Karate has a coloured belt system to show your progress, where beginners start with a WHITE BELT, then working your way through the different coloured belts:
White Belt
9th Kyu - Orange Belt
8th Kyu - Red Belt
7th Kyu - Yellow Belt
6th Kyu - Green Belt
5th Kyu - Purple Belt
4th Kyu - Purple & White
3rd Kyu - Brown Belt
2nd Kyu - Brown & single white Stripe Belt
1st Kyu - Brown & Double white Belt
Kyu = Grade of Student
1st DAN - BLACK BELT
Dan = Level of Student
Students can grade for their next belt every 3 months, provided they have been training min twice per week & with permission from their instructor, obviously with less training, the duration between grading will increase.
This belt system provides a platform in which to track your progress. As the difficulty level increases with each new belt, new moves must be learned and old moves must be improved It also teaches children the important life skills, setting goals for each belt, working towards and achieving them.
Once 1st Dan (Black Belt) has been achieved, this is then followed by 10 levels of Black Belt, making karate a lifelong study & vocation. Advanced Dan grades have decades of training behind them.