This post is just a quick reference for 510 Judo members (and anyone else affiliated with 510 Judo) on the steps you’ll need to complete to get your black belt recognized by USA Judo.
The actual promotion is up to your sensei and depends on many factors including regular practice, competition record if you are a competitor, teaching and coaching ability, understanding of and ability to explain and demonstrate the basic principles of judo, demonstration of skills including throws, pins, chokes, armbars, et cetera. That is not the main focus of this post.
Once your sensei has promoted you to shodan, to make it official you will need to complete the following steps:
- Background check – standard criminal background check.
- SafeSport certification – this is a free online course designed to educate you on how to prevent sexual abuse and bullying.
- Heads Up Concussion Safety – a free online course designed to educate you on traumatic brain injury in sports, how to recognize it and how to deal with it safely.
- Fill out the official form, have it signed by your sensei and send USA Judo a fee ($150 for shodan at the time of this writing).
The first three steps are all done through USA Judo. When you log in as a member at USA Judo, look in the upper left hand corner of the screen and you will see links for these requirements.
