the principal dojo or sometimes by a steering committee. There is no set achievement level that is universal. Ranking systems are specific to the school or style, so ranks do not necessarily translate across different martial arts styles. In fact, dan ranks do not necessarily indicate one wears a black belt. In martial arts such as iaidō, kendō or jōdō, no external signifier of rank is worn, though a black belt is by far the most recognizable symbol to the general public. The highest dan ranks are sometimes reserved for the founder or leaders of a style and only high-ranking students can be promoted to them. For example, only five living people hold a tenth dan in judo and only about thirty-five worldwide have been promoted to the rank since its inception; of those 10th dan promotions only fifteen were conferred by the Kodokan, all of them to Japanese judoka. In other styles, the dan ranks are not the highest level that might be attained, with instructor certification and judge/judgment authorization being understood as higher-level or more sophisticated. Ranks in Japanese Many arts use between one and ten dan ranks: In many martial arts, black belts are often worn for all dan grades. In others, different colors are used, with the highest grade (10th dan) sometimes wearing a red belt in some systems. In Jūdo, 6th to 8th dan may wear a red and white-patterned belt, and 9th dan and above may wear a solid red belt. Blue with a red stripe is sometimes worn for Renshi (錬士) or for a person recognized by the older Ryu Kyu Kingdom title of Shinshi (from Shenshi, 紳士), a general Confucian term for a resident Chinese scholar and emissary. There is some variation even within styles. Generally, belts do not have markings that indicate the actual dan grade. Okinawan styles often use gold bars to denote the various masters titles rather than grades after fifth dan. Thus one gold stripe can designate , two designated , and three designated . In the early 2000s, different Okinawan styles started using the stripes to designate individual dan grades above godan. Others, including many Uechi organizations, have followed suit, while others have not. In many styles shodan implies that the basics of the style have been mastered. At about sandan, the student may start teaching independently but under the supervision of his teacher. The license for