The Australian coach and black belt achieved his fourth dan before Kancho Matsushima, head of the International Kyokushin Karate Association.

Hardy, aged 60, had been in Spain leading the Australian campaign at the Kyokushin world cup when the chance came up on the Mediterranean.

He and fellow Ballarat fighter Monica Baltovska were the only two Australians to undergo gradings under Matsushima with temperatures hovering about 35 degrees.

Baltovska, a lightweight competitor, achieved her third dan.

It has been a 10-year wait between gradings for the pair.

Matsushima was particularly impressed with Hardy's focus, determination and effort for his age.

Hardy, back in Ballarat this week, said his feat felt amazing.

"This just proves life is not over when you get older," Hardy said.

"When you do get to 60, the kids have grown up and left home, you can feel redundant.

"This just proves lots of things are possible."

Part of Hardy's grading included his service to the sport the past 10 years, which included training up 40 black belts, a world champion and world number two fighter, and running a dojo for 35 years.

Hardy said support from Baltovska, Buninyong fighter Kirk Fuller and former world champion teenager Shannyn Johnstone-Ward on the sidelines motivated him through the physical assessments.

His age and a shoulder injury granted Hardy exemptions from full stamina and fighting tests.

Instead he opted to complete the entire program. Hardy's next aim is to build a stronger Australian team.

He has been reappointed as head coach to the next world tournament in Japan in 2012.

Hardy hoped to work closer with New Zealand so both nations could be more competitive with powerful European full-time fighters.

Johnstone-Ward (middleweight) was Australia's top-ranked fighter at the world cup with a fourth place.

Ballarat mum Kerrie-Anne Phillips will have a chance to become more competitive when a super lightweight category is introduced for the 2014 world cup in South Africa.