Skotokan BB how are they issued?
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dancingalone
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There are several international level organizations that issue and recognize rank. Obviously many national ones too.
The most famous is probably the original one the JKA or Japan Karate Association. This is the one founded by the students of Funakoshi Sensei, like the late Nakayama Matayoshi. The other ones can be credible too. I have friends who are involved in SKIF (Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation) which is headed by Kanazawa Sensei, a fromer student of Nakayama's.
The most famous is probably the original one the JKA or Japan Karate Association. This is the one founded by the students of Funakoshi Sensei, like the late Nakayama Matayoshi. The other ones can be credible too. I have friends who are involved in SKIF (Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation) which is headed by Kanazawa Sensei, a fromer student of Nakayama's.
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Does it work like the Kukkiwon (TKD)? Test here and then sent to Japan for certification.
dancingalone
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Yes, more or less in SKIF. All dan examinations are overseen by Kanazawa Kancho or one of his delegates (basically the local SKIF rep/director or you might need to travel a bit if you are a higher rank).
Not sure how JKA or other orgs works, but I imagine it's similar.
Not sure how JKA or other orgs works, but I imagine it's similar.
dancingalone is right there has to be at least one person from the org that is in your region on the exam board. The rest is like TKD send it in and get it back in like two weeks.
Nomad
Master Black Belt
It depends. There WAS a World organization for Shotokan (original JKA). Over the years, a number of rifts have opened for a variety of reasons (pretty interesting subject, actually), and multiple other organization have started, some of which have since splintered further. If you want to find out how this happened and the timing of these rifts, Randall Hassell has an excellent book on the subject: Shotokan Karate - It's History and Evolution.
A Shotokan dojo may or may not be affiliated with one of these organizations. If they are, the rules for each likely vary a little; if not, then it will be issued at the local level only.
OldKarateGuy
Green Belt
At least with the U S affiliates of the JKA, I believe that a minimum of a 6th dan must be on a panel to evaluate and recommend promotion to any black belt rank. The board (or a single examiner) directs the test, scores the applicants, and sends the package to world JKA HQ in Japan. The dan certification (and your wall-hanger) actually originates from the JKA organization in Japan. Until recently I believe that there were no (JKA) non-Japanese 6th dans in the U S, so every JKA black belt exam was conducted by a Japanese native. There now may be two U S (non-Japanese ethnicity) 6th dans, who can - I think - examine and promote to at least 1st dan, and possibly higher.
The ISKF, based in the U S but headed by a trio of Japanese old-time Shotokan masters, has broken away from the JKA. I presume a ISKF exam is still headed by one of the principle seniors, but obviously, the certificate comes from Philadelphia, since ISKF is no longer affiliated with the parent group in Japan.
There is a similar situation in say, Great Britain, where there was a split after Enoeda Sensei's death.The KUGB broke away from the JKA, and now are in effect an independent organization. So, a KUGB student - again, I think. These things change - receives a black belt ranking not from the JKA in Japan, but from the KUGB. At the time of the split, some of the KUGB kept an affiliation with the JKA, and that group is now called JKA-England, headed by Ohta (Ota) Sensei.
It may be there are more schools in breakaway groups in Shotokan karate than there are schools remaining in the JKA. Some are based in Japan still, others in the U S or Europe.
The ISKF, based in the U S but headed by a trio of Japanese old-time Shotokan masters, has broken away from the JKA. I presume a ISKF exam is still headed by one of the principle seniors, but obviously, the certificate comes from Philadelphia, since ISKF is no longer affiliated with the parent group in Japan.
There is a similar situation in say, Great Britain, where there was a split after Enoeda Sensei's death.The KUGB broke away from the JKA, and now are in effect an independent organization. So, a KUGB student - again, I think. These things change - receives a black belt ranking not from the JKA in Japan, but from the KUGB. At the time of the split, some of the KUGB kept an affiliation with the JKA, and that group is now called JKA-England, headed by Ohta (Ota) Sensei.
It may be there are more schools in breakaway groups in Shotokan karate than there are schools remaining in the JKA. Some are based in Japan still, others in the U S or Europe.
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Depends on the organization...
JKA / SKIF / ISKF have their own policies.
If you want a "universal" dan ranking, you can go through the USA-NKF or the WKF, depending on if you want a "universal USA" ranking, or a "universal world" ranking.
Typically, the USA-NKF or WKF will offer dan exams to karate-ka who are already of sufficient dan ranking in their own systems (Shotokan, Wado Ryu, Goju Ryu, Shito Ryu are the most common, but I've seen other Karate system practitioners go for such rankings, too). The requirements include knowing how to perform a certain number of the Shitei kata (the ones on the list of 8 kata), and at higher levels, to show that you understand the interpretation of such. You'll also go through kumite, which can be either jiyu (free sparring) or ippon.
The rankings issued by the USA-NKF or WKF are meant as supplemental ranks to your own, though, and are not designed to replace them. Hence, you cannot hold a USA-NKF / WKF ranking that's higher than your own system.
While most of those who are going for such rankings are from one of the four "big" systems, it's not absolutely required that you be of those systems as your "native" system. For example, my old teacher, at the time, was an 8th dan in Shuri Ryu, and also held a 7th dan WKF ranking (he was also a former Goju Ryu practitioner of 3rd dan ranking).
JKA / SKIF / ISKF have their own policies.
If you want a "universal" dan ranking, you can go through the USA-NKF or the WKF, depending on if you want a "universal USA" ranking, or a "universal world" ranking.
Typically, the USA-NKF or WKF will offer dan exams to karate-ka who are already of sufficient dan ranking in their own systems (Shotokan, Wado Ryu, Goju Ryu, Shito Ryu are the most common, but I've seen other Karate system practitioners go for such rankings, too). The requirements include knowing how to perform a certain number of the Shitei kata (the ones on the list of 8 kata), and at higher levels, to show that you understand the interpretation of such. You'll also go through kumite, which can be either jiyu (free sparring) or ippon.
The rankings issued by the USA-NKF or WKF are meant as supplemental ranks to your own, though, and are not designed to replace them. Hence, you cannot hold a USA-NKF / WKF ranking that's higher than your own system.
While most of those who are going for such rankings are from one of the four "big" systems, it's not absolutely required that you be of those systems as your "native" system. For example, my old teacher, at the time, was an 8th dan in Shuri Ryu, and also held a 7th dan WKF ranking (he was also a former Goju Ryu practitioner of 3rd dan ranking).
