Kuro Obi (Black Belt)

Kuro Obi (Black Belts)

This page is dedicated to the Instructors, Assistant Instructors and Students of Kubotan Karate Kai who have achieved with the grit and determination required the status of the coveted Kuro Obi (Black Belt).

The following age and time interval requirements apply to Dan Grades within Kubotan Karate Kai and the World Karate Federation (WKF).

Rank Dan Minimum Requirement
Shodan 初段 1st Dan 15 years of age. No student can go to 1st Dan under 15yrs.
Nidan 弐段 2nd Dan 17 years of age – 2 years since 1st Dan.
Sandan 参段 3rd Dan 20 years of age – 3 years since 2nd Dan.
Yondan 四段 4th Dan 24 years of age – 4 years since 3rd Dan.
Godan 五段 5th Dan 29 years of age – 5 years since 4th Dan.
Rokudan 六段 6th Dan 35 years of age – 6 years since 5th Dan.
Shichidan 七段 7th Dan 42 years of age – 7 years since 6th Dan.
Hachidan 八段 8th Dan 50 years of age – 8 years since 7th Dan.
Kudan 九段 9th Dan Exceptional lifetime achievement for Karate.
Judan 十段 10th Dan Exceptional lifetime achievement for Karate.

Kubotan’s Dan Grades (Black Belts)

Jason Hayward Chief Instructor Kubotan Karate
Jason Hayward (Chief Instructor) 5th Dan

1st Dan – 21st August 1988

2nd Dan – 27th March 2011

3rd Dan – 20th March 2014

4th Dan – 24th June 2018

5th Dan – 21st October 2023

11 3rd Dan Lauren Hayward
Lauren Hayward (Instructor) 3rd Dan

1st Dan – 30th March 2014

2nd Dan – 20th March 2016

3rd Dan – 13th December 2020

Ioan Evans Kubotan Karate
Ioan Evans 2nd Dan

1st Dan – 29th March 2015

2nd Dan – 2nd March 2017

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Andrew Yorath 3rd Dan

1st Dan    – 13th August 1989

2nd Dan – 16th December 2018

3rd Dan – 20th March 2022

Robert Potter Kubotan Karate Kai
Robert Potter 2nd Dan

16th December 2018

Photo 13 Emma Evans
Emma Evans

1st Dan   – 16th December 2018

2nd Dan – 12th December 2021

Kubotan Karate Kai Andrew Collins
Andrew Collins 1st Dan

16th December 2018

Mark Whitby
Mark Whitby 3rd Dan

1st Dan – 3rd December 2017

2nd Dan – 15th December 2019

3rd Dan – 2nd July 2023.

Jackie Mariani Kubotan Karate Black Belt
Jackie Mariani 3rd Dan

1st Dan – 14th December 2003
2nd Dan – 26th March 2006
3rd Dan – 16th June 2013

 Oli Richards

1st Dan – 13th December 2020

7.1st Dan

Amy Thomas

1st Dan – 25th July 2021

Photo 9 Logan Rogers

Logan Rogers

1st Dan – 12th December 2021

Photo 10Curtis Williams

Curtis Williams

1st Dan – 12th December 2021

Photo 11 Simon Williams

Simon Williams

1st Dan – 12th December 2021

Photo 12 James Rogers

James Rogers

1st Dan – 12th December 2021