Judo in the United States however, the lecture had little effect on mainstream judo growth. The first American to actually study judo was Prof. Ladd from Yale University, in 1889. He trained at the Kodokan in Japan for about ten years; by 1908 about 13 Americans were training there. In 1919, Prof. John Dewey of Columbia University came to visit Prof. Ladd and Master Kano, many years later he took his knowledge back to Columbia and began the first U.S. college judo program. While some students were training in Japan there was some action in the U.S. Perhaps one of the most important figures in
Judo in Canada by the National Grading Board. Most of the responsibility for grading, however, is delegated to other organizations. All "kyū" grade promotions are based on examination at the student's club by the club's head instructor or grading board following the Judo Canada grading syllabus. "Shodan" (first "dan") to "hachidan" (eighth "dan") promotions are based on examination by a provincial or territorial grading board, and must be ratified by Judo Canada. "Kudan" (ninth "dan") and "judan" (tenth "dan") promotions are rare honours that are conferred directly by Judo Canada, the International Judo Federation, or the Kodokan. The time between promotions for "kyū"