Kyu
/kjuː/noun
A rank below dan in Japanese martial arts and some traditional disciplines.
Did you know?In Japanese ranking systems, kyū grades count downward toward first kyū, while dan grades begin at first dan and count upward—a symbolic journey from imperfection toward mastery.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
級
“A step, rank, or grade in an ordered series”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
級 (kjɨp)
“Rank, level, or class”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
級 (kyū)
“Grade, class, or rank”
19th–20th Century
Japanese
kyū
“A rank below the dan grades in martial-arts and related ranking systems”
20th Century
English
kyu
“A non-dan rank in Japanese martial arts and other disciplines”
Modern English
English
kyu
“A grade or rank below dan, especially in martial arts”