Ranking System | naganoryu

NAGANO RYU HEIHOU KYOKAI

OFFICIAL RANKING SYSTEM

OUR MOKUROKU:

Nagano Ryu Heihou has 5 catalogs.

1. Gedan no Maki

2. Hiden Mokuroku

3. Chuden Mokuroku

4. Okuden Mokuroku

5. Ami Mokuroku

Student grades are broken into 2 categories: Mudansha & Yudansha. The Mudansha are not Ranks this is why Mudansha means: No Rank or Grade.

Yudansha (Black Belts) are grades for advanced students denoting a stage of advanced training. However, not everyone is meant to instruct or teach. There are a lot of skilled individuals who are not interested in instruction but simply love training and challenging themselves. However, only yudansha with licenses in Nagano Ryu are allowed to open branch schools to instruct. Each Mokuroku (Catalog) contains several areas of study for each student to master. Mastery is measured by several levels of licenses. Each license represents a specific area of proficiency.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR SCHOOL IS LICENSED?

Firstly, Nagano Ryu authorized schools will be listed on this website in the authorized schools section. Secondly, authorized schools adhere to the official grading/ranking system. Finally, all licensed instructors are listed on this website.

CHILDREN STUDENT GRADES: There are 10 student grades for children with 1 benchmark. In Nagano Ryu, students at the age of 16 will cross over into the Adult class with the next grade being an adult grade. Age 16 is the benchmark. Nagano Ryu does not promote students under the age of 16 to Shodan. That honor comes with a very strict level of maturity and responsibility.

1. Mukyu- White

2. Jukyu- White/Yellow Stripe

3. Kukyu- Yellow

4. Hachikyu-Yellow/Orange Stripe

5. Nanakyu- Orange

6. Rokkyu- Orange/Green Stripe

7. Gokyu- Green

8. Yonkyu- Green/Blue Stripe

9. Sankyu- Blue

10. Nikkyu- Blue/Black stripe

11. Ikkyu- Purple- Purple is an Adult Nikkyu Rank.

Childrens Blue Belt is the Nagano Ryu Bench Mark grade. This is where the Adult and Children's curriculum line up. At the age of 16 the children's blue belt will align with the Adult Sankyu-Blue belt. At this level, the student will move to the Adult class.

ADULT STUDENT GRADES: There are 6 Grades at the Mudansha level. These are not considered ranks.

1. ROKYU - WHITE

2. GOKYU - YELLOW

3. YONKYU - GREEN

4. SANKYU - BLUE

5. NIKYU - PURPLE

6. IKKYU - BROWN

ADVANCED RANKS: The first official rank in Nagano Ryu Heihou is Shodan "The Beginning". Individuals with the first level rank of Shodan are considered "Yudansha".

1. SHODAN

2. NIDAN

3. SANDAN

4. YONDAN

5. GODAN

6. ROKUDAN

7. NANADAN

8. HACHIDAN

9. KUDAN

10. JUDAN

DEGREES OR OFFICIAL RANKS

This is the DAN SYSTEM.

Our organization has a hybrid Dan/Menkyo system. The official ranks or Dans are a number rank representing a students number of years training, level of experience, physical skill and expertise in the system. As a yudansha- Black Belt however, this does not measure instruction ability or grant authorization to instruct. In this case, it allows students to learn and progress in our system at their own rate with no pressure to teach. Not everyone can teach. Not everyone is born to teach. Not everyone is interested in teaching. Some students just want to enjoy training. Our Dan system allows you to learn our system and progress through the system without the need to teach or to open branch schools. However, the other side of this is that students that do not wish to teach will not receive Instructor Licenses, positions, or titles. The Dan system is open to all students as they earn it. Dan students will not be called sensei "Teacher". It's appropriate to use the honorific "San, Kohai, or Senpai".

Catalog Licenses & Instructor License are by invitation ONLY.

LICENSES

Nagano Ryu licenses are not available for everyone. The Catalog Licenses represent the completion of a catalog and its associated principles & history. The instructor licenses are reserved only for those special persons with a desire to teach the system. Not everyone is interested in teaching. Additionally, not everyone will be invited to teach. Teaching our system requires a lot more than just technique performance. Instructors represent our lineage, principles, history, and techniques all rolled into one. Attaining an instructors license requires both the Dan and catalog requirements. As for receiving a rank (degree or Dan), you simply need to develop the physical skills and experience in the techniques.

Mokuroku Menkyo (Catalog License)

Oku Iri
Sho Mokuroku
Hatsu Mokuroku
Go Mokuroku
Okuden Mokuroku

Instructor Licenses

Instructor licenses have some prerequisites. All require you to have a branch school with students of your own. In addition to this, the Daihan no Koto requires you to have promoted your first generation of students, obtained Oku Iri Mokuroku license and at least a Sandan (3rd Degree). However, it is also very possible to advance in the Dan ranking and not advance beyond Oku Iri Mokuroku catalog license. For example, it's very possible to obtain Yondan (4th Degree) or Godan (5th Degree) but only have Oku Iri Mokuroku catalog license.

1. Daihan no Koto

2. Shihan Dai no Koto

3. Shihan no Koto

4. Kyoju Dairi

5. Kaiden no Koto

Old Scroll Licenses- These Licenses are only given to special individuals.

Our Old Scroll Licenses come from our parent systems. Daito Ryu and Asayama Ichiden Ryu. In Nagano Ryu, special students will be invited to study our parent arts and receive licenses to teach them in their branch schools. Daito Ryu is the exception. Ellerbe Sensei has already begun to teach Matsuda Den Daito Ryu Jujutsu classes openly. We have two classes. However, the Asayama Ichiden Ryu is only taught to special students by invitation only.

1. Ten no Maki- Asayama Ichiden Ryu Nagano Ha

2. Chi no Maki- Asayama Ichiden Ryu Nagano Ha

3. Hiden Okugi no Koto- Asayama Ichiden Ryu Nagano Ha

4. Kaishaku Soden- Asayama Ichiden Ryu Nagano Ha

5. Menkyo Kaiden- Asayama Ichiden Ryu Nagano Ha

6. Ami Mokuroku Okuden

INSTRUCTOR POSITIONS

1. Daihan 代範 - In Nagano Ryu the Daihan position is granted with minimum Oku Iri license. In this case Daihan means "Mentor or Head of the School". With-in our organization a Daihan is either an experienced Oku Iri Mokuroku holder acting in a support capacity by teaching workshops, seminars, or helping out with-in the organization in some capacity or is running a Nagano Ryu Branch school.

2. Shihan 師範 - An honorific title that can be translated as "master instructor". In Nagano Ryu, the Shihan is actively representing the Nagano Ryu Heihou Kyokai as a whole by overseeing branch schools in their region. This means that each Shihan has the responsibility of traveling to Nagano Ryu branch schools to oversee promotions, teach workshops and seminars, as well as promoting the system by building a positive name in the community at large.

3. Kyoshi 教士 - An honorific title for "master". In Nagano Ryu, each Kyoshi is designated as a regional director primarily with the responsibility of maintaining the stability of the System and our organization in their region. Responsibilities include, running and planning national and international events, travel to Japan and with-in the continental USA teaching and supporting branch schools. Conducting promotions, and expanding the federations relationships with other like minded organizations. This position is a major responsibility.

4. Hanshi 範士 - "Grand Master" Completed System

NAGANO RYU HEIHOU KYOKAI

長野流兵法協会

"Tokaido is the Official Uniform of Nagano Ryu"