Kyū

{{Short description|Rating system used in East Asia}} {{Italic title}} {{more citations needed|date=November 2010}} {{infobox Chinese |pic = Obi-gokyū.jpg |piccap = Coloured belts are worn by kyū ranked practitioners in many martial arts, including judo, karate, aikido, Kuk Sool Won and taekwondo. |kanji = 級 |hiragana = きゅう |revhep = kyū }}

{{Nihongo||級|'''Kyū'''|{{IPA|ja|kʲɯː|}}|lead=yes}} is a Japanese term used in modern martial arts as well as in tea ceremony, flower arranging, Go, shogi, academic tests and other similar activities to designate various grades, levels or degrees of proficiency or experience. In Mandarin Chinese, the same character {{lang|zh|級}} is pronounced '''''jí''''', and the term is used for academic tests. In Korea, the term '''''geup''''' ({{lang|ko|급, 級}}) is used (also transliterated as '''''gup''''' or '''''kup'''''). In Vietnamese martial arts, it is known as '''''cấp''''' (''khớp'').

==History== The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department started a ranking system using ''kyū'' to measure the police officers' ability in Kendo. Grades were from 8th to 1st.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kendo-usa.org/rank.htm |title=Kendo America: Kendo Rank |access-date=2011-12-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111123190018/http://www.kendo-usa.org/rank.htm |archive-date=2011-11-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the 1890s, the Greater Japan Martial Virtue Society introduced the ''dan'' and ''kyū'' ranking system to various martial arts in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.shiseiryu.com/originsofjudosgradingsystem.htm |title=Morris, Phil; ''The Origins Of Judo's Kyu/Dan Grading System'' |access-date=2011-12-12 |archive-date=2011-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111207190429/http://www.shiseiryu.com/originsofjudosgradingsystem.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Martial arts usage== [[File:Diploma of 8th Kyu in Kyokushin Karate.jpg|thumb|The certificate of 8th kyū in karate.]]

In modern Japanese martial arts, ''kyū''-level practitioners hold the ranks below ''dan'' or black belt. The ''kyū'' ranking system varies from art to art and school to school. In some arts, all the ''kyū''-level practitioners wear white belts while in others different coloured belts, tags or stripes are used; in ''kendo'' for example the belt system is not used. Although some aikido schools do use a coloured belt system the norm is for ''kyū'' grades to wear a white belt, and for ''dan'' grades to wear a black belt.<ref>Lawler, Jennifer (2011). ''Martial Arts For Dummies''. John Wiley & Sons. {{ISBN|978-1-118-06961-5}}.</ref> ''Kyū''-level practitioners are often called {{Nihongo|''mudansha''|無段者}}, "ones without rank{{-"}}, and are considered as initiates rather than students. When practitioners have reached the ranking of first degree black belt, they become {{Nihongo|''shodan''|初段}}. The holder of a black belt of any degree is a {{Nihongo|''yūdansha''|有段者}}, "one with rank{{-"}}.

==Academic tests usage== Martial arts' organizations are not the only ones who use such a system. Some academic and professional organizations also use ''kyū'' and ''dan'' as measures of a person's ability. For instance, the Japan Kanji Aptitude Test which tests a person's ability to correctly read, write, and use kanji, is graded using ''kyū''.<ref>[http://www.soas.ac.uk/languagecentre/awards/kanjiapt/ SOAS: Japanese Kanji Aptitude Tests]</ref>

==List of kyū ranks== ''Kyū'' ranks progress using a descending order system, so 1st ''kyū'' is the highest. For example, the first ''kyū'' outranks the 2nd ''kyū''. The ''Dan'' ranking system starts after 1st ''kyū''. Essentially, the ''kyū'' is the number of steps before reaching mastery whereas the ''dan'' gives steps ''into'' mastery.

Pre-1st ''kyū'' and pre-2nd ''kyū'' are used in examinations of languages, because it is often hard to pass the examinations at 1st and 2nd ''kyū''.

{| class="wikitable" !width=33%|Grade !width=33%|Pronunciation !width=33%|Japanese |-align=center |1st (Highest) |''Ikkyū'' |{{lang|ja|1級 / 一級}} |-align=center |Pre-1st |''Jun'ikkyū'' |{{lang|ja|準1級 / 準一級}} |-align=center |2nd |''Nikyū'' |{{lang|ja|2級 / 二級}} |-align=center |Pre-2nd |''Junnikyū'' |{{lang|ja|準2級 / 準二級}} |-align=center |3rd |''Sankyū'' |{{lang|ja|3級 / 三級}} |-align=center |4th |''Yonkyū'' |{{lang|ja|4級 / 四級}} |-align=center |5th |''Gokyū'' |{{lang|ja|5級 / 五級}} |-align=center |6th |''Rokkyū'' |{{lang|ja|6級 / 六級}} |-align=center |7th |''Nanakyū'' |{{lang|ja|7級 / 七級}} |-align=center |8th |''Hakkyū / Hachikyu'' |{{lang|ja|8級 / 八級}} |-align=center |9th |''Kyūkyū'' |{{lang|ja|9級 / 九級}} |-align=center |10th |''Jikkyū / Jukkyū'' |{{lang|ja|10級 / 十級}} |-align=center |Ungraded |''Mukyū'' |{{lang|ja|無級}} |}

