be a 10th degree right now for about $30.

AoG

 

[searcher]

Legitimate ones, self-promoted ones, or ones promoted through internet organizations?
You can go on eBay or just google "black belt promotion" and be a 10th degree right now for about $30.

AoG

You don't even have to spend that much. I have seen people wearing 10th Dan rank with white belt skills. All they had to do was buy a BB-$5.00 and some red electrical tape-$2.75. They get to be a 10th Dan for under $10.00.

 

[just2kicku]

You don't even have to spend that much. I have seen people wearing 10th Dan rank with white belt skills. All they had to do was buy a BB-$5.00 and some red electrical tape-$2.75. They get to be a 10th Dan for under $10.00.

$5.00 for the belt and I can order the red phasing tape from work. Oh yeah, just saved $2.75....


Really, I have met 2. Sijo Emperado and Frank Ordenez, and I wouldn't have questioned either one.

 

[arnisador]

Too many. Enough that when I meet one the first thought in my head is no longer "Wow, this must be someone worthy of great respect."

 

[ArmorOfGod]

I guess the anwser that the original poster is looking for would be thousands upon thousands.
As for ones who I would consider really legit 10th dans, maybe hundreds. Still, that is all guessing, based on personal bias and experience.

AoG

 

[seasoned]

Don't count anyone under 50 years old. That should cut the number down a bit.

 

[still learning]

Hello, Today 10th degrees can be worn by anyone....today it is use as a title...like President of a corporations. , Chairman of the board..many Martial arts are a business first.

10th degrees do not always mean about their skills.....means more or less the guy in charge or owner (s') the leader of the martial art organzations.

A given title that loss lots of meaning today...just look around

Professorsship is the same today...everywhere,..hey DOC!

Ever see a 10th degree carpenter? ...or electrican? ...or auto mechanic?

Does golfing have 10the degrees? ....

10th degrees is use mostly for title or years of experience....just a measurement which every martial art groups have their own rules of promotions.....

What is it worth today? .....look around....remember even in same rank black belts....skill levels will varied from unskill to skill,

THERE IS NO STANDARDS OF MEASUREMENT FOR ANY 10TH DEGREES...JUST what ever your organzations wants to declare...

Aloha, my tempurture just when up 10th degrees...UM?

 

[redantstyle]

exactly^

what's a tenth degree black belt?

that stuff is all from judo anyways.

 

[Lord-Humongous]

I thought 10th degree generally referred to a founder of an art or someone who substantially improved or furthered an art. I didn't realize it was actually a level that one would achieve in a legitimate style.

 

[redantstyle]

well, the standard line is that godan is the highest skill level. after that it all about various kinds of development, both of the self and the organization.

i think time in grade is a good way to look at it.

'real' skill is both objective and relative.

 

[stone_dragone]

The few 10th Dans that I have had the pleasure to share mat space or a meal with have been very honorable, skilled, knowledgeable and most of all humble. If you didn't know from seeing them on the mats, you would only know that there was something about them, not that they were high ranked masters.

1. Vic LeRoux - Co-founder of the IKCA, very kind and straight forward, will do anything for a fellow human,.

2. Stephen K. Hayes - Founder Toshindo, shidoshi student of Hatsumi, just plain amazing to be around, kind beyond words

3. A gentleman whose name escapes me that was promoted to 10th Dan at a PKC event back in Jan 2001... I got to speak with him at the dinner and found that other than that "something," I wouldn't have known.

I've found that the ones that introduce themselves as "Hi, I'm John Q. Terrible, 10th dan...by the way, did I mention that I'm a 10th dan..." usually don't fit the other expectations that many folks have for such an experienced and senior grade.

 

[seasoned]

Don't count anyone under 50 years old. That should cut the number down a bit.

Now lets not count anybody that promoted themselves to 10th, that should start to give us a realistic number.

 

[geezer]

Now lets not count anybody that promoted themselves to 10th, that should start to give us a realistic number.

And yet how many living people have a rank that high that didn't have a role in their own promotion? My old instructor had a "10th level" (not "dan" since it was a CMA) and definitely was (and is) a self promoter in so many ways. Yet from the point of view of knowledge and skill, it was hard to argue about it. He was simply (and obnoxiously) the best in his system.

Personally, I despise the whole ranking thing. Coming back after a long retirement, I have given up my own ranking until, maybe someday, I really deserve it.

 

[seasoned]

And yet how many living people have a rank that high that didn't have a role in their own promotion? My old instructor had a "10th level" (not "dan" since it was a CMA) and definitely was (and is) a self promoter in so many ways. Yet from the point of view of knowledge and skill, it was hard to argue about it. He was simply (and obnoxiously) the best in his system.

Personally, I despise the whole ranking thing. Coming back after a long retirement, I have given up my own ranking until, maybe someday, I really deserve it.

You sound like a very honorable man, one of the very first virtues of any Martial Arts, that I am familiar with.

 

[arnisador]

Now lets not count anybody that promoted themselves to 10th

Thereby eliminating Ed Parker and many others who founded their own style! Until there is an accepted "Council of Grandmasters" to hand out such ranks (which, as I understand it, effectively happened with Tatsuo Shimabuku and Isshin-ryu), there's a problem here. Who's the font of honour in the martial arts?

 

[seasoned]

The few 10th Dans that I have had the pleasure to share mat space or a meal with have been very honorable, skilled, knowledgeable and most of all humble. If you didn't know from seeing them on the mats, you would only know that there was something about them, not that they were high ranked masters.

1. Vic LeRoux - Co-founder of the IKCA, very kind and straight forward, will do anything for a fellow human,.

2. Stephen K. Hayes - Founder Toshindo, shidoshi student of Hatsumi, just plain amazing to be around, kind beyond words

3. A gentleman whose name escapes me that was promoted to 10th Dan at a PKC event back in Jan 2001... I got to speak with him at the dinner and found that other than that "something," I wouldn't have known.

I've found that the ones that introduce themselves as "Hi, I'm John Q. Terrible, 10th dan...by the way, did I mention that I'm a 10th dan..." usually don't fit the other expectations that many folks have for such an experienced and senior grade.

You are most correct.This my friend is not taught, but cultivated over many long years of dedication, toward the betterment of self, and most of all, others.

 

[seasoned]

Thereby eliminating Ed Parker and many others who founded their own style! Until there is an accepted "Council of Grandmasters" to hand out such ranks (which, as I understand it, effectively happened with Tatsuo Shimabuku and Isshin-ryu), there's a problem here. Who's the font of honour in the martial arts?

Honor bestows honor, which is cultivated from the roots of generations pasted. There is no other way.

 

[chinto]

very few. usually only one in a system... i would be surprised if more then 10 or so ligament ones in the Okinawan and Japanese systems

 

[still learning]

very few. usually only one in a system... i would be surprised if more then 10 or so ligament ones in the Okinawan and Japanese systems

Hello, Judo in Japan has several names in the 10th degrees...search the Kodokan Judo in Japan

Judo is one of the few arts where getting a rank you fight for it to get promoted....so some people can advance very fast and others? a longer time.

You need to beat a certain number or ( most)of students in the same rank and place well in several tournaments of same ranking. ( Hawaii anyway) before you can move up. ( NOT ALL JUDO CLUBS).

Search: Masahiko Kimura ( known as the Judo God ) Promted to 5th degree in less than 5 years...a from age of 16 years to 20 years. As the years went by...he became UNBEATABLE....Aloha