What is the martial arts ranking system actually called in Japanese? We know that it consists of Dan (段) and Kyu (級) and it is a rank system. Right? This is one of my favorite things about it the “Dan and Kyu Rank System,” is actually a pretty direct translation of the Japanese name, 段級位制, which is pronounced, “Dankyuisei.” Though many shorten it to simply Dan-i (段位), for convenience.
段- Dan: level
級- Kyu: grade
位- I: rank
制- Sei: system