Your Karate Colour Belts (Kyu Grades)

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Karate uses a coloured belt system to show your progress, earning you a different karate belt colour when you pass your exam. You start with a WHITE BELT, then working your way through the different coloured karate 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 colour 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 new karate belt colour, 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:-

1st Dan - min 3yrs trg twice a week

2nd Dan - a min of 2yrs additional training

3rd Dan - a min of 3yrs additional training

4th Dan - a min of 4yrs additional training

5th Dan - a min of 5yrs additional training

6th Dan - a min of 6yrs additional training

7th Dan - a min of 7yrs additional training

8th Dan - a min of 8yrs additional training

9th Dan - a min of 9yrs additional training

10th Dan - a min of 10yrs additional training

• Kihon - literally means "Basic". This is the practice of basic karate moves.  
• Kata - is a pre set sequence of movements and techniques.
• Kumite - is the sparring or combat element of karate.