Originally posted by Chiduce
Maybe the Nanadan 7th Degree was a misprint. Shichidan means 7 or 7th Degree Black Belt. This is the first time that i have seen or heard of Nana as a japanese number.
Nanadan is correct, just as yondan 4th dan is used . Only foreigners that are unfamiliar with Japanese language and customs use "shichidan."
There are two ways to say the number 7 & 4 in Japanese.
7 = shichi or nana (depends on the situation and what you are counting.)
4 = shi or yon ( same as above)
Why is it Nanadan instead of Shichidan?
When counting from 1 to 10 if you use shi=4 then you use shichi=7 and if you use yon=4 then you use Nana=7.
Since shi = 4 is the same sound as shi meaning death it is not used in this case, since shi is not used shichi is also not used.
Originally posted by Chiduce
Those whom are founders of their own respective martial art's styles/systems are really 10th Dans/Soke/Headasters, and can promote to 10th Dan in their style; though they may not have 10 years training experience. So, exists the martial art's political side!
Sincerely, In Humility;
Chiduce!
10 dan does not equal Soke and vice versa. Just because someone is a 10th dan does not make them a Soke.
Case in point. The head of the Katori Shinto Ryu school of sword (Japan's oldest documented sword school) has no dan rank and no training in the art. He is by heir the Soke of that style as has been all members of his family for several hundred years.
The head instructor is Mr. Otake.
Soke in Japan are more often than not the family heir or top student of a style and inherit it upon the masters retirement or death.
Also of note: On those extremely rare occasions when there is a Soke of a style, the system uses the menkyo system rather than the dan system.
Note:
Having lived in Japan for over 14 years and attended literally 100's of traditional martial arts events held by such groups as the Kobudo Shinkokai and other groups of equal caliber I have not seen as many "Soke" here in Japan as I have on the Internet websites from America and Europe.
Basically the west has turned the term Soke into a big joke. Some "dipsticks" in the west heard the term "Soke" and wanted to use it as a marketing tool to make themselves seem more legit and higher rank than their competitors.
I am also of the opinion that any westerner that calls himself a "Soke" is pretty much of a joke, especially since most of them seem extremely young and inexperienced for such a title.
I know of only one westerner that trained for many years in Japan and was offered the title but turned it down because he was moving to America.
Also of note, a Soke in Japan will never refer to himself as a Soke in spoken and not normally in written form either.
