Rank

Dan (단, dan) is the rank that shows a practitioner's level in kumdo. A person holding a dan is called a yudanja (유단자), meaning someone at chodan (초단) or above. Korean dictionaries note that the dan system is shared with other disciplines such as judo, taekwondo and the board game baduk.

• Hierarchy: the examination regulations of the Korea Kumdo Association (대한검도회, Daehan Geomdohoe) express members' ranks as dan and geup (급). Dan run from chodan (초단) up to 10 dan, and geup, from 9 to 1, sit below them (dan-oe, 단외). A newcomer has no grade (무급, mugeup).
• Who grants it: the national association grants the dan, while the head of the city or provincial association recognizes the geup (시도검도회장).
• Minimum training periods: chodan requires the 1 geup and being in the second year of middle school or older. 2 dan requires at least 1 year after chodan, 3 dan 2 years, 4 dan 3 years, 5 dan 4 years, 6 dan 5 years and 7 dan 6 years. 8 dan requires at least 10 years after 7 dan and an age of 48.
• Promotion examination (승단 심사, seungdan simsa): chodan to 4 dan are examined by the regional association. From 5 dan the examination is held at the national association's central training center (중앙연수원, jungang yeonsuwon). It has practical and theory parts. For 5 to 7 dan the subjects are practice (yeongyeok 연격 and daeryeon 대련), geomdo-ui bon (검도의 본) and theory (hakgwa 학과). The 8 dan examination has two stages.
• Titles: the standing of high-dan holders (고단자, godanja) is also expressed by titles (칭호, chingho): yeonsa (연사), gyosa (교사) and beomsa (범사).
• Revocation: the association may cancel the dan of a holder whose conduct damages their standing, after a decision by its committee on rules and sanctions.