Black Belt Rank Requirements:
Note: IUKF has a policy of awarding black belts and certificates to any deserving Uechi-ryu practitioner, whether or not he/she is a member of IUKF. If you are not an IUKF member at the time of your testing, you will be assigned a IUKF number that will be on your IUKF certificate and listed in your database entry and black belt registry. If you choose to become a member in the future, you will retain the IUKF I.D. number listed on your certificate/s and in the IUKF database and Black Belt Registry.
Although each Uechi organization has the option to promote their members in any way they wish, nearly all elect to maintain reasonable standards based on the original rank requirements created by the first Uechi-ryu Karate Association in 1958 and formalized in February, 1967.
IUKF has elected to follow those original guidelines regarding black belt promotions:
- The minimum age for adult Black Belt ranks is 16 years
- The total years studied for Shodan (1st degree) minimum is 2 years and the average is 3 years studied.
- The total years studied for Nidan (2nd degree) minimum is 3 years and the average is 5 years. The minimum time in grade for Nidan is 1 year and the average is 2 years.
- The total years studied for Sandan (3rd degree) minimum is 5 years and the average is 8 years. The minimum time in grade is 2 years and the average is 3 years.
- The total years studied for Yondan (4th degree) minimum is 7 years and the average is 11 years. The minimum time in grade is 2 years and the average is 3 years.
- The total years studied for Godan (5th degree) minimum is 10 years and the average is 15 years. The minimum time in grade is 3 years and the average is 4 years.
- The total years studied for Rokudan (6th degree) minimum is 15 years and the average is 22 years. The minimum time in grade is 5 years and the average is 7 years.
- The total years studied for Sichidan (7th degree) minimum is 20 years and the average is 30 years. The minimum time in grade is 5 years and the average is 8 years.
- The total years studied for Hachidan (8th degree) minimum is 28 years and the average is 41 years. The minimum time in grade is 8 years and the average is 11 years.The total years studied for Kyudan (9th degree) minimum is 36 years and the average is 50 years. The minimum time in grade is 8 years and the average is 9 years.
- The total years studied for Judan (10th degree) minimum is 50 years and the average is 65 years. The minimum time in grade is 14 years and the average is 15 years.
Time studied and time in grade means actual time training and usually under the guidance of an instructor.
