Shodan
初段
The first master grade, literally “beginning grade”. In 1883 Kano Jigoro awarded it to two students, the first such grade in martial arts.
Quick Facts
Term typeTitle and rank
LanguageJapanese
Formnoun
Pronunciation[shoh-dahn]
Alternative Namesfirst dan
Readings and romanizations
Reading (kana)しょだん
Hepburn romanizationshodan
Word breakdown
初shobeginning
段dangradeDefinition
Shodan (初段) consists of the characters 初, beginning, and 段, grade. It therefore means “beginning grade” and is the first dan, the lowest master grade, which is usually associated with a black belt. The name itself says that it is a beginning, not a peak: the holder of shodan has shown that he has mastered the basics of the art. Shodan was the first dan grade ever awarded in martial arts. Kano Jigoro, the founder of judo, awarded it in 1883 to his two oldest students. The following grades are named with Japanese numerals: nidan, sandan, yondan, godan and so on.