Black Belt

有段者 (yūdansha)

有段者 (yūdansha): one who holds a dan rank, shodan or above. 有 (yū) is to have, 段 (dan) is a grade of skill, and 者 (sha) is a person: one who has a dan. The grades belong to the board games first, where a go or shōgi player's strength is still counted in dan, and the dōjō borrowed them; in jūdō, kendō and karate the black belt is the sign of the rank, and the word names the rank itself. English took the word from jūdō, where a journalist training at the Kōdōkan wrote of the yūdansha who are allowed to wear black belts as a sign, and black belt has been its English since. It fits the promotion it marks, and a player with a dan at the go board has as much right to it as anyone on the mat. 有段者 is composed of the kanji 有 (read yū) meaning "have; possess", 段 (read dan) meaning "dan (black belt) rank", and 者 (read sha) meaning "person".

Verify: 有段者 in the Japanese-English Dictionary

Black Belt (有段者) in Block style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase

Black Belt 有段者 yūdansha Block Vertical VB4A

Black Belt 有段者 yūdansha Block Vertical VB4B

Black Belt 有段者 yūdansha Block Vertical VB4C

Black Belt 有段者 yūdansha Block Vertical VB4D

Black Belt (有段者) in Cursive style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase

Black Belt 有段者 yūdansha Cursive Vertical VC4A

Black Belt 有段者 yūdansha Cursive Vertical VC4B

Black Belt 有段者 yūdansha Cursive Vertical VC4C

Black Belt (有段者) in Design style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase

Black Belt 有段者 yūdansha Design Vertical VD4A

Black Belt 有段者 yūdansha Design Vertical VD4B

Black Belt (有段者) in Semi-Cursive style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase

Black Belt 有段者 yūdansha Semi-Cursive Vertical VS4A

Black Belt 有段者 yūdansha Semi-Cursive Vertical VS4B

Black Belt 有段者 yūdansha Semi-Cursive Vertical VS4C

Black Belt 有段者 yūdansha Semi-Cursive Vertical VS4D

Black Belt 有段者 yūdansha Block Horizontal HB3A

Black Belt 有段者 yūdansha Cursive Horizontal HC3A

Black Belt 有段者 yūdansha Semi-Cursive Horizontal HS3A

黒帯 (kuroobi)

The Japanese word 黒帯 meaning "Black Belt" is composed of the kanji 黒 (read kuro) meaning "black" and 帯 (read obi) meaning "belt" and refers to a Black Belt as awarded in such Martial Arts disciplines as Judo and Karate.

Black Belt (黒帯) in Block style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Block Vertical VB3A

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Block Vertical VB3B

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Block Vertical VB3C

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Block Vertical VB3D

Black Belt (黒帯) in Cursive style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Cursive Vertical VC3A

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Cursive Vertical VC3B

Black Belt (黒帯) in Design style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Design Vertical VD3A

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Design Vertical VD3B

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Design Vertical VD3C

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Design Vertical VD3D

Black Belt (黒帯) in Semi-Cursive style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Semi-Cursive Vertical VS3A

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Semi-Cursive Vertical VS3B

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Semi-Cursive Vertical VS3C

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Semi-Cursive Vertical VS3D

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Block Horizontal HB2A

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Block Horizontal HB2B

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Cursive Horizontal HC2A

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Design Horizontal HD2A

Black Belt 黒帯 kuroobi Semi-Cursive Horizontal HS2A

About the Designs

Each design is Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase's hand-brushed calligraphy of the word or phrase on this page, delivered as a PDF you can print. Every PDF includes the line art, so a tattoo artist or a craftsperson can work from the outline as well as the brushed image.

Delivery

Your PDF is available for download the moment your order completes, and a copy is attached to your emailed receipt.

Also available as a hand-brushed Japanese scroll

Master Calligrapher Eri Takase creates each scroll personally, hand-brushed to order on traditional Japanese paper.

$220

See the scroll