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                                                                   NAGANO RYU HEIHOU KYOKAI

                                             OFFICIAL RANKING SYSTEM

      

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OUR MOKUROKU:

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Nagano Ryu Heihou has 3 core catalogs.

1. Gedan no Maki

2. Goshikunai Hiden Mokuroku

3. Okuden Mokuroku

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

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         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. 

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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.  

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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.  

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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. 

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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.   

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

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1. ROKYU   - WHITE

2. GOKYU   - YELLOW

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3. YONKYU - GREEN

4. SANKYU - BLUE

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5. NIKYU     - PURPLE

6. IKKYU     - BROWN

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 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". 

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1. SHODAN

2. NIDAN

3. SANDAN

4. YONDAN

5. GODAN

6. ROKUDAN

7. NANADAN

8. HACHIDAN

 

Degrees (Dan) and Official Rank

The Dan Ranking System

Nagano Ryū Heihō employs a hybrid Dan (段) and Menkyo (免許) system of advancement. While these two systems complement one another, they serve different purposes and should not be confused.

The Dan Ranking System represents a student's personal progress within the Core Curriculum of Nagano Ryū Heihō. Advancement through the Dan grades reflects years of dedicated study, technical proficiency, practical experience, character, and overall understanding of the Ryū.

The attainment of Yūdansha (Black Belt) signifies an important milestone in a student's development. However, Dan rank alone does not measure teaching ability, confer instructional authority, or grant permission to establish a branch dōjō or promote students.

This distinction exists intentionally.

Nagano Ryū recognizes that the pursuit of personal mastery and the responsibility of teaching are separate callings. While every instructor should first be a skilled practitioner, not every skilled practitioner is called to become an instructor. Many students choose to dedicate their lives to training simply for personal growth, self-discipline, and enjoyment of the martial arts. The Dan Ranking System allows these students to continue advancing in knowledge and skill without any expectation or obligation to teach.

Instructor authority, official positions within the Kyōkai, and teaching titles are awarded separately through the Instructor Licensing (Menkyo) System, which is granted by invitation and recognizes an individual's demonstrated ability to faithfully preserve and transmit the teachings of the Ryū.

Students advancing solely through the Dan Ranking System do not receive instructor titles or teaching licenses. Within the dōjō, it is appropriate to address fellow practitioners using the traditional honorifics San (さん), Senpai (先輩), and Kōhai (後輩) according to etiquette and seniority. The title Sensei (先生) is reserved for individuals who have been formally recognized and licensed as instructors within the Nagano Ryū Heihō Kyōkai.

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Catalog Licenses & Instructor License are by invitation ONLY. 

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LICENSES

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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.    

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Mokuroku Menkyo (Catalog License)

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Stage Purpose Recognition

下段之巻 (Gedan no Maki) Foundation of Nagano Ryū Heihō; learning the principles and core curriculum—

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奥入目録 (Oku Iri Mokuroku)Instructor license; authorized to teach the Core Curriculum and establish an official Nagano Ryū branch

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御知内々秘伝目録 (Goshikunai Hiden Mokuroku) Inner cultivation; living the principles rather than merely studying them—

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五目録 (Go-Mokuroku)Recognition of complete Goshikunai transmission

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教授代理 (Kyōju Dairi)Senior representative instructor; entrusted to teach and represent the ryū on behalf of the Head Master 

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奥伝目録 (Okuden Mokuroku)Complete transmission of the Core Curriculum—

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免許皆伝 (Menkyo Kaiden)Complete transmission of Nagano Ryū Heihō

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保存免許 (Hozon Menkyo) Individual has completed one of the individual Arts in Nagano Ryu and is appointed to pass it down within their Branch- One license for each discipline entrusted

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​Someone might receive a Hozon Menkyo before or after Menkyo Kaiden, but they might later receive another for a different discipline. It's not "the next level"; it's an assignment of stewardship.

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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) in Nagano Ryu. In order to preserve the tradition a Daihan must began learning the parent arts as well. These are special allowances and Ellerbe Sensei will chose when and how he wants to share it.  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. In Nagano Ryu, colored belts are only earned by Instructors with branch schools. 

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    1. Daihan no Koto-   Sandan Daihan no Koto with Black side out. Yondan-Godan and higher with Gray side out. Yondan and Godan has at least one license in one of the parent arts. (Daito Ryu Matsuda Den Nidan-Hiden Mokuroku)

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    2. Shihan Dai no Koto- Yondan Shihan Dai no Koto is gray side out. Godan and higher Shihan Dai no Koto is black side up. Shihan Dai also has at least two licenses in one or each of the parent arts. (Daito Ryu Sandan Aiki no jutsu Mokuroku minimum). A Shihan Dai no Koto also has yudansha of their own in their dojo​

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    3. Shihan no Koto- Shihan no Koto is always red side up. Minimum Godan & Rokkudan with Go Mokuroku License. Daito Ryu "Yondan" Jujutsu Hiden Ogi License and Asayama Ichiden Ryu Ten no Maki Battojutsu Hiden Ogi.   

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    4. Kyoshi no Koto- Minimum Nanadan with Go Mokuroku. 

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     5. Hanshi no Koto-Hanshi no Koto is minimum Hachidan with Okuden Mokuroku. 

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     6. Kyoju Dairi- Official Representative of the Head Master. Has a deep knowledge of all parent systems with licenses in all. 

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     7. Kaiden no Koto-  Total Transmission

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