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Shodan (初段^?), literally meaning "first degree", is the lowest black belt rank in Japanese martial arts. Also frequently referred to as "first dan", it is a part of the kyū/dan system common to gendai budō. Among martial artists, the word shodan is used to describe both the rank a person holds, as well as the person himself (i.e., it is proper to say that a person possesses a shodan, and it is also proper to say, "I am a shodan in 'x' martial art").