9 Gup 9 Dan system of rank

[supergroup7]

"In the 1920s, Funakoshi adopted the Kyū/Dan rank system and the uniform (keikogi) developed by Kano Jigoro, the founder of judo. This system uses colored belts (obi) to indicate rank. Originally, karate had only three belt colors: white, brown, and black (with ranks within each). The original belt system, still used by Shotokan Karate of America, is:

    * Ungraded: White
    * 8th kyū–4th kyū: white
    * 3rd kyū–1st kyū: brown
    * Dan grades: black

Funakoshi awarded the first 1st dan (初段; shodan) Shotokan karate ranks to Tokuda, Otsuka, Akiba, Shimizu, Hirose, Gima, and Kasuya on 10 April 1924. 

Hong Hi Choi, a key figure in the development of taekwondo, studied Shotokan karate during the Japanese occupation of Korea during the first half of the 20th century."

Taken from Wikipedia.comhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotokan

I just have to add that other belt colors have been added to the ranks in some systems. In Shotokan,  I've seen:

8th kyu - yellow
7th kyu - orange
6th kyu - green
5th kyu - purple
4th kyu - purple
3rd kyu - brown
2nd kyu - brown
1st kyu - brown

There are other variations of colors.

So the rank system came in before WW2, Bluecrab, but, you are right, it was inspired by Judo.

I do believe that it is a 10 kyu/ 10 Dan system, but that the 10th, and 9th kyu are reserved for youth, and the 10th Dan is known as the Death belt because usually the Karate ka is of advanced age when he/she would receive this honor.

[Bluecrab]

The whole geup/dan ranking system comes from the Japanese, and was adopted after WW2.

In the Japanese arts, it started in Judo - an adaption of a ranking system from some other discipline (can't recall what at the moment) made by Jigaro Kano.

[stoneheart]

The answer to most questions of this nature is cultural in origin.  The number 3 is significant in most Asian cultures, and the character for "3" is written as three stylized lines meaning the heavens and the earth with people sandwiched in between.

9 is of course 3 times 3.

[Adam]

9 gup/9 dan system?  Never heard of one.  I thought most were 10gup/10 dan

Maybe it's just TKD, every org I've been a part of has had the 9-9...I guess not.

[All or Nuthin]

not sure of that one

[galahad25]

9 gup/9 dan system?  Never heard of one.  I thought most were 10gup/10 dan

[Adam]

Does anyone know where the KMA 9 gup/9 dan system of rank came from?