The lowest ''kyū'' is sometimes called "Mukyū" ({{lang|ja|無級}}) which means "ungraded" in English. The lowest ''kyū'' depends on organizations. For instance, the United States Judo Federation has 12th ''kyū'' as the lowest grade for junior class, and 7th ''kyū'' as the lowest for adult class.

In Japan, the difficulty is classified into three categories as in the following list:{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

{| class="wikitable" !width=33%|Grade !width=33%|Pronunciation !width=33%|Japanese |-align=center |Highest |''Jōkyū'' |{{lang|ja|上級}} |-align=center |Middle |''Chūkyū'' |{{lang|ja|中級}} |-align=center |Beginning |''Shokyū'' |{{lang|ja|初級}} |}

==Coloured belts== [[Image:JJS Dojo.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Karateka wearing different coloured belts]] [[File:1gB.jpg|left|thumb|Karatekas at the dojo with different colored belts]] In some styles, students wear white belts until they receive their first ''dan'' rank or black belt, while in others a range of colors are used for different ''kyū'' grades. The wearing of coloured belts is often associated with ''kyū'' ranks, particularly in modern martial arts such as karate and judo (where the practice originated). However, there is no standard association of belt colours with particular ranks and different schools and organizations assign colours independently; see Rank in Judo for examples of variation within an art. However, white is often the lowest ranked belt and brown is the highest ''kyū'' rank, and it is common to see the darker colors associated with the higher ranks, i.e., the closest to black belt. Historically, students of martial arts would only have one belt or obi, which they would hand-dye when the next ranking was achieved. From a dyer's perspective, the colours must progress from light to dark.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}} <ref>(Dear Wikipedia editors, feel free to contact me about this. I am not sure how to finalize this edit, however, I am qualified to make this assertion for two reasons: I practice judo and personally dyed my belts in the 1980s, which was the common practice when judo belts and uniforms were hard to purchase. Two, I have a Master of Fine Art degree in fiber and have worked as a professional dyer. One myst progressively layer dyes on fabric from light to dark, because they are transparent.){{Original research inline|date=November 2024}}</ref>

The system of using different colored belts to mark rank is not universally accepted in the martial arts. Supporters of the belt colors point out their use as a simple visual key for experience, such as in matching opponents for sparring, allowing opponents to somewhat accurately judge each other's skill, and to split them for competitions.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Homma |first=Gaku |year=1993 |title=Children and the Martial Arts: An Aikido Point of View |publisher=North Atlantic Books |page=32 |isbn=978-1-55643-139-5}}</ref> Those who oppose the use of coloured belts are also often concerned that students will worry too much about relative rank, and become arrogant with trivial promotions and differences,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lowry |first=Dave |year=2006 |title=In the Dojo: The Rituals and Etiquette of the Japanese Martial Arts |publisher=Shambhala Publications |page=55}}</ref> while supporters feel that by providing small signs of success and recognition, students are more confident, and their training is more structured, and that the ranking system encourages higher-ranked students to assist lower-ranked ones, and lower-ranked students to respect their seniors.

On the 1984 martial arts film ''The Karate Kid'', a dialogue between characters Daniel LaRusso, a karate student, and Mr. Miyagi, his master, expresses the opposition by some martial arts teachers to the use of colored belts and to karate ranks themselves, by stressing the priority of mental and emotional ability in learning karate over attaining ranks and belts. When asked by LaRusso about "what kind of belt" he has, Miyagi jokingly answers "Canvas. JC Penney, $3.98" — stating the brand, store and price of his waist belt — and gives LaRusso a visual lecture in which he points to the head, chest and waist, stating that karate comes from the heart and the mind, never from the belt.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087538/characters/nm0001552/|title=The Karate Kid (1984) - Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi|website=IMDb}}</ref>

== See also == {{Portal|Martial arts}} * Dan (rank) * Rank in Judo * Go ranks and ratings * Karate ranks

== References == {{Reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kyu}} Category:Belts (clothing) Category:Go ranks and ratings Category:Titles and rank in Japanese martial arts

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