together with Dan, the playing strength ranking scale, Ameture
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            class, below the rank of black belt
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            Ranks below "dan"(black belt) ranks.
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            grade for ranks under black belt
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            (kyoo) ranking grades before black belt
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            'Step' - Intermediate grades from beginner to dan, 6th kyu yellow to 1st kyu brown
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            Ranks prior to Shodan. (5th kyu, 4th kyu, etc.)
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            ranks below dan level, 1-7: { ik-, ni-, san-, yon-, go-, rok-, shichi- } sometimes nana- is used in place of shichi
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            A grade under black belt. First kyu is the highest and 10th is the lowest.
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            A system of ranking before one attains black-belt level.[Back
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            white belt rank. Kyu ranks go in inverse order from fifth to first. Black belt ranks start at first degree and go up.
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            student. `Kyu grades' are pre-black-belt grades
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            "Grade". Any rank below Shodan.
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            Class. A category of rank for ungraded students, those who haven't reached the "black belt" ranks.
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            A grade that is under black belt.
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            (kyoo) Grade below black belt
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            Degree / rank for belt lower than black belt
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            "Boy" Rank. Beginner level rank. a Te"Listen" or "Attention here"
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            Ranking for belts below black belt.
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            a rank indicating level of skill, lower than dan. Kyu grades in austrailan kendo start at 6 and progress to 1. See dan. To the top
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            coloured belt (degree) Return to the top
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            cue Aikido rank, class. A mudansha or undergraduate.