How many kendo 9th dan alive today?

[Usagi San]

Speaking to my sensei the other day I asked him if he knew how many kendo 9th dan are there still alive today.
He said he knew of some 4 or 5. But then again they were so old that probably... well... they could be dead.
One is Kurasawa sensei. That one I know still lives. Anyone else?...

[Miles]

In Korea we have one 9-Dan, Master Cho. He is around 76 or older, not sure. He lives in Seoul and from what my Sabunim tells me, he is still active in Kumdo. I was fortunate to meet him this last Sunday at the Seoul Cup tournament. For a guy in his late 70's he had a very firm handshake!

[Andou]

In Korea we have one 9-Dan, Master Cho. He is around 76 or older, not sure. He lives in Seoul and from what my Sabunim tells me, he is still active in Kumdo. I was fortunate to meet him this last Sunday at the Seoul Cup tournament. For a guy in his late 70's he had a very firm handshake!

Wow! That's pretty intense. I'm sure he has seen many generations of Kumdo practicioners come and go and the evolution of the art to what we know today. As for his handshake...I'd expect nothing less from a 9th Dan.

[nikolaj]

wow, I wasn't aware that there were any kyudans left...
How fortunate indeed to be able to meet one...

[Fonsz]

In the summer of 2000 I was at a practice in the Kyoto Butokuden. All the Sensei where getting instructions and were lining up with the rest of the students. There was an elderly man wearing a white Keikogi and Hakama, who was giving instuctions. At the end we could do Ji Geiko with the Sensei. I waited in the long line for a chance to do Ji Geiko. I had all the time to observe him. He was making mince meat of all the other Sensei whom he regularly tsukied when he was not pleased with something that in my opinion looked very good. He snarled and shouted when he did this. When he sonkyoed(?) he used his shinai for support while going down and up. When he stood it was like a white glacier that couldn't be moved. He didn't move very much by the way. When it was my turn he slapped me around and when he noticed that I was no match he let me do Kiri Kaeshi a few times and that was it. He held a speech after practice in which he vented his discontent with some facts that he saw during the practice. Everybody listened very carefully and in awe. (I asked what he said afterwards, because my Japanese is not nearly sufficiënt to understand these abstract speeches) He also said that if you're not 6th Dan then you should have no business to do Ji Geiko with him. Hmm I wondered whom he meant with that remark. I remembered the kanji on his Zekken and when I was at the regular practice with my Sensei I asked who this White Marvel was. He said "Oh that was Maruta Sensei he is a Kyu Dan" I swallowed and I thought well I'm glad I took the chance to do Ji Geiko with him. Even if it was for the opportunity to just closely oberve someone like that. After the practice he had to be supported by two people to walk the distance to the car park. Then I noticed how frail he actually was. But in Bogu and in the Dojo he was from a different universe. I wonder if he's still alive and kicking.

[nikolaj]

I pretty much stumpled upon this by accident, but look at some of the names, there are several kyudans in here^^
http://personal.picusnet.com/butoku/hofficials.html

btw, Fonsz, awesome^^

[Fonsz]

I pretty much stumpled upon this by accident, but look at some of the names, there are several kyudans in here^^
http://personal.picusnet.com/butoku/hofficials.html

btw, Fonsz, awesome^^
Thanks Niclolaj,
Awesome is just a word to describe the experience.
The folks you stumbled upon are from the Dai Nippon Butokukai. The dan ranks of this association do not transfer to the Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei. They seem to be a parallel organisation which has nothing to do with Kendo as we know it. Their Kendo is the same but they belong to a different club there are less of them than there are of the International Kendo Federation. I did some inquiries here on KWF and this is what I was told by well informed and respected members of this forum.
Apparently if you pay enough than you can reach pretty much any rank you like. This is what I have heard, so I'm not 100% positive about this.
Regards

[Matlock]

...The folks you stumbled upon are from the Dai Nippon Butokukai. The dan ranks of this association do not transfer to the Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei. They seem to be a parallel organisation which has nothing to do with Kendo as we know it. Their Kendo is the same but they belong to a different club there are less of them than there are of the International Kendo Federation. I did some inquiries here on KWF and this is what I was told by well informed and respected members of this forum.
Apparently if you pay enough than you can reach pretty much any rank you like. This is what I have heard, so I'm not 100% positive about this.
Regards

Fonsz-san, Yes you are correct and I have heard the same thing. The people I have heard it from were in the Tokyo area and very reputable. Uh..... well, that is all I wanted to say.

Best

[nikolaj]

huh, again, I had no clue of their existence, my bad...

[Kingofmyrrh]

There are still a few around here and there. Last year was the 100th Kyoto Taikai, and I think that it was the first time (although there's a more than reasonable chance that I'm wrong) that there were no 9th dans fencing. I'm certain that there were none fencing, at least; whether it was the first time or not I'm less clear on.

[LSR_7]

I asked a Japanese student, Hiro, who came to my kendo club at our university (he's part of the 5 month program to America from Asia University in Tokyo, my roommate was from that program) about 1 month ago how many 8dan there are, assuming that was the highest belt. He told me that 9dan is the highest and that there were three of them (he's probably only talking about any that are in Japan unless they are the only ones) but now there were two as they are elderly. He said there used to be a 10dan but that was a long, long time ago. So according to him there are only two 9dan left at least in Japan and that rank will probably disapear (because how will you judge if one is good enough is there are no one of that level to judge?) soon unless they test some 8dan who have to be recommended to the 9dan (probably).

Sorry, I don't know any names, I just heard this number.

[Curtis]

I spent more than a week practicing at the Kyoto Butokuden last November having every day practice except Sunday with Inoue Sensei, 9 Dan, age 80. Never did get a hit on him. He just ran me into the floor doing men helping me to improve my form and strike. Did the same thing to the older 7 Dan (around 65-70yo) getting ready for the 8 Dan test. Inoue Sensei has a really strong taiatari.

[Inouye02]

ahhh i see you met my uncle... :old_man:

[Curtis]

ahhh i see you met my uncle... :old_man:
We met him several years ago when he came to the U.S. for the promotion exam seminar.

Funny, he never mentioned you. I guess there are some branches of the family you just do not talk about. Heh, heh.