Dan (rank) 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. This has led to upper level ranks becoming extinct in some arts. In other styles, the dan ranks are not the
German Judo Federation complemented each other when the DJB was founded. The DDK was responsible for the Dan bearers, teacher training, dissemination and teaching of judo and examinations. The DJB was from 1955 alone responsible for the competition events - for national and international tournaments and championships, after the DAB had transferred in December 1954 its responsibility for the judo sport to the DJB. The DJB was recognized in 1956 by the German Sports Federation and worked together until 1990 together with the DDK. On 2 February 1991, the German Judo Federation of the FRG (DJB) and the German Judo Association of the