Patterson was the earliest non Japanese to receive dan ranking in Wado. The official USEWF website states that he received sho-dan in the year following his return from Japan when he was granted permission to teach Wado: “…in 1958, concurrent with his promotion to the rank of Sho Dan (1st Degree Black Belt) he received permission to teach the art of Wado Ryu selectively.” However, the USEWF website also maintains that he received his ni-dan before his discharge from the Navy: “Mr. Patterson’s devotion and hard worked [sic] earned him the rank of ni-dan (second-degree black belt) within two years, before his tour of duty ended and Patterson was shipped back home.” Patterson himself does not indicate the date in which he first received dan grading until it mentions his san-dan.
