Shodan
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- For the antagonist of the System Shock games, see SHODAN.
Shodan (初段:しょだん?), literally meaning "first degree", is the lowest black belt rank in Japanese martial arts. Also frequently referred to as "first dan", it is a part of the kyū/dan system common to gendai budō. Among martial artists, the word shodan is used to describe both the rank a person holds, as well as the person himself (i.e., it is proper to say that a person possesses a shodan, and it is also proper to say, "I am a shodan in 'x' martial art").
[edit] Significance
As the transition from white (or colored) belt to black belt, the rank of shodan often holds special symbolism for martial arts students. The particular significance attached to it has varied and does vary based on circumstance. One often-quoted summary is that a first degree black belt has a thorough grounding in basic technique.
Popular media often fails to distinguish between the various levels of black belt, and thus some have the impression that passing a shodan examination somehow qualifies the recipient as a master of the martial arts. Most consider this mistaken. While an important rite of passage, it is probably more accurate to say that a shodan is ready to begin serious training.
As a black belt wearer, or yūdansha, a shodan is usually assigned teaching duties of some sort. Depending on the individual martial arts school, a student may be required to be a competent instructor as a condition for promotion to shodan, or achieving the rank of shodan might mark the beginning of a student's teaching apprenticeship.
[edit] Time
For most modern-day students, it requires between three and six years to reach the rank of shodan. This varies according to situation and other factors, such as the talent and maturity of the student, the rigor of the instructor and curriculum, and (perhaps most of all) the amount of time and energy the student spends on his or her training. For full-time, or live-in students (called uchideshi), a rare group in the modern world, a year might suffice for sufficient physical skills, but developing the correct mental attitude would remain variable.
