Kanō started the modern rank system in 1883 when he awarded shodan (the lowest dan rank) to two of his senior students (Shiro Saigo and Tomita Tsunejirō).
Kano empezou co sistema moderno de rango cando outorgou o rango shodan (o rango dan máis baixo) a dous dos seus alumnos (Shiro Saigo e Tsunejiro Tomita) en 1883.