Ever since Dainippon Butoku-kai applied the dan-kyu promotion system for judo, kendo and kyudo before the war (previously, the dan promotion system had been adopted by the Kodokan, the kyu promotion system by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (the Interior Ministry)), the other budos have also adopted the promotion system.
戦前に大日本武徳会が柔道・剣道・弓道に段級位制武道を採用（段位制は講道館が、級位制は警視庁(内務省)が先行して採用）して以降、他の武道にも採用され現在に至っている。