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 'forms of throwing') must be demonstrated during examinations beginning at "sankyū" (green belt). Finally, students are also expected to remain proficient in all techniques associated with their previous grades, and to develop an understanding of Judo's history and standard Japanese terms. The requirements for "dan" promotion are more demanding and cover age, time in current grade, points total, and how those points were earned. To test for black belt, a person must be at least 15 years old, have been an "ikkyū" (brown belt) for at least one year, been active in Judo for at least three years with a