Promoted to 5th Dan in Shotokan Karate

[Promoted to 5th dan in Shotokan karate]

Katoh Dojo is an aikido dojo, but recently we have also been running simple karate basics practice, mainly for members who have taken an interest in karate.

Speaking of karate, I am grateful to report that I have been promoted in karate and am now 5th dan.
The rank I received this time is a Shotokan-style rank, issued by an organisation called Japan Karatedo Shotokan.

It is one of the so-called traditional karate styles. Many people within the organisation simply call it Shotokan, but at my own dojo we call it Shotokan-ryu.

Karate ranks are complicated: they broadly divide into “ranks certified by the style” and “certified ranks recognised by the Japan Karatedo Federation (JKF)”.

Basically, you take the style rank first, then aim for the JKF rank.

So my next goal is the JKF-certified rank.

After receiving the rank, I realised that it is rather embarrassing to tell people I am 5th dan when they ask.
Being young and not yet having the ability to match, I feel hesitant about accepting a rank…
Until I receive the JKF-certified rank, I will keep telling people I am 4th dan whenever they ask.

For karate, I train at the Meguro City Central Gymnasium in Musashi-Koyama.

If you are interested in karate, I serve as an instructor there, young as I am, so please do come along.

And of course, if you are only slightly interested in karate, we set aside a short time to learn basic karate movements in the slots marked “Karate class” on the schedule, so please try joining one of those.

Thank you for your continued support.

*With Kijima Sensei, the head of the dojo, and fellow dojo member Suzuki-san of Fuji TV.