 Before returning to Japan, Hamada promoted Felton Messina to 3rd degree black belt, after giving him an extensive exam.Felton Messina traveled four times to Japan to practice at Hamada's dojo, where he was promoted successively to higher ranks until he reached the highest rank in "Nihon Koden Shindo Ryu" which is "So-Shihan", that translated to English means ""Master of Masters"".This rank was given to him in 1999 in Japan, in the presence of 10 of his more advanced students from different countries in the Americas that traveled with him.