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
Australian National Judo Championships Federation weight divisions. Australian National Judo Championships The Australian National Judo Championships are the highest level of judo competition in Australia. The championships are held annually by Judo Australia, and qualified domestic and overseas judoka compete in their respective categories as representatives of their home states or countries. Both the women's and men's championships began in 1956, with the championships being held in Wollongong, New South Wales between 2012 and 2015. There have been a number of changes to the weight divisions over the life of the championships. There are currently 8 weight classes for each gender, based on the