Please do not contact the ABI requesting equivalency rank certificates unless you have personally trained with and been certified by an ABI instructor.  We do not issue certificates of rank unless you have met all requirements, which include an in-person examination.

Yudansha (Black Belts), in addition to being issued ABI certificates, will also be automatically issued a rank certificate from the All Japan Karate Union (AJKU).  Kyu ranks may receive AJKU certificates upon request and payment of necessary membership and testing fees.

Certificates

The American Bujutsu Institute issues Certificates of Proficiency to all Kyu and Dan grades.  Kyu grades receive one certificate (shown below), and Dan grades receive two certificates from the ABI(also pictured below).  One of the Dan certificates is very similar to the Kyu certificate, but the second Dan certificate is completely in Japanese.  Dan grades will also receive a third certificate from the All Japan Karate union.  The first two ABI certificates, on gold parchment paper, are 8 1/2 x 11 inches.  The left side of the certificate is printed in English with the appropriate name, rank, etc., and the right side is written in Kanji in the hand of Gichin Funakoshi, complete with his personal chops.  It says "The ultimate aim of the art of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of it's participants."  Tenshin Shoden Ryu Karate-Do is strongly rooted in that very principle, and all students must memorize the saying.  Of course, the Japanese certificate is customized with the appropriate name, date, instructor/school chops, and other pertinent information, and is 11 x 17 inches.  

Kyu Certificate

Yudansha Certificate

Yudansha Certificate