Dan is translated from Japanese as “step, level”. In other words, this is a category and not only in martial arts, but also in board games such as go, shogi. Dan, determines the degree of only masters, the degree of students is determined by the grade of Kyu. The lowest dan is the first, the highest is from the sixth to the tenth.
Stages of knowledge and mastery
To get the first dan, you need to study for at least three years, sometimes it takes up to seven years to study (depending on the school and program). The second dan is assigned, as a rule, 2-3 years after receiving the first, but only if during these years of training the master has increased his professional level and reached new heights. The third dan - after four years, but here, too, everything depends on the school in which the master is studying. The assignment of the fourth and subsequent dans is no longer a matter of schools, but of national organizations.
Symbols given
The first dan is always assigned a black belt. Subsequent ones are not always limited to this belt. Some schools embroider stripes on their belts, the number of which corresponds to the given number. Digits higher than 5th dan are often indicated by stripes of red and white alternating with each other. Modern martial artists very often embroider their name in gold on their belt, besides gold, blue and red threads are also popular.
Dan in Sega chess has three qualifications: for amateurs, for female professionals and for male professionals. Data are assigned only by the Japan Sega Federation. In Sega, a dan cannot be downgraded, so having a given is an indicator of the highest level of a Sega master.
Dan is a universal concept
Despite the fact that dan is a Japanese category, the same system began to be used in Korea in such arts as taekwondo and hapkido.
Go drafts have their own division into dans. Just like in the martial arts, only the master can get into go dan, not the student.
The first dan is a sedan, the second is nidan and so on until the ninth dan. In Japan, dan in go is also awarded by a special organization. Russia also has a Go Federation, which deals with the qualification of players for tournaments, matches and games. But in Russia, in addition to dans, there are titles for athletes that are assigned by the state: master of sports, candidate for master, master of international level.
Any serious go checkers player needs to know his level. Getting a rank is easy enough, you just need to participate in a go tournament. To start entering the tournament, you need to play with your teacher and his score will already be accepted by the tournament judge and will provide an opportunity to move higher.
Dans, ranks are, of course, important for athletes, but, as the champion in go drafts, Vadim Filippov said: "Before striving to get a rank, you need to learn how to enjoy the game."