jodirren
10th September 2003, 09:24
Okay, what are the proper spellings for Japanese belt ranks in the kyu/dan system? I'm having a real hard time figuring it out and would like to get it straight so as to not contribute to the chaos that is out there. Here's the way I best figure it goes, from lowest to highest:
jukyu
kukyu
hachikyu
shichikyu (nanakyu?)
rokkyu (rokyu? rokukyu?)
gokyu
yonkyu (shikyu?)
sankyu
nikkyu (nikyu?)
ikkyu
shodan
nidan
sandan
yondan (shidan?)
godan
rokudan
shichidan (nanadan?)
hachidan
kudan
judan
The ones in parenthesis are other alternatives I've considered. So is this correct?
I understand that shi is also how the kanji for death is read, so apparently, for superstitious reasons, the pronunciations of shi and shichi (4 and 7, resepectively) are avoided. Thus, it makes sense that you see yonkyu and not shikyu. However, I hardly ever see nanadan and almost always see shichidan, which seems to be inconsistent when compared with the number 4. What gives? Bad translation, or is there some exception here?
Also, what's the deal with the double k's in nikkyu and rokkyu? Should they technically be double k's or not? And is it rokukyu or rokkyu/rokyu?
So confusing .....
Much thanks in advance to those who can help out.
jd
jukyu
kukyu
hachikyu
shichikyu (nanakyu?)
rokkyu (rokyu? rokukyu?)
gokyu
yonkyu (shikyu?)
sankyu
nikkyu (nikyu?)
ikkyu
shodan
nidan
sandan
yondan (shidan?)
godan
rokudan
shichidan (nanadan?)
hachidan
kudan
judan
The ones in parenthesis are other alternatives I've considered. So is this correct?
I understand that shi is also how the kanji for death is read, so apparently, for superstitious reasons, the pronunciations of shi and shichi (4 and 7, resepectively) are avoided. Thus, it makes sense that you see yonkyu and not shikyu. However, I hardly ever see nanadan and almost always see shichidan, which seems to be inconsistent when compared with the number 4. What gives? Bad translation, or is there some exception here?
Also, what's the deal with the double k's in nikkyu and rokkyu? Should they technically be double k's or not? And is it rokukyu or rokkyu/rokyu?
So confusing .....
Much thanks in advance to those who can help out.
jd