Grades, Ranks and Titles of Traditional Hyou-ha Bankoku Jujutsu

Grades, Ranks and Titles
of Traditional
Hyou-ha Bankoku Jujutsu
I am forced to preface this section with a caution that most of what I
have to say below about the grading system used by Soshi in the years
immediately following the war in the Pacific is supposition. This due to the
fact that Soshi’s records of that time are not available for review.
That is not to say that Soshi didn’t keep records, if fact as was the way
of the traditional Japanese martial arts, Soshi kept detailed eimeiroku or
attendance ledgers. Unfortunately, shortly after Soshi’s passing at a time
when his family was distraught over his loss, these eimeiroku and a number
of other belongings of Soshi’s fell into the hands of a person that can only
be described as a “collector,” as such, it would seem that they are lost to
us.
The Early Years
Soshi began awarding grades in the early years after the war in the Pacific.
In those days there were no coloured belts, it was all much simpler than
what we see in the “martial arts industry” of today. There was white belt,
something to hold the keikogi together and there was black belt. This
system based somewhat on what was propagated by the Kodokan Judo
Institute out of Tokyo.
Over time as Soshi’s students progressed he began awarding more
advanced grades, Menkyo Shodan, Menkyo Nidan, Menkyo Kaiden or
what Soshi called “Master Dan.” He didn’t award Menkyo Sandan to any
of his students as this was the “nominal” rank that he himself held.
In time Soshi introduced Menkyo Shodan Meiyo or “Shodan with Honours”
and Menkyo Nidan Meiyo or “Nidan with Honours” along with a theoretical
Menkyo Sandan Meiyo or “Sandan with Honours.” While this system, an
amalgam of a traditional Menkyo and a “modern” dan-i system may seem
a little unusual it was what it was, Soshi’s and by extension our grading
system. I for one miss it, my old grades seem somehow more exotic, less
run of the mill than what I have today. In the 1960s Soshi introduced “Brown
Belt,” as a formal rank within his school.
Kokusai Jujutsu Kenkyukai: Grades, Ranks and Titles of Traditional Hyou-ha Bankoku Jujutsu Page 1

The rank structure was as follows:
• White belt, Brown Belt
• Black Belt
• Menkyo Shodan
• Menkyo Shodan Honours
• Menkyo Nidan
• Menkyo Nidan Honours
• Menkyo Kaiden (Master Dan)
• Menkyo Sandan
• Menkyo Sandan honours
• Menkyo Kyoju or Professor of Jujutsu
This structure was purely for practitioners of Soshi’s Bankoku Jujutsu. In
addition to jujutsu Soshi taught kuatsu to selected senior students. Kuatsu
training covered both the revival techniques that the name implies and
hakuda kempo or ‘lethal atemi” techniques; striking, constriction, cavity
pressing, breath sealing and so called pressure point or kyusho/kinsho as
the offensive, pugilistic side of the art.
For kuatsu Soshi maintained a second parallel grading structure that
consisted of the following grades:
• Menkyo Kuatsu Kyoren or Kuatsu Practitioner
• Menkyo Kuatsu Meishu or Kuatsu Expert
• Menkyo Kuatsu Senmonka or Kuatsu Specialist
• Menkyo Kyoju or Headmaster/Professor of Kuatsu
These structures remained in place until around 1975 when Soshi decided
on the advice of Master Raymond Lea to adopt a conventional, modern
10-dan dan-i system.
The important Menkyo Kaiden grade was maintained and awarded to
those few jujutsuan or jujutsuka at or above Nanadan that demonstrated
exceptional ability and understanding of Soshi’s jujutsu, made a significant
contribution to the development of the art of jujutsu and showed in their
daily lives that they lived up to Soshi’s three pillars; Honour, Justice and
Service.
In addition to the new jujutsu grading structure Soshi retained the original
kuatsu structure unchanged.
This structure remained unchanged with the exception that individual
western dojo introduced the almost obligatory coloured belt kyu grade
system below the black belt level. The grading structure now looked as
follows.
Kokusai Jujutsu Kenkyukai: Grades, Ranks and Titles of Traditional Hyou-ha Bankoku Jujutsu Page 2

For Hyou-ha Bankoku Jujutsu:
• White belt
• Various coloured belt kyu grades
• Menkyo Shodan
• Menkyo Nidan
• Menkyo Sandan
• Menkyo Yondan
• Menkyo Godan
• Menkyo Rokkudan
• Menkyo Nanadan and Menkyo Kaiden
• Menkyo Hachidan
• Menkyo Kyudan
• Menkyo Judan
• Menkyo Kyoju or Professor of Jujutsu
For Hyou-ha Bankoku Kuatsu:
• Menkyo Kuatsu Kyoren or Kuatsu Practitioner
• Menkyo Kuatsu Meishu or Kuatsu Expert
• Menkyo Kuatsu Senmonka or Kuatsu Specialist
• Menkyo Kyoju or Professor of Kuatsu
The Formation of the Kokusai Jujutsu Kenkyukai
Sadly, after a long life, Soshi passed away in 1990. Ten years later a
small group of senior jujutsuan committed to preserving Soshi’s legacy
came together. Out of those meetings the Kokusai Jujutsu Kenkyukai or
International Jujutsu Research Society was formed with the aim of keeping
Soshi’s jujutsu alive by researching his technique and propagating his art.
It was agreed at the time that the only way to achieve the stated aims of
the society was to teach Soshi’s art to interested people and to promote
them through a grade structure as they progressed in the art. To this end
the seniors then set about formulating the grade structure that is used
within the society.
The first decision made was to establish a formal kyu/dan system. However
it was agreed that Soshi’s original concept of white belt/black belt needed
to be retained to a degree. It was agreed that while each kyu level would
be indicated by a colour, the belts would be plain white belts and the
grade designation would be by way of a colour stripe on one end of the
belt.
Kokusai Jujutsu Kenkyukai: Grades, Ranks and Titles of Traditional Hyou-ha Bankoku Jujutsu Page 3

Minimum Age and Time in Grade
The table below shows minimum age and time between grading
requirements for promotion through the dan grades within the society.
These requirements are used as a guide only, the society president may
choose to override these requirements and award a provisional grade
that stands until such time as the age or waiting time requirement has
been met.
Grade Minimum Age Minimum Tine in Grade
Shodan 18 years 1 year since Ikkyu
Nidan 20 years 2 years since Shodan
Sandan 25 years 3 years since Nidan
Yondan 30 years 4 years since Sandan
Godan 35 years 5 years since Yondan
Rokkudan 40 years 5 years since Godan
Nanadan 45 years 5 years since Rokkudan
Hachidan 50 years By special award
Kyudan 50 years By special award
Jun Judan 50 years By special award
Judan 50 years By special award
Kokusai Jujutsu Kenkyukai: Grades, Ranks and Titles of Traditional Hyou-ha Bankoku Jujutsu Page 11

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