Judo in Canada Sasaki's students went on to establish their own dojos across Canada. The Canadian Kodokan Black Belt Association was incorporated in 1956 and recognized by the International Judo Federation in 1958. Now known as Judo Canada, it is the national governing body and a federation of associations in each of the ten provinces and three territories. Today, an estimated 30,000 Canadians participate in Judo programs in approximately 400 clubs across Canada. Judo uses a hierarchical ranking system divided into "kyū" and "dan" grades that its founder, Jigoro Kano, adapted from the ranking system for the traditional board game Go. "Kyū" grades
Judo in Canada syllabus calls "6th+ "kyū""). The first five "dan" grades ("shodan" to "godan") are represented by a black belt. Judoka ranked sixth to eighth "dan" may wear a red and white belt, and those ranked ninth or tenth "dan" may wear a solid red belt, but this is not required and the black belt remains the standard for all "dan" grades. In the past women's belts would include a white stripe in the centre of the length of the belt to differentiate them from men, but this is much less common now. Promotions are regulated by Judo Canada using guidelines set