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
Judo for the Blind Judo for the Blind Judo for the Blind is the debut EP of noise rock band Tragic Mulatto, released in 1984 by Alternative Tentacles. The band's sound has been described as jazz-tinged Flipper. Despite the band's peculiar demeanor, "Judo for the Blind" has been received positively. Ira Robbins of the "Trouser Press" praised the record, saying that "some numbers are faster and well-organized to the point where they resemble a '40s big band on bad drugs; others could be an incompetent jazz combo vainly tuning up while someone soundchecks the microphones." Adapted from the "Judo for the Blind" liner notes.