7th Dan
Red belt with a white stripe · 0 techniques required at grading · Dan grades (USA Judo), USA Judo
The procedures do not name belt colours. The colours shown are the international convention.
0 of 0 learned
The official syllabus
As printed in USA Judo Promotion Recommendation Procedures. Skills that are not a single technique (breakfalls, escapes, turnovers, grips, randori) are listed in the document's own words.
Recommended minimum requirements
- unquestioned moral character and maturity,
- continued practice and involvement in Judo,
- superior knowledge and skills in teaching randori, nagekomi and kata,Randori (glossary)Nagekomi (glossary)Kata (glossary)
- increased proficiency in all lower-rank requirements,
- superior understanding of and skills in coaching randori and shiai strategies,Randori (glossary)Shiai (glossary)
- substantial contributions to Judo and to society,
- must have minimum current USA Judo national referee license or USA Judo national coach certification
- excellent proficiency in Nage-no-kata, Ju-no-kata, Katame-no-kata, Kime-no-kata, Kodokan Goshin-jitsu, and either Itsutsu-no-kata, or Koshiki-no-kata.Nage-no-kata (kata)Ju-no-kata (kata)Katame-no-kata (kata)Kime-no-kata (kata)Kodokan Goshin-jutsu (kata)Itsutsu-no-kata (kata)Koshiki-no-kata (kata)
Guideline for promotion requirements: minimum age and grade time
- Shichidan: Min. Age 42; Grade Time: Non-Competitor 15 yrs.
Yodan and above: time in grade by category
- Shichidan: Category A+ 8 Years; Category A 9 Years; Category B 10 Years; Category C 12 Years b; Category D 15 Years b
- b The minimum time from Shodan to Shichidan is 25 years for Category C candidates, and 30 years for Category D candidates.
Category definitions
- The following exceptions to baseline time-in-grade requirements for promotion will be made for certain candidates based upon their accomplishments in judo:
- CATEGORY A+: An approximate reduction of 50% of the time-in-grade requirement is authorized for the following individuals:
- Competitors who placed in the top three in the Olympic Games or Senior World Championship
- Appointed Head Coach of an Olympic Games or Senior World Team which produced an Olympic or Senior World Championships medalist.
- IJF-A Referees who worked the Olympic Games or the Final Block of the Senior World Championships
- CATEGORY A: An approximate reduction of 40% of the time-in-grade requirement is authorized for the following Individuals:
- Competitors who were members of an Olympic or Senior World Team, or who placed in the top three of the Paralympic Games or Disabled Sports World Championships
- Referees who achieved IJF-A status and worked extensively in international competition (outside the USA)
- Appointed Head Coach of the Olympic Games or Senior World Championships Team
- Officials who served on the board or working committee of the IJF or PJC
- CATEGORY B: An approximate reduction of 30% of the time-in-grade requirement is authorized for the following Individuals:
- Competitors who represented their country as members of the Paralympic Games or Disabled Sports World Championships Team
- Referees who achieved IJF-B status and worked internationally with that license level
- Competitors who placed in the top three of the Kata World Championships
- Competitors who placed in the top three of the Veterans World Championships
- Appointed national coaches who oversaw a competitor who placed in the top three of the Paralympic Games or Disabled Sports World Championship
- Club coaches who produced competitors who were members of a selected USA National Team
- Officials who served on the board of directors, or chaired a committee, of USA Judo
- CATEGORY C: An approximate reduction of 15% of the time-in-grade requirement is authorized for the following Individuals:
- Competitors who placed in the top three of the U.S. Senior National Championship
- Kata competitors who placed in the top three of the Pan American Championships
- Referees and Kata Judges who achieved national level status and worked nationally at that license level
- Appointed national coaches who oversaw competitors who placed in the top three of the Kata World Championships
- Appointed national coaches, and managers, of US National Teams
- Coaches who produced a competitor who placed in the top three of the U.S. Senior National Championship
- Officials who were officers of their USA Judo State Organization
- Officials who served actively and consistently as appointed members of USA Judo Committees (generally for a minimum of 2 years)
- CATEGORY D: All other candidates will be considered upon review of their individual judo accomplishments, service, and merits.
Promotion recommendation
- All promotion recommendations and applications for USA Judo Dan rank certificates should be processed through the applicant’s State member organization’s (Group B in good standing) Promotion Committee.
- Recommendation for USA Judo Dan Promotion form with appropriate signatures
- Complete history/judo resume (can submit supplements)/full competition record (with opponent ranks) if applying as active athlete “on points”.
- Evidence of kata and technical demonstrations (documentation may include promotion exam, kata competition, kata and/or gokyo certification, and/or appropriate clinic/course certificates)Gokyo no waza (glossary)
- Copies of previous rank certificates from USA Judo, USJA or USJF
- Copies of special awards, recognition, etc.
- Passport size photo with name on back (yodan and above)
- Appropriate fees should be remitted payable to USA Judo.
- Current USA Judo membership (note: for rokudan and above, applicant must have consistent membership for at least the previous four years)
- Current SafeSport certification, clean background screen and concussion certification.
- For ranks yodan and higher, all fully completed application packets will be submitted to the USA Judo Promotion Committee for review and approval.
- Consideration for rokudan and above will only be reviewed during the in-person meetings that take place in conjunction with the USA Judo Senior National Championships and the USA Judo National President’s Cup Championships.
Current fees
- Shichidan $450.00
- Applications for yodan and above will incur a $50 non-refundable fee. This fee will be included in the total application fee.
Filmed for this grading
Flashcards
Drill the names before the day: an Anki deck for each grade turns the Japanese names into quick recall.
Plain text version of this page: no markup and no navigation, for a braille display, a printout, or an offline copy. Any page address here takes .txt the same way.