How many 8 dans are there?
This is a question I get a lot. And here's the answer: 剣道段位・称号登録者数 (平成15年1月現在) Numbers of kendo grade holders, as at January 2003 初段 634,678 (shodan) 二段 385,890 (nidan) 三段 162,061 (sandan) 四段 41,463 (yondan) 五段 38,573 (godan) 六段 14,011 (rokudan) 七段 11,877 (nanadan) 八段 466 (hachidan) 九段 13 (kyū-dan-9th Dan) only 4 still active: Inoue sensei, Okuzono sensei, Taniguchi sensei and Kurasawa sensei. 全国登録計 1,288,033 (All Japan Total) (women 28%) 称号 Shogo 錬士 19,258 (Renshi) 教士 18,000 (Kyoshi) 範士 376 (Hanshi) There had been only five 10th dan in kendo history. From 1995 the grades 9th and 10th cannot be awarded. The total 9th dan ever awarded seems to be about twenty. And then, by Curtis Marsten sensei's reckoning , it takes more than 86,000 people to pass 6 and 7 dan for there to be just ten new 8 dans! (Note: these figures are only for Japan. Thanks to Raffa at Kendo World for this info). b