dent on demonstrated proficiency in these areas as well as points scored in
competition.
The belt color ranking system, which originated with jûdô, has been
adopted by a great many martial systems and has occasioned much debate.
The dan/kyûsystem, in which the more advanced or dan ranks are usually
designated by a black belt and the lesser kyû grades by a variety of colors,
is one of the most widely recognized features of Japanese and some other
Asian martial arts, and it is often assumed to be of great antiquity. In real-
ity, it represented another facet of Kanô’s innovation and modernization,
since it presented a format for standardizing the development of the jûdôka214 Jûdô
Top: Thomas R.
Goudy attempting
an armlock, 1962.
Bottom: Toyoshige
Tomita demonstrat-
ing the seoi otoshi
throw, 1962. (Cour-
tesy of Joe Svinth)