How the Master's got their rank part 2

Really this should be part one but after I had several inquires, I went back a little further.

The origins of the karate ranking system was started by Gichin Funakoshi Sensei, who barrowed the concept from Judo, along with the Keiko-gi and Obi colors. Funikoshi Sensei started teaching in Tokyo in 1922. The first black belt promotions happened in April of 1924 when Funakoshi Sensei presented certificates and Black obi to seven of his senior students, six of them to Shodan and one to Nidan. Funakoshi Sensei set up his ranking system with a cap at 5^th Dan, this ranking structure was also used by Kenwa Mabuni Sensei for his Shito-ryu.

After Funakoshi Sensei and Mabuni Sensei began using this ranking structure several other Okinawan sensei adopted the use of the black obi.  For example in 1926 there are photos of Choki Motobu Sensei wearing a black obi and in the late 1920s photos of Chomo Hanashiro Sensei, Chosen Chibana Sensei and Shimpan Shiroma Sensei can be seen wearing black obi. As the 1930s progressed the heads of dojo began wearing black obi with no official dan designation.

In 1928, Miyagi Sensei teaches in Japan. In 1929, Ohtsuka Sensei leaves the Shotokan and forms Wado-Ryu Karate, he was around 38 years of age.  In 1933, Chojun Miyagi Sensei registers his art as Gojuryu Karate-do with the Butokukai. Some say that he had named it as early as 1929, which would have made him 41 years old.   Funakoshi, Mabuni and Miyagi were considered Head Master of their arts but at this point had no official ranking.

It should be noted that several Okinawan sensei were teaching in Japan in the 1920-1930s (Funakoshi, Mabuni, Miyagi and Motobu) and they had good relationships with the Butokukai but Karate was not accepted as an art until 1937 when the Butokukai awarded Chojun Miyagi Sensei with the rank of Kyoshi, designating him as the first master of karate. Yashuhiro Konishi Sensei was given the second Karate Kyoshi rank at age 44.

In 1939 the Butokukai issued more karate titles;

Ueshima the founder of Kushin-ryu was awarded Kyoshi at age 50

Gichin Funakoshi was awarded Renshi at age 71

Kenwa Mabuni was awarded Renshi at age 50

Gigo Funikoshi was awarded Renshi at age 40

In 1940 Renshi was awarded to;

Seiko Higa at age 42

Shoshin Nagamine at age 35

Gogen Yamaguchi at age 32

In 1944 Tasshi was awarded to Funakoshi, Mabuni and Ohtsuka. It might be of interest to know that Konishi (a student of Funakoshi and Mabuni) was appointed head of the Butokukai Committee that was responsible for awarding karate grade titles.

It was these Butokukai grades that formed the bases for the early karate associations and instructors to deem themselves as head master or some to assume the eventual title of 10^th Dan stylehead and by 1951 the Kokusai Budoin and the All Okinawa Karate Kobudo Rengokai was established and in 1964 FAJKO was established and the stricter standardization's of dan grades began, however it was not until 1971 that a blanket standard was put in place.

For Part 1: http://yushikan.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-masters-and-their-ranks.html